Happy Sad Confused - Matt Bomer, Vol. II

Episode Date: April 16, 2026

Matt Bomer can seemingly do it all. If you've seen WHITE COLLAR, MAGIC MIKE, FELLOW TRAVELERS, and THE NORMAL HEART, you know what we're talking about. He's also one of the nicest folks in the business. Here, in a live taping at the Miami Film Festival, Matt reflects on all of it and even receives a surprise from Jonathan Bailey! SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! Quince -- Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/HAPPYSAD ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for free shipping and 365-day returns. Limited Time Offer–Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code happy15 at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://huel.com/happy15.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! UPCOMING EVENTS! 5/5 -- Stanley Tucci in NY -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tickets here⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This guy was almost Superman. You were cast, essentially. You were very close to being cast. I was such an unknown at the time. It's so hard to know. I mean, I went in on a cattle call. Then I got a phone call from the casting people. Then I went and met with the director and read with an actress.

Then I went back in and screen tested in the suit and signed the contract. You know, all that stuff that you do where it's like, okay, this is the next step. You're doing the role. And I know that I was the director's choice for the role. And then, well, wah-w-w-w. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins. Hey, guys, it's Josh.

Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Today on the podcast, it's Matt Boomer, from the soaps to white collar to fellow travelers to almost playing Superman and so much more. Matt Boomer on the podcast for the first time since 2015, a ton to catch up on. Hey, guys, thanks as always, for checking out the podcast for enjoying us on YouTube or on Spotify, however you're doing it.

I love you guys. Remember to hit that subscribe button on whatever platform you're using. And remember to spread the good word on our Patreon. Patreon.com slash happy, say it confused. If you've considered getting bonus materials, wanting more of happy, say, confused and what I do, that's the place for it. You get the discount codes to our live events.

You get early guest announcements. You can ask guest questions. We have autographed merch, patreon.com slash happy, sad, confused. And among the announcements over there that I can now announce over here are some upcoming live events. So let me tease you on a few. And all the information on how to get tickets to these, by the way, is in the show notes. On May 3rd, I am catching up live in New York City with Charlie Cox.

Daredevil himself, first-time guest on the podcast. It's never happened. It's finally happening for Daredevil, born again. I'm so excited to talk to Charlie about his entire career, but especially this latest great season of Daredevil. That's just concluding right as we're doing this live event. So May 3rd, Charlie Cox, get your tickets now. May 5th, it is Stanley Tucci. Stanley Tucci, this is going to be, I think, a sold-out one.

There might be a few tickets available. Now's the time. Devil Worse Prada, too. His Italy show, his entire career, it's going to be a packed house at 9 2nd Street while I come on out. And then what else can I say? What else can I say? Got those two, got those two. Billy Eichner, have I mentioned that one?

I don't think I've mentioned that one. May 17th, Billy Eichner. He is talking all things about his audio memoir, an audiobook. that he has just written, recorded. This is his big New York launch event. I'm so excited that Billy asked me to do this. Tickets are on sale right now. 90 Second Streetwide, again.

There will be more live events, don't you worry. There are plenty of opportunities to see me do my thing, always in New York and potentially elsewhere soon too, which is a nice segue to talk about this conversation with Matt Bowmer. This was, in fact, taped as a live event, but not in New York City, not in Los Angeles, not in Chicago. we went to Miami. That's right.

It sounds like a reality show. Matt Bomer and Josh Harwoods hit Miami. Matt was honored with the Vanguard Award from the Miami Film Festival. Lovely honor, well-deserved. The Miami Film Festival has been really great to me. The last couple of years, we did a live event last year with Paul Feig.

They invited me back. They invited Matt, and we made this happen, this live conversation. I want to thank Miami for their hospitality. It was fantastic. A quick trip, but it was a lot of fun. And Matt was just a gem. I say this about a lot of people, but Matt, Matt is, he's a good, good dude.

He brought his mom. He brought his sister. And he brought, most importantly, a great attitude. This is a really fun conversation about his entire career. It's career conversation. He's got the new film, I should say, Outcome, which is on Apple TV right now. Jonah Hill, Roden directed it, Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bowmer, what more can you ask for? Check that out on Apple TV.

But this conversation, we cover a whole, we really cover all the big stuff in his career from his beginnings, from his, this is, there's some fun stuff in this from his, his childhood friends, his college friends that turned out to be major actors in their own right. So look forward to in this conversation, some intel from the likes of Lee Pace, his friend when he, I think he was like 13 or 14 years old, from Joe Mangonello, who of course co-starred with him in Magic Mike and Magic Mike, Excel, but also went to Carnegie Mellon with him. So Joe was kind enough to give me some inside intel that I surprised Matt with. We also have a lovely video message from Jonathan Bailey in this conversation. Stay to the end because that's really cool. Jonathan sent me a lovely couple of questions and remembrance of his working with him on, of course, fellow travelers. So yes, this conversation covers it all. White collar, of course, fellow travelers, guiding light way back. when the time that Matt, you may have heard the story, you may have not, it's kind of crazy. He really was essentially cast as Superman a long time ago in a movie that never happened.

That's a crazy story and that's in this conversation. So what you're about to see and hear is Matt and I, moments after he has received this Vanguard Award from the Miami Film Festival. So you're going to see us sit down and have this chat in front of this audience live in Miami. and I hope you guys enjoy it. I know I did. I think Matt did. So without any further ado, here's me and Matt Boomer on Happy, Sad, Confused.

It's Matt Boomer, everybody. Come on. Now I have to treat you with real respect. You're an award-winning actor, Matt Boomer Vanguard award-winner. Please. No, not at all. Not necessary. I just want to say we've now done this in New York and Miami,

so we're snowbirds together. We're traveling the globe. We're going to, where are we going to do it next? Nice. South of France? That would be great. I would love that. I want to start by saying, first, a big thank you from myself to the Miami Film Festival.

So my second year taping a live happy, say, a confused event here. And you guys have been so welcoming. And I'm so thrilled to do this with Matt, who was actually one of the very first guests on the podcast over 10 years ago. So it's a real full circle moment, and it's great to see you get your justified awards for your work. Same to you, my friend. It's been so nice to watch you grow and shine over the years and just watch your podcast take off. You're amazing at what you do. I appreciate you.

We're still doing it. Do you want my Vanguard Award? No. Can we split it in half? You can hold it again. So I love it. I was going to ask you about your connections to Miami.

I had no idea before you accepted this speech how important a town this is. Have you ever actually... Well, South Florida. My mom is from north of here. But yeah, so I've been coming to South Florida my whole life. And you've shot at least some of Magic Mike

in Florida. I don't think in Miami, right? Yes, Tampa. Fond memories of shooting in Florida for Magic Mike? Ybor City? Amazing. Yeah. It was incredible. I mean, it was kind of fast and furious the way Stephen Steven likes to shoot. But yeah, it was incredible. That's the name drop. I actually had the most... Steven Soderberg, by the way. Come on. Steven. Stephen. Stephen Soderberg. Sorry. Sorry about that.

