The Bear's Chris Witaske Recalls Emotional Fan Encounter That Led to Him 'Bear Hugging' a Stranger (Exclusive)

Chris Witaske recalls the emotional encounter with fans after the final Bear season 2

The actor, 41, spoke with PEOPLE at the Season 3 premiere Bear on Tuesday, June 25, and reflected on how a chance encounter with a fan made him realize how much viewers really care about the show.

“I was at a concert in Chicago and a guy came up to me and talked about a scene I have in the last episode of season two with Jamie Lee Curtis,” Witaske explained. “And as he was talking, he started to get emotional. He broke down in tears because it hit him so hard.”

Bear Season 2 Ending Explained: Where Did We Leave Carmy, Sydney, and Cousin Richie?

Chris Witaske.

Rachel Murray/Getty

He continued: “And so I was, bear hugging this stranger at the concert. It was a great moment.”

Witaske admitted that there were moments during filming when he too became emotional. Recalling the episode “Fish” — in which he filmed an intense scene with Curtis — he recalled feeling overwhelmed at times.

“That was crazy, man. Even between takes, I was like, ‘This is too much,'” he explained. “It was too much, man. It was. And some of those people do more method acting than I do. I’m like a Chicago comedy guy, so when people stay in character between shots and intense. That’s a lot. That night I had to decompress and meditate.”

Jeremy Allen White says that he and Bear Costar Ayo Edebiri ‘Really enjoy each other’ Both on and off camera

(left to right) Jose M. Cervantes, Corey Hendrix, Edwin Lee Gibson, Adam Shapiro, Matty Matheson, Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lionel Boyce, Ricky Staffieri, Sarah Ramos, Gillian Jacobs and Chris Witaske.

Emma McIntyre/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

As for season three, the Chicago native teases “something is coming,” adding that viewers should “buckle up.” It also reveals that Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Jeremy Allen White’s character Carmy’s mother, will return.

In addition to Witaske and White, their co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Liza Colón-Zayas, Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon were also present, as well as executive producer Joanna Calo and creator Christopher Storer of Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming season, which will be shown on Wednesday, June 26.

Everything you need to know Bear Season 3

Addressing the dynamic between Edebiri and White’s characters — who have officially been in business together since Season 3 — Edebiri said at a press conference earlier this month that Sydney “really looked up to” Carmy, but she’s now “in the middle of working with” him — which is “much more chaotic than she might have idealized before they actually started working together,” according to vanity fair.

Edebiri — who will make her directorial debut in the upcoming season — previously ruled out a potential romance between the characters. After the show’s first season, the Emmy winner told TVLine , “I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but I don’t think so. I don’t think so. And Jeremy said this too.”

Jeremy Allen White (left) and Ayo Edebiri (right).

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The new season sees Carmy, Sydney and Richie (Moss-Bachrach) doing whatever it takes “to take The Bear, their beef stand-turned-fine-dining restaurant, to the highest level while doing their best to stay in business,” according to the official synopsis.

“The restaurant business is a losing battle every day. Carmy works harder than ever and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to meet his intensity.”

As the team behind the restaurant “grows in size, each member will strive to achieve a higher level of service within their role,” and their “pursuit of culinary excellence will push the team to new levels and emphasize the bonds that hold the restaurant together.”

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All 10 episodes of season 3 Bear will premiere Wednesday, June 26 at 9:00 PM ET on Hulu.

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Source: HIS Education