By: | December 22, 2025 | | Holmdel
Photo by Alex Fenyves
by Emma Sylvia
It’s not every day that you can type your name into Google and be greeted not just with a Wikipedia page, but something you’ve been in making actual headlines. But that’s just the case for Holmdel local, John Cannizzaro. Cannizzaro (who goes by “Johnny Cannizzaro” in the acting world) recently starred in the Bruce Springsteen biopic, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” as Bruce’s musical right hand man and guitarist, Steve Van Zandt. Cannizzaro sits down with us to talk about how he fell in love with acting, his journey to Los Angeles, and how he landed the role of the Boss’ best friend.
Community Magazine: How did you get started with acting?
Johnny Cannizzaro: I was born in Brooklyn but raised in Holmdel. I currently live in LA and am back and forth between New York, LA and New Jersey.
They call it the “itch,” when you get the bug to perform. I discovered it at William R Satz Middle School. My English teacher was the theater director and convinced me to do the school play – since then, I was hooked.
After doing all four years of plays and musicals in high school, I built a pattern for the stage. I didn’t break out of my shell yet, though – I was always part of the ensemble. The first musical in high school we did was Wizard of Oz, and I booked the role of an apple-throwing tree. I went to Brookdale for a few years, and that’s when I got more prominent roles. It really allowed me to soar and decide this was going to be my path in life.
CM: What was your path like after Brookdale?
JC: Shortly after [graduating from Brookdale], I decided to relocate to LA, and I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I was there for two years, and that was full immersion, everything acting, all day, every day. That was a really great experience.
I discovered a real love for silent film and Chaplin in particular. The school I went to was a former part of the Charlie Chaplin Studio, literally the same property. I’ve been a big history buff, specifically Hollywood history. I’m such an admirer of Chaplin and being able to emote with words.
CM: What was the goal after the academy?
JC: A lot of institutions don’t want you to work “professionally” because they want you to be fully immersed in the study of the craft. I didn’t start working professionally until I was long out of school. In LA, there are a lot of years you spend making relationships and meeting casting directors that eventually leads to working. Many actors don’t start working immediately; I certainly wasn’t one of them [that did]. I didn’t start working consistently until a decade later. What’s the saying? “It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.” You never feel like you’re at a point where you’re content.
The first big studio film I did was “The Jersey Boys,” directed by Clint Eastwood. That was a big thing for me; I had never worked on anything that prominent. In between, I’ve worked on “The Rookie,” “SWAT,” “NCIS: HAWAII,” “Criminal Minds,” “Quantum Leap,” and recently in “Matlock.”
CM: What was the process like of auditioning for ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’?
JC: The process was very similar to any other audition. I got an email one day from my manager. Usually, the project and character description is listed at the top. It said, “Steve Van Zandt” I said “Steve Van Zandt? I know that guy.” I emailed my manager, “We have to get this.” I knew his brother, Billy, from Brookdale – he workshopped his plays there for years. Because of that relationship, I said, “I don’t care, whatever it takes, I want this role. It resonates too much with me.” I felt like it should’ve been mine.
I put myself on tape for it, and we heard back pretty instantly that the director really enjoyed the tape. He wanted me to redo it and put a beret on, because in my initial audition I wore a bandana – but in the era of this film, he wore a beret. We didn’t hear anything for a month or so, and my manager called and said, “You’re gonna be Stevie.” It ended up working out.
Working on the film was incredible. Being around all those filmmakers and incredible people, it was all great.
CM: Do you have any moments from filming that stand out? What was filming the movie like?
JC: The very first day, we were rehearsing at the Power Station, a prominent recording studio in midtown Manhattan. The director was there and Jeremy Allen White walked in the room, and everyone started clapping for him. He beelined it over to me, put his arm around me in a very affectionate way, and I had never met him before. It was such a cool thing to do; it was the relationship Bruce and Stevie had, and I wanted to give as much of that as I could. It meant a lot that he could recognize that and establish that rapport.
The film was shot for two months, I was on it for three weeks. I have an apartment in Brooklyn, so that’s where I was staying. There was a lot of time spent learning the guitar. The studio appointed me a guitar coach. He was really crucial. I had some knowledge on how to play the guitar, but I wasn’t an expert. It was important to me – and the director – to be as authentic as possible. Stevie has a very specific way he plays the guitar. You never know what does and doesn’t wind up in the film, but I wanted to be as specific as I can with the body moments. All that stuff, it was interesting to dissect it all with the guitar coach.
CM: As a Monmouth County resident, what did it mean for you to shoot something that was so locally-focused?
JC: That’s why I wanted to be a part of it from the get-go. Shooting something in NJ felt like such a rare occasion. Having grown up in that area, it meant so much to me. That’s why I wanted the role so much even though it wasn’t a big role, necessarily. I went to The Stone Pony all the time as a kid. My first girlfriend was from Freehold. I have so many connections to the area. If you listen to Bruce’s music, it exemplifies everything about the area. There’s a mood that it exhibits. I just felt it. It meant a lot to me, and I wanted to be a part of it.
CM: What were the reactions like to you playing Steve Van Zandt?
JC: I have so many aunts and uncles and cousins and nieces and nephews. My younger cousins, when I was that age, anything in a tv or movie, you get googly-eyed over. My nieces and nephews reacted the same way. I’ve been working at this for so long, so even having a little taste of that was really exciting for me. You bring some pride to the area. That’s another reason why this was important. It’s not often you get to do something that represents the place you grew up in.
CM: What’s next?
JC: I don’t know if this will happen or not, but there’s a possibility there will be another facet of Springsteen’s life [made into a movie]. I can only hope and pray that they do – my fingers are crossed for that! I thought it was a great idea. I think people are really looking for more of these real, slice-of-life stories, and that’s what this would be.
I’ve been in the midst of an independent horror film called “Stegosaurus.” I love doing independent films, because they’re such a different feeling on set than big studio movies; though I will say “Deliver Me From Nowhere” was a small crew and cast (for a Hollywood film). It felt like an indie film, small and contained, which helps give it that hometown feel.
I keep hearing rumors that the industry is going to be picking up in January. It’s been rough since Covid, the writers and actors strike. It’s been a crazy, tumultuous time in this industry. I’m excited for that, and for things to pick up. I’m really excited for all the NJ Film Commission stuff and development of Netflix. The O.G. Hollywood was Fort Lee, NJ, really back in the day. Everyone migrated west because the weather was the appealing factor.
CM: Anything else our readers should know?
JC: I thought it was very important to mention – I went to Holmdel High School, and all 4 years, I was the Holmdel Hornet mascot.
To find out more about John Cannizzaro, visit johnnycannizzaro.com or @johnnycannizzaro on Instagram