Stevie. No, we actually had the most, I had the most epic karaoke night of my life. In Ebor City, the night we wrapped the first Magic Mike. It was Joe Mangonello and I. We went and I don't know how I got the gall to do this. Maybe I had one too many vodka sodas, but I did Blaze of Glory, which is the Bon Jovi song from the Young Guns 2 soundtrack. Oh, I know. I know you know, just for those of you out there who don't.

And we did that. And I think everybody, if you get through a Bon Jovi song, everybody in the place gets free drinks, so they were just loving that. And then Joe got up and did a kiss by Prince. And I've known Joe since we were 18. Right. And he's been hiding this falsetto from me.

His whole life. It brought the house down. You want to know something very funny? I texted Joe for some memories of you. And he brought up that exact same story. He said, ask him about the karaoke night, the free drinks, John Bon Jovi. We've made some memories together.

Truly. We'll get to more Magic Mike and other things in the career. But I want to start by talking about this great Apple TV film from the brilliant Jonah Hill outcome, written and directed by Jonah. You, Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz. This is a good phone call to get, I would expect, from Jonah Hill, yes? I auditioned.

I heard about the project. I read the script. I loved it, and they said, can you come in and read with Jonah? Which I always like to do, honestly. For me, there's nothing scarier than showing up on an offer on a first day of a big movie and going, oh, my gosh, am I doing the right thing tonally? Is this what, I don't want, you know, are you working out the modulation on the day?

And so we had this amazing experience, and I got a sense of what his process was like as a director, and thankfully went well. And he called Bradley Cooper, and Bradley Cooper put in a good word for me. And so, yeah, then I got that call. And it was a great call to get. I mean, these are people who are so formative to my film-going experience. Not that they're that much older than me. They both look younger than me.

but they um you know and Jonah I just you know I've seen everything they've ever done for the most part so no I totally relate we're about the same age and yeah I mean growing up Keanu was the man Cameron was the woman I mean like what were the

meaningful films respectively that made an impact on you from that um well Keanu would have to start with Bill and Ted's yeah yeah because I was just like at the perfect age for Bill and Ted's to come out yeah and then obviously We all followed him to Point Break and Parenthood and Dracula and everything else he did and then Speed and the Matrix was.

So when the Matrix came out, I was living in Ireland at the time. And I think literally the only two movies you could see in Ireland at the time, and I was living in Galway, which is a smaller town. It's not like a multiplex. So they basically run the same movies all summer. And it was the Matrix. She's All That. And I want to say the wind that shakes the barley. That classic triple feature.

I think I saw The Matrix 10 times in the theater. Because why wouldn't you? I saw everything else too and I loved everything else too, but that was really iconic for me. And he's just such a great guy. And everything you hear about him is true. He is one of the nicest people. He's so considerate. He's so genteel.

He and Cameron both are just such incredible examples. And I'll get to her movies too if you want, but they're just both such incredible examples of how to maintain your humanity in this business. And no matter how successful you are, what mantle you wear, how to just be a relatable, kind, generous of spirit, human. It's funny because I'm also thinking, and you're very, very funny in this movie. And it's no surprise to me because, like, Matt Bomer has stealthily, you're not so stealthily, like, carved out a really great comedy career. And it's like, it's almost annoying. I just did a conversation with John Hamm. It's like people like you and John Ham should not be this funny.

Come on, guys. Give us all a break. He is phenomenal on everything he does. But you did do some study early on with the groundlings. Correct me if I'm wrong. So, like, comedy is clearly something that's always been important to you, something you've taken pride in. Yeah, I mean, I mean, my mom can attest.

I used to only do more humorous things. And then I started getting more into drama when I was in high school and things. and I learned acting through improv initially, and even at drama school, our first classes were violas poland classes, which are improv-based training. And then I was kind of a gigging actor in L.A. in my 20s, and I was like, I need something to just shake things up

and just remind me how to be spontaneous and present, and so I auditioned for the groundlings, and I did that. I'd gotten into the second level when I got white collar. Nice. So it's funny, you mentioned kind of like people like Keanu and Cameron kind of setting the tone. Because I was thinking early in your career, what actors did that for you in your early experiences? Like, do you remember the first actor of stature that you worked with that kind of like set the bar for you in terms of how they conducted themselves on a set? I think it's always changing. I think that's one of the really fascinating things about this career is that, you know, every set is different, every dynamic is different. the social dynamics are different, the processes are different,

and I've been so impressed with so many people over the years. There are things I love about the way Channing Tatum is on the set. There are things I love about the way Bradley Cooper is on a set. There are things I love the way about Keanu and Cameron are on a set. It's all different, and part of your job is knowing how to go to each location and find that process and fit into that process, and that's kind of what keeps it alive and fresh. So Russell Carroll, Ryan Gosling, all totally different kind of ways they go about their work, but all great and respectful of their peers.

We'll be right back with more Happy, Sad, Confused. The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders, an army scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else. tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time. And when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like

to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow dark every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on YouTube.com slash the glass cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark. From the parents behind law and order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom everyday mysteries. Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11-year-old, with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries.

Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and solves clever cases. Patrick Pickle Bottom Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now wherever you get your podcasts. So since we have the luxury of time, we are going to do a little bit of This Is Your Life, Matt Boomer.

We're going to go all the way. And usually I would ask what you were like as a kid. I feel like I should ask your mom and sister to come up and talk about you. But I won't put them on the spot. But what were you like as a kid? Were you into film, TV, the arts? Like when did you kind of discover this passion for the arts? Well, I would say the first time I really remember is when my mom took me to E.T.,

which I guess I was really young. to have seen that in a theater, but it was, maybe it was when it was re-released or some, and they also used to keep movies out forever back back. Yeah, E.T. was out for like a year. But I remember going, oh my gosh, it's a young person like me who has this amazing life on screen, who has problems and struggles and is real and not just the kid in the background. Yeah. So that movie was really formative to me. And then I would just like, I was an outdoor kid. My mom knew I had a lot of energy. And so she was like, you know, go play outside with your

friends and come back by dinner. And I think that just enabled me to access my imagination in a way that maybe I wouldn't have if I just sat and watched a lot of things. I didn't watch that much. I mean, we were kind of limited in what we watched. And then sometimes my dad would be away on a business trip and my mom would let my brother and I go to Blockbuster and pick out movies. And my, my brother just went straight from zero to like code red. It was like, faces of death. And I was like, you know, what about the bird cage?

