Brookdale alum to play Steven Van Zandt in Springsteen movie

Johnny Cannizzaro is a Brookdale Community College alum who became an actor and now living a rock and roll fantasy. He’s stepping into the skin (and bandana) of Stevie Van Zandt in the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me from Nowhere.” For Cannizzaro, this role was destiny.

Long before he was cast as the legendary E Street Band guitarist, Cannizzaro was a Brookdale student working behind the scenes on productions led by none other than Billy Van Zandt—Steven’s younger half-brother.

(In the Middle) Todd Williamson/Invision/AP

“I remember seeing Stevie in the lobby after a performance,” Cannizzaro recalls. “I never got the nerve to say hello, but that moment stuck with me.”

Years later he got cast in this movie and it was Billy Van Zandt himself in a full-circle moment who arranged for him to meet with Little Steven.

Of course, stepping into the role of a real-life music legend isn’t easy.

Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

“You want to honor the legacy, but you also have to make it your own,” he told New Jersey Stage.

Cannizzaro feels growing up in New Jersey’s music scene gave him an edge to play Steven Van Zandt. “I spent so many nights at the Stone Pony, soaking in that energy. Stevie Van Zandt helped shape that sound. Playing him felt like tapping into something bigger than myself.”

After graduating from Brookdale he moved to LA and spent nearly a decade grinding through auditions and setbacks. His big break came when he landed a role in Clint Eastwood’s “Jersey Boys" proving that persistence pays off.

Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP

“Acting isn’t just a job; it’s a calling. Trust yourself, trust the work, and trust the universe,” he offered as advice to aspiring actors. “Sometimes, all it takes is one person to believe in you.”

For Cannizzaro, that trust has taken him from Brookdale’s theater to Hollywood—and now to playing a rock legend in a film that will make any Jersey music fan proud.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

The movie has shot all over New Jersey in places like Asbury Park, Rockaway, and West Orange. All that's known about a release date is "Deliver Me from Nowhere" is due out sometime later this year.