Springsteen gave Aronofsky stage fright

Rex Features

The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky has admitted that he suffered "stage fright" in the presence of Bruce Springsteen.

Aronofsky recalled meeting Springsteen after a concert at the Giants Stadium in New York and hearing him play the drama's closing song 'The Wrestler' for the first time.

He told Ain't It Cool News: "Suddenly I'm in the Giants locker room alone with Bruce Springsteen after just seeing him rock out 80,000 people. And I literally got stage fright for the first time in my life.

"He grabbed his guitar and motioned for me to sit down. So I sat down, and I didn't know what to say. And slowly but surely my chin started going lower and lower toward my body. I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm having stage fright in front of Bruce Springsteen.'"

The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, opens in UK cinemas on January 16.