Well, we all do have, those are the movies that make the biggest impact when we're kids, when we see like the exorcist, when you really should not see the exorcist. So we used to love, remember we would sit down and watch horror movies when, when, like, dad was out of town or just whenever. And I remember watching Nightmare and Alps Street in my mom's room with her and being just terrified. But, you know, I'm sure I've done the same thing with our kids at some point.

So were you performing in school, even like grade school? Was there an outlet for that? So the first job I was ever given, I was the narrator in the school play in like second grade or third grade or something, and I was painfully shy in front of groups.

I kind of still am. Sorry to tell you this late in the game, people. But so I just had to find a way to kind to get through it. But then in sixth grade, I had a great theater arts teacher named Marla Crow. It was an elective you could take in Texas public school.

And she taught me that you could make people laugh. She taught me about improv and I remember, I'll never forget the first kit she did was called Trapped in an Elevator for us. And it was a panamine about a lady who was trapped in an elevator. And I laughed until I cried and it just made me fall in love with it and she supported me

and she encouraged me and she would find funny little humorous pieces and I'd do like pros and poetry pieces and suddenly I would start winning all these trophies at these competent. My parents had no idea what I was doing. I'd just come home from these speech tournaments with trophies and they'd be like okay. Sounds good.

But I was also not to backtrack a little bit but I was really fascinated. I don't know if you remember this but I watched like an episode of Geraldo or some daytime show where there was an actor on it talking about how you need a agent. Oh. And I remember asking my mom to help me get an agent. She was like, what are you talking about? Go outside and play. And I'm so grateful because there was that time and then another time when I was trying to get headshot. I mean, I was really trying to make a go of it at a young age.

And my mom was like, no, dude, no, you go live your life. And I'm so grateful that she did because my God, I don't think I'd be here today if I'd started as a kid actor. Never take advice from Geraldo. This is just the words of wisdom, just generally speaking. There's one thing we've learned today. There'll be others. By the time you get to high school, does it start to get serious? Like, are you starting to, like... So I was really serious in middle school, and actually, once I got to high school, and, like, you're really in the throes of adolescence and, like, figuring out your identity. And also, I just wanted to do so many different things socially. It kind of, like, went to the backburner a little bit, and I was doing, like, student council and Latin club.

And, like, anything I could join, I was basically there for. And, um, and then I was, I started doing the school plays and musicals and things like that and I was also playing sports. And by the time I got to my senior year, I met this incredible acting teacher. The Alley Theatre in Houston is the regional theater there and it's one of the only repertory companies in the entire country. So throughout my high school life, I would go see plays there and there were these iconic plays that were happening on Broadway and off Broadway at the time with the same group of actors. So I got to watch these actors do completely different roles play to play.

And that was so formative for me to get to see. And then one of them became my acting teacher, my senior year, and she got me an audition for Streetcar Name Desire with Michael Wilson. And I got, thankfully got that, and then I left all the other extracurriculars and did that. And then that helped me get a scholarship to school. Carnegie Mellon. And then audition for all the conservatories.

And thankfully, Carnegie gave me enough of scholarship that I could actually go there. And, yeah. Okay, we'll get to Carnegie Mellon. but before that, I mentioned you have some contemporaries that I hit up. I hit up Lee Pace. Do you guys know that? They've known each other since you were 13 years old or so? He was 13.

I was 13. I was 14. I don't know what was in the water at the school that produced Lee Pace and Matt Boney. I always say it like this. I've known Lee Pace since he was shorter than me. We're just saying a lot. He's like 7 foot 9. So he's like 6.5. Right.

So, yeah. I asked Lee what he remembers of you in high school. I'm terrified of. this answer. I'm going to give you the verbatim response. It's all good. Matt, what a great guy. When we were in a high school production of Oliver together, I was 15, Matt 16. Matt played Bill Seiles, Liz Gardello, and I played the old undertakers. At the end of the show, we would drag his dead body off the stage for the curtain call. We did everything we could to make him break, tickle him, whispered dirty nothing's into his ear, fart. He never once broke. Still as a rob. We did. We did he make him. He did he make him. He did he make him. He did he. He never once broke. Still as a rob. a pro even then. When I tell you that the two of them used every color in the Ben Nye high school makeup kit for their old age makeup as the undertakers, I mean they were gonna make the most out of those roles and they would just sit there as I was laying prone and dead and do the improv, in character by the way, with each other and just try so hard to make me laugh and then the second I was off stage I would just fall out because they're brilliant. So amazing. Okay, so, Karnie Carnegie Mellon, I mean, we're going to name drop a lot more.

You have this amazing company of actors you came up with in Carnegie Mellon, including Joe Mangonello, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr. Did you find, like your... Pablo, Pablo Schreiber was in my class, a bunch of Patrick Wilson had just left. Zach Quinto? Zachary Quinto was a year ahead of me. So was there a sense like, oh, I have found my tribe, as it were? Like, this is real.

This is getting real. Well, I thought that from day one. Yeah. I was like, I had landed in Shannon. And it was so nice because I think I'd spread myself so thin in high school, just trying to do a little bit of everything. And it was so nice to just have full permission to just be focused on this one thing that I loved. And to actually learn a technique of how to do it. I had no technique.

I was just going on instinct at the time. And so to be in a space like that with peers who were as fascinated by it as I was, was just it was the best experience in my life. I just dove in. I swear I did some of my own work tonight, but Joe Manganoe sent so many questions for you. I've got a few more. He wanted to know what your CMU Animal Project was. Do you remember that?

My CMU Animal Project. Oh my gosh. Oh, sorry, I was thinking of a different one. The characters say, no. So one of the things you have to do at Carnegie Mellon is you have to choose an animal and then you have to come in and behave as that animal in front of the whole class

and do all kinds of things. And like, we had a substitute teacher that semester because one of our faculty was working professionally on something else. And she was a little bit out there. And she would kind of navigate us through this. And I remember her, I was a peacock. You had to go to the zoo and choose an animal and then bring it back to class and show everybody. And we did like a zoo project where some of the students were people at the zoo and everybody else were the animals behaving as themselves at the zoo. And she was like, Matt, I want you.

you up on stage alone. She was like, I need you to really know what it is to feel a need. You are a peacock in heat. Now, I'd done my peacock research. I had read everything about it. I'd never seen a peacock in heat. All I knew was that they let out a sharp and shrill cry and fluffed out those feathers, baby. And I screamed until my voice bled. And I was in tears. And part of it was because I was just going forward And part of it was Mortified to be doing this in front of my friends And I left the stage and she went

Now you know what it is to have a need And I was like, okay And that peacock and heat went something like I'd have to put this microphone far, far away So Joe also said that you used to walk the streets of Pittsburgh like preparing for your characters that like you you would really I mean obviously we're taking it seriously but yeah but like clearly you kind of alluded to this like you were you dove all the way in like you were luxurating in reading and talking about acting yeah etc like was at that time was was theater the goal like

what were you thinking like I only ever thought I was going to do theater yeah and can I tell you something I still walk the streets as a character and I love when I'm on location because like one of the last things I do. And I try to think, oh, I'm not like in full, like, hair and makeup out in the world doing stuff. But I'll take like little habits or voice or whatever and I'll take it out into the world and see how it works out in the world.

