Jeremy Allen White has opened up about saying goodbye to The Bear after five seasons. The FX comedy-drama dropped its final season last week, with White playing Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto for the last time.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the culinary drama’s conclusion, White admitted that it was “hard to say goodbye” despite being prepared for the scenario in advance.

“We’re really lucky in that we had a build-up [to the conclusion],” said the actor. “I knew for about two years when it was going to end and how it was going to end, so there was a lot of time to prepare.

“I’m going to miss these people so much, I’m going to miss the set. The Bear set is so specific — it’s incredibly detail-oriented and exacting, but also flexible and freeing. It’s a hard thing to say goodbye to anything you love.”

White, who won numerous awards for his portrayal of Carmy, also shared that the first season will always hold a “special” place for him, explaining: “There were no expectations for the show, which was wonderful. We felt like we were really in our own world.

“We could feel it was special, but it felt like it was still ours. Then, going to the Emmys and being with everybody a year and a half later for season one, that night when the show won, I won and Ayo [Edebiri] won. It was unreal.”

Edebiri, who plays Sydney Adamu, said her favourite moment was after the show got renewed for a second season, where she did a photoshoot with White in New York. In her own words, it was when the show felt “bigger than any of us”.

“I remember we were both intermittently checking our phones and being like, ‘Something is happening. What’s going on?’ It felt like people were being like, ‘Wait, no, this is really cool.’” she recalled.

The fifth season, like its predecessors, has garnered acclaim from critics. At the time of writing, the season has an approval rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, with only the first and second seasons (100% and 99%) having better scores.

The Bear is steaming on Disney+