In 2023, Barbie lit up the field workplace, sparked a cultural wave and turned its forged of Kens into immediate icons. Turning down a job in the pink-splashed, billion-dollar field workplace juggernaut would possibly seem to be a serious misstep. For actor Matt Bomer, although it was the proper name. He is not shedding sleep over it, and he just lately defined simply why that is the case.
Matt Bomer has had loads of main alternatives all through the course of his profession, and Barbie actually would’ve been a pleasant notch in his belt. He spoke to Enterprise Insider and opened up about why he walked away from the blockbuster. The Fellow Vacationers star defined that he was initially within the operating to play a Ken however finally declined the position to prioritize his household and provides his full focus to his work on Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, a seven-time Oscar-nominated Leonard Bernstein biopic. Bomer defined his rationale with the next sentiments:
Despite the fact that my half in ‘Maestro’ was smaller, Bradley was so collaborative with me from the get-go. And it was such an immersive expertise that to have simply flown in from London to movie my scenes [in ‘Barbie’] actually fast and fly again to London — I really feel like ‘Maestro’ would not have been the identical expertise for me.
The 47-year-old actor performed David Oppenheim, Bernstein’s lover, within the movie, and regardless of the smaller display time, he described the expertise as “life-changing.” In the end, the extreme inventive atmosphere and emotional weight of the mission have been issues Bomer didn’t need to dilute by splitting focus. He continued:
It was a approach of working that I am actually grateful that I obtained to be uncovered to. I would not have, I feel, if I have been attempting to only squeeze it in.
That alternative meant lacking out on being a part of a viral popular culture second like Barbenheimer, which collectively grossed over $1 billion worldwide and dominated each dialog from the field workplace to the Oscars. Nonetheless, I recognize the Bomer caught to his inventive weapons, and I am comfortable he has no regrets.
Within the years since, Barbie hit the massive display, quite a few the Ken actors have opened up about their experiences. Lots of them appeared to have loved tackle the humorously over-the-top characters. Nevertheless, Simu Liu did just lately recall having to wax for the movie, and it would not sound all that nice. Nonetheless, Liu and others like Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa have been in a position to be part of a cultural motion — and even took half within the Oscars efficiency of “I am Simply Ken.”
I’ve not doubts that Matt Bomer would’ve made an superior Ken as effectively. At this level, it would not seem like a Barbie sequel occurring, however possibly there’s hope for a Ken-centric spinoff during which Bomer might play a job. In any case, director Greta Gerwig admitted that there was plenty of Ken materials that did not make the ultimate lower.
Nonetheless, an trade that’s at all times chasing the newest traits, Bomer stands out along with his intentional decisions, which have gotten fairly uncommon. He won’t be a Ken, however he’s positively Zen, which could actually be the best position to have.
You possibly can take a look at Matt Bomer in Maestro, which is streamable with a Netflix subscription. Additionally, these wanting to take a look at Barbie can achieve this by streaming it on Max.