But yeah, what was your question? I'm happy to go down that path more because I'm not going to go any further. These people are all terrified. Theater as a goal. Was theater? I only ever thought I was going to do theater. Truly, that's all I ever thought I was going to do. I thought I might, because I was going, I knew I was going to New York when I graduated. Actually, the first time I, you know, you do this thing called leagues, it might be, or showcase, I don't know what it's called now. It's been a while. But you go and perform for agents, and I did it in New York and L.A. And I got a good response in L.A.

And it was the first time I'd ever been in all that smog and everything. I completely lost my voice. So the people, they were like casting a role on that 70s show and they brought me in. And that was like a big show at the time. literally had no voice. And I was like, this is a sign that I'm just supposed to go to New York. And I went to New York and the only thing you could be on in New York was a soap opera, law and order. And there was like one season of the education of Max Bickford and Ed. And Ed. Yep. There was it. That was like all that shot in New York. So maybe one other about all the like paramedics and police and sure. I can't remember what it's called. The education of Max Bickford

is very epic. I was like, maybe I'll score a guest spot on Lauren Order SVU. That was like dreaming for me, you know. And you end up on a soap, which like, it sounds like, correct me, if I'm wrong at the time, like, you know, you're coming out of Carnegie Mellon, you have some preconceived notions about soap actors, soap acting. What was your attitude, like day one, walking onto the set of like guiding light? So right before I graduated, I got the very first workshop of Spring Awakening, which was super cool.

It was like all the way back when Duncan Sheik was like strumming it. out on his guitar as we were going going like, no, that's an A minor. Try that. It was like that rough. Wow. But it was so cool. It was at Sundance Theater Lab. I got to meet all my heroes. Like all these icons of theater were there. And you're just like having lunch and dinner in the communal, you know, cafeteria space every day. It was unbelievable. And that director was also doing a musical called Thoroughly Modern Millie, which he also cast me in, thankfully. But we were waiting on our house. On Broadway, you get the producers who are going to do it. And then you have to wait. your turn until a house that you want opens up before you go into a Broadway house.

You don't just go on to Broadway. So sometimes I can take a few months, sometimes I can take a while. And for us, because of 9-11, it took forever. And so I got laid off. I was a Bellman at the Hudson Hotel in New York on 58th. Remember that? It was an Ian Schroger joint. It was on and popping back in the day.

But just saying on and popping should date me enough already. But so I was there and I got laid off because they had. laid everybody off in order of seniority, and nobody was coming to New York at the time. Right. And I got this call, like, do you want to audition? I'd done two episodes on all my children with Susan Lucie, who's in outcome, who I got to just come full circle with, because she had spoken at Carnegie Mellon. I'm sorry, I go on tangents. I'm so sorry.

No, this is great. She had spoken to Carnegie Mellon, and three months later, I was on set with her. She was the first person on camera I worked with doing two episodes playing her daughter's ex-lesbian lover's new fiancé. Sure. You remember. Yeah. So we, I had had a couple of days on it, so I had a little bit of a sense of what it was. And they were like, do you want to come and audition for like a real role in the show?

And I thought, I don't know, man. And it ended up being the best choice I ever made, because I was terrified to be on camera. I had no idea. At the time, we didn't have a camera study class at school. So this is perfect for you. This is teaching you. This is before everybody had a camera on their phone. Like, you're learning on the flight.

It was like getting paid to go to grad school. You know, there were times I was doing like 30, 40 pages a day with one take and doing the craziest circumstances you've ever seen. And by the end, they could be like, okay, Matt, we don't have time to rehearse a scene. Like, come down here, cry out of your downstage eye on camera, too, if you can on this line. That'd be amazing. Okay. And five, four, three. And you have to be able to do it.

It's just like getting shot out of a cannon. So it makes you make choices really quickly. Can you sum up the arc of Ben Reed in 60 seconds for us? Do you really want to hear it? Yeah. Okay, I'll try to remember. It's been a minute. He's a trust fund baby who bet his fraternity brothers that he could be the first to deflower the town virgin, who was like the young female heroine on the show.

But then, of course, he falls in love with her. But then she finds out about his attempt to deflower her. And so she dumps him. Then he falls in love with this other girl, but then he loses his trust fund. So he turns to the only life that one can, which is to become a male sex worker. And all my clients were like women in their 40s. I was like 22. Like meet them at 6 a.m.

and be, you know, doing intimacy scenes by 9. And then so then he goes crazy because his girlfriend finds out that he was being a sex worker. And so she dumps him. He goes crazy. Kills four people. Then kidnaps her to a remote cabin in the woods where he holds her hostage with a syringe full of insulin. Right. And then when he gets busted.

he injects himself but then hangs on one extra day in the hospital to apologize for all his sins. I told the writers that when I got there, I was like, look, I'm not going to be here. I don't know if I'll be here that long, so give me the craziest shit you've ever given anybody. And they obliged me. But my favorite thing was, after all that, I remember I was like in my dying makeup, walking off the soundstage, and a writer comes up to me and goes, if you ever want to come back, we've got it figured out. I was like, that's so nice of you.

I don't even want to know what it is because whatever I'm going to come up with in my head is so much, you know, I'll have a lot of time to think about it. You'll come back as a peacock and heat, perhaps, reincarnated. I was like, I know you haven't, I know we've done just about everything in my journey on this show,

but you haven't seen my peacock in here. So then there's this crazy story. I don't know if you're sick of telling this story, but it does coincide in a fascinating way where this guy was almost Superman. Like you really were almost, you were cast essentially, as I understand, that are very close to being cast.

I was such an unknown at the time. It's so hard to know. I mean, I, you know, went in on a cattle call. Then I got a phone call from the casting people. Then I went and met with a director and read with an actress. Then I went back in and screen tested in the suit

and signed the country, you know, all that stuff that you do where it's like, okay, this is the next step you're doing the role. And I know that I was the director's choice for the role and then well, well, it happens. So that iteration for those

that don't know, was never made. This was never made from script. But, I mean, that's a great script. It was called flyby and it was more about him when he was younger. He was like, he was like a college student trying to figure out like what it is to have all these powers and how to try to be a normal person and Superman

at the same time and JJ just crushed it with the script. Do you remember like what your take was in the audition or what you felt you brought to it? Like, Well, at the time, so I was using my money that I made from the soap opera to study with this amazing guy called Ron Van Loo, who was the head. He's been the head of Yale graduate acting program, NYU graduate acting program. He's like one of the best acting teachers in the world. And so I was using my paycheck from the soap opera to take acting class with him.

And I was just trying to take all this great knowledge he was imparting to me and just bring it into that. But I remember it feeling just especially with the director who was working on the project, he'd like to, very spontaneous and fresh and different every time and no two things the same. And he liked to direct from the monitor a lot and kind of go, see how you did that gesture. Do more like that. That's the energy. Like that kind of thing. So it must have been a head trip though because like you, I would imagine you start to plan like your life.

You're like imagining like, oh, the next five years I'm going to be doing. It was all so surreal to be going from a total cattle call to that. And suddenly everybody in L.A. wants to meet you. And all I really remember is playing, Lose Yourself by Eminem and my headphones before every audition and just trying to stay in the mindset of somehow that I could believe that this could be real. More happy, say, confused coming up.

Life moves too fast. scrolling, swiping, headlines, sound bites. Nobody's really seen. Even the people everyone thinks they know. I'm Evelyn. I'm a television producer and director. I've spent decades. behind the camera. On the podcast, Repen, I have real conversations with actors, creators, and

change makers. We're going beyond the headlines, and we're going to hear about the risks they took and the lessons that shape their lives. Reppin is about being human first. Listen to Repen wherever you get your podcasts. Do you guys hear that? Oh, that's our podcast, Ruin, brought to you by me, your host, Intrepid Horror Movie Freak, Halle Kiefer. And me, your resident Scarity Cat. Alison Libby. Join us each week as Hallie forces me to listen to the twisted plot of yet another bone-chilling horror movie. From classics like The Exorcist and The Thing, the latest releases, to the most disgusting films on streaming. We ruin them all every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcast. So come join us. And until then, we beg you, please.

Keep it spooky. So we're going to jump ahead a bit. I mean, you're getting work. You're consistently working. You're doing some different TV shows. But I mean, the big game changer, we should talk about is white collar, obviously. White collar, yes. It was an amazing role, a fantastic show. Which talk about unusual casting processes. Like, I mean, they were not looking for your type. Like, they were looking for an older British actor at the time, as I understand it?

I think probably Bonnie Hammer, who's my friend now, at the time, had Remington Steel in her mind. So I think she wanted, like, someone who's British and in their 40s. and I was like 29 and not British. So I had a hill to climb. But the creator, Jeff Easton, I love him and thank God for him. He just believed in me from day one. And he was like, I got your back on this. Like, you are the guy.

And the casting folks, Gail Pillsbury, I'd gone in for her on a bunch of things that had gotten close on and she was really in my corner. And so I think I had tested for it twice. I tested for it once. and I was his choice, but they were like, no, we want someone who's older. And then they were like, we'll give them one more chance at it. I had to test against a whole other round of actors.

So I think I tested against like 10 people total. Testing means you've auditioned for it multiple times. And then the network in the studio have signed off on like five people usually. I don't know if it even still works this way, but to come in in front of a room of suits and like perform the scenes for them. And by the time you're on set, you're making the show, So did you immediately realize how delicious an opportunity this was, this this suave con man could be for you?

I mean... I realized that the second I met Tim DeKay. Yeah. Because I met him. I had been cast in the role and he came into audition. And he had a very improvisational quality to him. And he understood who his character was supposed to be in opposition to my character. And his talent was so great that I understood my role better because of him.

And I remember him leaving the room and me going, that's the guy. That's him. And if we can do that on camera, like, we're going to have a good show. Nice. And so I just mentioned that. Not that my word meant anything at the time, but thankfully it all worked out. Where the hell are we at with the reboot sequel? It keeps coming up.

We keep talking about it. It feels like where there's a will, there's a way or not? What's the status? I don't know. It's a, you know, I think it's probably public. It's an interesting time in our. industry right now where I won't obviously name names, but people who are so far above my pay grade are having a hard time getting anything pushed through the ranks. I think it's just a scary time

where the industry is still kind of reeling from the pandemic, the strike, and also how is AI going to fall into the marketplace. And so things that seem like such a slam dunk are really, really hard to get through the corporate ladder. But we'll see. You know what I thought could be fun, too, is if Tim and I did like a rewatchable's podcast together. No brainer. Not to edge in on your game dog.

There's plenty of room in the podcast field. Do it, do it. Would you listen to that? Okay. What are they going to say? No. Thank you. Hard pass.

So jumping ahead to like 2012 is an interesting year for a couple of reasons. Professionally, there's Magic Mike, which I want to talk about. it's also the year that you come out publicly in kind of the least like grandiose coming out way which was clearly like I mean I'm sure you thought about different ways to publicly acknowledge your personal life but it seems like that wasn't I mean can you talk a little bit about why you chose to kind of undersell and just thank your family in a speech accepting an award in 2012 I mean it had been kind of this long drawn out thing where long before I thought it was even valid for me to do it because no one had

had any idea who I was or anything. And then, you know, being offered like the cover of People magazine and stuff like that, which just seemed so sensationalized. So I just thought, well, what's the, how would a normal person behave at an award show? They would thank their family. And I didn't want to sensationalize that. I wanted to make it like everybody else. And so that was kind of our MO.

Makes sense. So I alluded to, and we talked a little bit about Magic Mike, but people, for context, for folks that don't maybe remember what Magic Mike was at the time, It was a very independent, small movie. It was not going to be a blockbuster. I literally thought I was doing the girlfriend experience. I thought I'm doing a small Soderberg, Gritty, Indy, and then these suits started showing up at the monitor.

I had no way. I was so green at the time. I was so green at the time that Steven Soderberg's name was on the camera, which if you own the camera, they put your name on it. I thought he had helped design that camera. That's why his name was on it. It's very professionally, like, lasered on. But turns out he did actually help develop some of the technology for it,

so it wasn't that far off. But I remember asking Channing, and I was like, who were all these people who are, like, coming in? They're watching all our dance numbers in L.A. before we came down to Tampa. And they were like, oh, there's a bidding war going on. And my stomach just dropped because I was like, I didn't have known this many people were going to see me strip. Right.

When you're rehearsing in your room, when you're thinking about it, Like you're not thinking about that. No, I did not think it was going to be a summer, you know, movie. But hey, thank God, right? I mean, it must have felt exposing in every possible way, but I guess you're in it with all these great actors and Soderberg. So it's like, if I'm not going to trust these guys. You're a band of brothers.

Yeah. And nothing bonds you like having to get down in that thong together. And take it all off. I mean, truly, we were real close by the end of that movie. and always will be in some ways, you know. And Steven's such a great director. He's such a pro. He typically only does one take.

So you're not like suffering through these things over and over again. He really wanted that spontaneous live quality to the numbers. So we really only did it usually one time. Yeah, I'm endlessly fascinated with his process. Like he often operates the camera himself. And by the end of a shoot, he has a cut of the film. He's like editing us. It's just like he is one of one.

He's one of one. He's a machine. He would actually, when we're doing, XXL, that's Magic Mic part for people who don't know it by the Roman numerals, he would like edit the scene, he'd do a rough cut

at the end of the day because when you're doing one take a day, you're only working like nine, ten hours a day. So we'd go back to his hotel room. He'd pour a drink, rough assemble it together with his headphones. It was like watching a savant go and we'd just, you know, be actors

making small talk, you know. Bad Nage with each other. And then, you know, 30 minutes later, you'd be like, all right, here's today's scenes. And it was the rough cut of the movie. So by the time we wrap the film, we watched a rough cut of the movie. Crazy.

So we referenced, you referenced the... That's not usually the process. Sorry. It's usually like a year before you see an assembly of a film together. So we referenced your John Bon Jovi at the end of shooting, karaoke style. The music has recurred throughout your career.

You sang in Magic Mike XXXL. Yes. Glee. You were with Kelly O'Hawbi. or at the Kennedy Center honors. I mean, where's the full-on Broadway musical, movie musical?

Is it something that feels like an itch that still wants to be scratched to sing so long-in- You want to give you a really deep cut that I've never told anyone? That's why we're here. Josh, because I love you, I'm going to give you an exclusive

that probably zero people will run with. So after Magic Mike... So I record... The reason why I sang on the Magic Mike X-X-X-L soundtrack is because we were filming the first one, and in between setups of cameras, oftentimes they'll send the actors out, especially in like a group scene like this, to entertain the background artists so that they can, you know,

they keep their energy up and they're excited. And Channing had heard me like singing in my trailer or something. And he just put a microphone on my face and was like, Matt, sing something in front of all these people. And I was like, what? And he was like, I don't know, Jodice or something. And so I sang lately by Stevie Wonder through like Jodice's cover of it. And so he said, when we're doing the sequel, we knew we wanted this, this, and this, and we knew we wanted you to sing in the sequel. So he recorded a couple of songs for the soundtrack, kind of just on a lark.

Although one of them was recorded by Ludwig, who just won his second Oscar. He produced Ludwig Gorensen, who just won his second Oscar, because he was working with Donald Glover, who was also in XXL. And so I guess they did well on Spotify, which is not something I planned for. But then the folks at Tower Records were like, would you ever want to do a record, like a recording now? Yes. And they were like, do you write music? And I was like, yeah, I've written music because I was a kid.

So I wrote three songs. And they were like, we like it. Do you want to do? We're going to set you up with producers. So I started doing that. And then I was like, like the deals, the music industry, if you think the entertainment acting side of things is crazy, music industry is like, no, no, dog, watch this.

Okay? It is some craziness. But I ended up not doing it because people wanted such a big percentage and it was just so complicated between the lawyer. It was too much. And I had kids. But I ended up recording a couple of songs with Diane Warren. Stop it.

That we recorded. 90-time Oscar nominee. 90-time Oscar, total legend. But I knew that if I released them into the world, I was going to have to go on talk shows and do them and tour around the country with them and do all this stuff. And I was like, you know what? I love her music.

But if I'm going to do this, it has to come from me. And so we never released it. So there is an unreleased. There's an unreleased EP. Diane Warren collab. It's rough tracks. But yeah. The world wants this more than the podcast for white collar mat.

So there was that. And I would love to do a musical, but look, truly doing a show like that eight times a week, you have to be an Olympic athlete. And I would need to train for like six months to do that. If it were ever the right thing, I would do it. Amazing. Okay, there's no segue from a musical to the normal harp, but we're going to talk about the normal harp, which is an important.

Yeah, an amazing. Thank you. Amazing piece of work. Obviously, these folks know, Larry Kramer's Chronicle of the early HIV-AIDS crisis is a seminal piece of work. Something that I think you encountered reading, perhaps, in high school or college. Yeah, high school. That must have been meaningful for a thousand reasons when this comes around.

Can you talk to us? a little bit about the experience of making the normal heart? Well, like you said, I had first read the piece when I was in high school, literally in the closet, in the closet of the drama room. Yeah. And it just informed me so much about what was going on in the world that I didn't know about. No one around me was really talking about. I was living in suburban Texas.

It wasn't something people talked about on a daily basis. And I knew a little bit about Rock Hudson and people like that. but it just that play Tony Kushner's plays Terrence McNally's plays taught me so much about myself in the world

and who I wanted to be and who I wanted to meet when I went out in the world and all those things and so Larry Kramer was a total icon and hero to me and even that I would have done that

regionally in theater the fact that I got to do it in a company of actors with Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts and Jim Parsons and Jonathan Groff and Taylor Kitch, all this incredible, incredible group of actors.

I hope I didn't leave anybody out. But look, I mean, basically my life peaked when I got married to Mark Ruffalo by Julia Roberts. I literally had to go, where do I go from here? All my childhood dreams have now come true. Another very important piece of work, and I was privileged enough to see you perform this on Broadway with another amazing company of actors is The Boys in the Band, which, again fantastic you again Zach Quinta

Jim Parsons and Andrew Rannels and more again something that must be meaningful for a thousand different reasons the subject matter the place that holds in culture the company of actors and entirely outcast as opposed to the earlier productions and your Broadway debut so yeah

was that a full circle moment for you theater kid finally hitting the Great White Way yeah I mean it was always the dream you know, and it was full circle in so many ways. The fact that I'd known Zachary Quinto since we're 18 and now our dressing rooms were next to each other at the booth theater on Broadway, and I was getting to work on this legendary piece of work

that had never been on Broadway before. Mark Crowley's brilliant piece of writing and working with Joe Mantello, who's just the chef's kiss of theater directors, and it was a growing experience, a learning experience, and just beyond surreal. I'm unforgettable. It was a perfect run.

I didn't know if anybody was going to come see it. I was like, maybe people would be like, oh, it's the guy from the Big Bang Theory. Let's go check it out. And we'd have like, you know, a smattering of people in the audience. It was sold out immediately, and we extended as long as we possibly could,

and then that sold out, and then it won the Tony. Yeah. I think this is why I haven't been back on Broadway. You set the bar too high. I was like, it can't ever be that experience again. I remember turning to Joe Mantella. and saying that and he was like,

it probably won't be this experience. You can't go do like cats now. We have to talk about fellow travelers, which, I mean, come on. Yes, give it up. Fellow travelers. Hugely celebrated. People were obsessed with this series

and justifiably so. And you were in this pretty early on, as I understand it. Yeah. You kind of helped will this one into turning this novel into this series. Yes. I was really the benefit

like I spoke about in my speech earlier, I got so lucky that Ron Nyswainter just saw me in this role. Robbie Rogers believed in me. I don't know. I had never done anything remotely like this character. So the fact that they saw this in me and believed that I could be a part of this, it still kind of blows my mind. And they called me one day and said, hey, we've got the rights to this book. Do you want to read it? And I read it in like three days. It was during the pandemic. And I got back to the media. I was like, yes, I have to be a problem. part of this. How can I help you? We pitched it around town and thankfully Showtime bought it. And Ron had a great relationship with Showtime because he wrote on Homeland and had done

Soldiers Girl with Lee for Showtime as well. And so we had a great relationship there and we had amazing executives who from the get-go in the creative process were like push it farther, take that because I think, you know, some of the stuff could be perceived as really transgressive and like really pushing the envelope and they were like, no, go farther. like scare yourself with this. And to Ron, really. And I have to say, I wasn't sure.

It was so hit or miss. It was so, it wouldn't get made today. It wouldn't get green lit today. Why do you say that? Well, maybe, you know, you see something like heated rivalry and you think,

okay, maybe it could thread the needle. But we're talking about an expensive period piece. Right. It's just a, it's more of a game, that's more political that doesn't have quite as happy in ending.

So it's just, you know, I don't know. that it, I think in the marketplace, they would have a harder time getting made, for sure. But we just got really lucky. And we were so lucky to find Jonathan Bailey the first time. Because, you know, that character is written as like a wayfish, blonde twink, basically. And in the book.

And Jonathan is like strapping, handsome, swarthy, like, just he's the sexiest man alive. Do I need to say anything else? But he's such a great actor that immediately, when we screen tested on Zoom together, and I was like, oh, this guy is phenomenal. We would be so lucky to have him. And he just brought his A game every day and just made everybody else, including myself around him, so much better every day. Now, you guys crush it together, and you'll be happy to know Jonathan still has fond feelings for you.

Jonathan Bailey sent a video. You got J.B. on the phone? Oh, snap. Let's see Jonathan Bailey. Hello, Matamu. It's J.B. I'm sending you so much love, as always. And congrats on this award, no surprises. You are so many people's hero and definitely mine. And I think, I know fellow travellers will be one of my proudest and most special stories, sets and partnerships with you of my career. And with that,

mind. I've got a couple of questions. One is about focus. You have got this unbelievable ability to click in and I'm thinking about 21-hour filming days and me getting the giggles lying in bed in a log cabin and you, you know, I felt so so held by, I mean, sometimes literally held, but I mean, I mean, in terms of craft and sort of spiritually and technically, held and is that focus that you have? That's something you've had to work on and what how does your brain, how is your brain and specifically under sort of creative pressure because you're super bright and super funny and I know it's quick, it must be. And number two, it was you attaching to fellow travellers, Ron's amazing idea and adaptation of the book that made it happen. It was your attachment,

your clout. And I would love to know is there any stories you haven't seen? or anything you're curious about that we are going to get to see because we're ready and we'll follow you wherever you go because you're the best. Yeah, sending loads of love. Hello, Josh, and hello everyone.

And congrats again. Bye-bye. I love you, J.B. I mean, if that ain't class, what is? He's all right. What a great dude. Great guy. So again, helping me with the questions.

Focus and also other kind of passion projects like photo travel. Now you're making me realize it all goes back to Oliver and my focus when they were trying to make me laugh while dragging me offstage when I was dead. My character is dead. You know what? The truth is it's a couple of things. I think my attention can go in so many different directions that I almost have to counteract that when I'm on set. just go fully into focusing on one thing and putting all those multiple channels into just one thing. I lead a very monastic life when I'm filming, and I just put all my ADHD into one place

and just channel it all into that. And also, I feel like if you're lucky enough to have like a great role like that, where you're in pretty much every day, there's this essence and this spirit of the piece that's happening and that it's alive on the set that's all happening in real time that you're kind of, and Jonathan did this too, but you're like the torchbearer of that and you're like carrying that with you

through the piece because really when you're doing eight hours or something, you're the only people who are carrying it episode to episode because you have different directors usually. It'd be very hard to direct all eight hours. And so that energy kind of with a character like that just kind of takes over in a way.

And it's not even like a, oh, I'm a method actor kind of thing. It's just, it's in your subconscious so deeply. And in terms of, is there another kind of passion project that you want to help bring into the universe like fellow travelers? There's a really cool play that I've been workshopping with Michael Arden, who's amazing. He's like a two-time Tony winning director that was off Broadway in 2008 that we're hoping to bring to New York. That would be really, really cool. There's this movie, this is an Australian film that I'm trying to get made. We almost did it a couple months ago and there were some weird financing stuff, but that'd be really fun. And then I'd love to see something that explored gay marriage in an interesting way.

I just haven't seen something that like, and I'm sure it's out there and I apologize if you made something beautiful that I didn't see. But yeah, I don't know. I feel like it's a new thing. And it's, you know, it's not a total, it is heteronormative, but it's also, it's, it's a thing, you know? And so, I don't know, I just feel like a really great writer could get in there and just find all the intricacies of it all. What do you make of like, you mentioned like heated rivalry, the centering of the culture, like that being like an omnipresent. It was not a gay show. It was a show. It was a show that everybody, the show everybody needed to see and watch. Well, first of all, it's so well deserved. Yeah. They're such brilliant actors. And the direction,

Jacob, Tierney, does not get, he gets great props, but he is a phenomenal talent. The fact that he made that show look as expensive as it does and just the quality of it all around, and that he leaves the camera on actors' faces, great actors, and lets them have these beautiful interior moments. That's so atypical. That's why I was so grateful to get to work with Bradley Cooper, because everybody is just so fascinating with cutting, cutting, cutting, cutting, cutting. And if you really let the camera live in a moment with an actor, I mean, that's what has really transported me as an audience member. So well-deserved and something, I don't know,

did you ever think you'd see it in your lifetime? I don't know. I don't know if I did, but I'm so glad it's here and may it last for many, many more seasons and congratulations to all involved, truly. The time has flown by, but we do have time to end with the Happy SAC infused profoundly random questions for you, Matt. Are you ready?

What? Profoundly random questions. Random questions, baby. All right, here we go. Dogs or cats. You've got to start with the hardest one? Some actors have dogs. Dogs?

Yeah. Jesse Buckley almost got herself canceled by going in on hating cats on a recent question. Oh, I love cats. Okay, good. Oh, I love cats. I actually think there's a reason why James Dean studied cats and was surrounded himself with cats. There's something so, they contain so many multitudes, but they're so relaxed,

the same time and complicated it in their own world. Don't betray your peacock love, man. Come on. That wasn't one of the options. I'm going to adjust it. Dog scots or peacocks going forward. What do you collect, if anything? Dog scouts are peacocks in heat. What do I collect? Yeah, what do you collect? Oh, man. What do I collect? Oh, sea glass. I love sea glass. Nice. Like, when I find a cool piece of a glass, you would think I found a buried treasure. It's like, so irrational and so not cool. I'm like, I got a blue one.

It comes in blue. Like, it's so embarrassing. So, yeah, I have a jar of it at home that I've collected from beaches all over the world. Nice. Favorite video game of all time? Did you ever play a game growing up? Anything? Oh, I mean, there are a lot of them.

You're talking about all time. Like, what did I log the most hours on? Okay, this is, your son would never guess this because it's pretty bitch. Techmobole. Wow. I love Tecmo Bowl. I love football. Yeah.

You know, I was born into it. Yeah. I loved the sport. And that was a great game. Mike Tyson's punch out, I'm really dating myself. Newer games, oh, I love a lot of the new independent games. I love the, like, Metroidvania one, what's it called? Silk song is really cool

Hades is really cool Hades too You're impressing all of us right now Well I had to counteract Mike Tyson's punch in Wait wait wait wait wait wait I had to counterbalance that This is the Dakota Johnson Memorial

Question she asked me this I ask everybody Would you rather have a mouthful of bees or one B in your butt Sorry mom I apologize You know what I would say a mouthful because I just feel like it'd be easier to get them out Interesting You know? You're in the minority, just so you know.

Really? 90% of folks go with the butt. What if it's just stuck up there stinging you and you can't do anything about it? You make a fair point. I'm not arguing. What's the wallpaper on your phone? It is a picture of the bay outside of Big Sur with otters in the ocean. Thanks.

Appreciate that. If you don't think I found some sea glass in that beach, you're wrong. Where did it all go in Matt's trunk of his car? The last actor you were mistaken for? Okay, my sister thought I was Henry Cavill. First of all, I wish. But secondly, I had a junket day yesterday, and my sister, my lovely, beautiful, amazing sister, Megan, my mom are here today in case they didn't hear that from the speech earlier.

I don't know if you're including that on the podcast. Please don't. Anyway, they're here supporting me. And my sister went by a billboard. She was like, Matt, since when are you on a watch campaign? Now, my sister is an incredibly intelligent person and very perceptive. She was in the back of a car going very fast. Sure.

But still, she thought I was Henry Cavill. And then I was at the junket and somebody else was like, oh, I feel like I've already seen you today because I saw you in the billboard coming in here. First of all, I wish. I'm just going to leave it at I wish. Yeah, this is good company to be in. Yeah. What's the worst noted director has ever given you? I feel like I've buried this to protect myself going forward.

You know what? It's when it has nothing to do with the scene or the life of the scene or even the rhythm. I understand if somebody's like, there's a great thing that Paul Newman said because somebody asked him to go faster, which can be a really irritating note. But it usually means, like he said, that the stakes aren't high enough. You have to make the stakes higher for the character. So there's always usually some technical way to get into a note like that.

It's anything that makes you self-conscious or that isn't about the scene or is about how you look or a face you made or, hey, when you cry, you blinked a lot. And you're like, dude, I'm up here bearing my soul for you. Right. Like, I don't care how.

I look right now. I wouldn't be doing this for millions of strangers if what I cared about now. Our job is to get up in front of you and get ugly and try to be human in front of you. That's what we're getting paid to do. So that kind of note doesn't make sense to me at all. I don't confront somebody when I get that. I just nod and then forget it immediately and just go back to the scene. No, you're trying to forget all of that and just be in the moments. Yeah. You're trying to do the antithesis of that. Right. Yeah. Okay. And in the spirit of happy sex, confused, who's an actor who always makes you happy. You see them on screen. You're in a better mood. Oh, who's an actor? We can edit this pause, right? Who always made, Steve Carell. Oh, great. Steve Correll. What a treasure. I, you know, obviously, he'd had an extensive,

can I tell you funny Steve Carell stories? Yes, we're here. I'll tell you two things. I'm sorry. If I'm going over time, just cut this out. So I saw him in the FedEx commercials. Do you remember when he was in these FedEx commercials before, he became famous. Now, he had already been in Second City and Chicago and was like a big, like, legend in Second City, but we didn't know that at home. And, like, but I was, I think I was still living in Houston. I was like, that guy is a star. He is amazing. He should be a movie star. I can't believe he's doing a FedEx commercial. So cuts a years later, it's like after the second season of White Collar, I'm finally, like, getting meetings on films and things like that. And I get this call like, hey, we're meeting

everybody, we're meeting all these actors to, um, uh, uh, I just take a meeting for this new movie Valentine's Day. Do you remember that movie? Yes, the Gary Marshall, I think. Remember they like movies around like holidays? Arbor Day, the movie. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Three callbacks for Arbor Day. Didn't my Latin, I was in Latin club, but it wasn't good enough. Um, anyway, I'm in the, I'm in the elevator with Steve Carell and I cannot believe it. I don't say anything. I try not to bother people, especially because I was like, he must have the same. meeting I have. And so we go to the front desk. He was, he'd done like the 40 year old version. He was a huge star. And they were like, they were like, what do you hear for? And I was like,

I think I'm going to the same place he is. And they were like, no. Yeah, no. He's like here to talk about four projects that we've read a greenlit. You're here to have a loose meeting about our 17th holiday movie. You're over in that room. Anyway, sorry. Steve. I am sorry that I ever estimated that I would be in your company, but I love you. What's a movie that makes you sad? Oh, oh my gosh. Dead Poets Society. Yeah. That's a good one. And finally, a food that makes you confused. You don't get it.

Food that makes me confused? Oh, I love all food. I love all food. food that makes me confused. Honestly, you know what? When I'm in my monastic filming mode, I do try to avoid gluten. And here's my thing, y'all. Not everything needs to be gluten-free. We appreciate the effort. We're glad you're here with us.

We encourage you to continue on your research. Sure. But when it's grainy and gritty, and I feel like I just ate a hand. handful of sand. I'd like you to go back to the kitchen and try again. Sorry. We're renaming the podcast, Matt Bowmer's

Hot Takes, and that's the premiere episode. The gluten episode. Exactly. We lost our sponsorship from the gluten lobby. Congratulations on this award. Well deserved, Matt. I want to just say thank you again

to the Miami Film Festival for hosting us. Thank you for coming out. Thank you to Matt's family for coming out. And most of all, thank you to Matt Boomer for sharing his time with us today. Congratulations. Thank you, everybody. Love you all.

Thank you so much. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh.

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