During their heyday, I was a big fan of the USA shows, so I’ve been drooling over Matt Bomer since…actually, since he was a Bryce Larkin on NBC’s Chuck. But I did love him in White Collar too! USA shows always had the most fun panels at Comic-Con. Anyway, before we even heard who was cast in Barbie, if you would have asked me who could have played Ken, Matt Bomer would have been in my top 5. Turns out Matt was thisclose to playing a Ken! During his recent appearance on The Tonight Show show, Matt shared that just like Dan Levy, Bowen Yang, and Jonathan Groff, he ultimately had to turn his role down due to other projects and the production’s strict Covid rules.
The Maestro actor appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday and revealed that he doesn’t regret passing on the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster, which hit theaters in July, after he’d initially auditioned to play one of the Kens.
“You made headlines this summer, which I think was very fun, for a movie that you were not in,” host Jimmy Fallon began. “Not many people do that. I mean, normally they’re in the movie.”
“I got really into it, actually,” Bomer, 46, recalled of the audition process. “I had some projects in development — I wasn’t sure if they were gonna happen, or when they were gonna happen — so I auditioned.”
Bomer said he donned “four different looks” for the audition that included “Malibu Ken” and “business suit Ken,” and had been “looking forward to” being in the film. But as the star explained to Fallon, 49, he didn’t take the role in Barbie because some of the projects he had in development “came to fruition” and he also would have needed to be away from his family for a year, “which was just too much time away.”
Asked whether he thought he should have done Barbie due to it now being “the biggest movie in the world,” Bomer replied, “No.”
“I mean, I hope I get to work with Greta someday — she’s phenomenal,” he added of Gerwig, 40. “But I think they made a perfect movie and it was cast perfectly, and I got to do Fellow Travelers and Maestro and spend time with my family.”
In November, Bomer opened up about his Barbie auditioning process to Vanity Fair. “I recorded it on my own, played a bunch of different Kens — and I dressed differently for all of them,” he told the outlet. “I recorded the lines of the other person’s dialogue on my recorder and then gave myself space to respond.”
Hey, good for Matt that he has no regrets over ultimately choosing his family over doing the one of the biggest movies of the year. FOMO is real, but it’s also a sign of maturity to recognize your limits and be at peace with your decisions. Still, he would have made an awesome ‘business suit’ Ken. I really hope future Barbie extras or special features include all of the audition tapes of the well-known actors who weren’t able to be in the movie. I think those would be SO much fun to watch.
Photos credit: Mediapunch/Backgrid, 42/Backgrid, JPI Studios/Avalon, Darla Khazei/INSTARimages, JPI Studios/Avalon and via Instagram
I think Johnathon Groff was supposed to be Alan but Michael Cera was so perfect I can’t picture it,
Oh man, I was totally in love with Matt when he was in Chuck. Before I knew fancasting was a thing, I always had Matt down as Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid.
Anyway, I didn’t get to watch White Collar in its heyday, but maybe it’s time to start.
I totally recommend White Collar. The cast is SOOOOO GOOOD! And I just love that they were so mature about the relationship between FBI agent Peter Burke and his wife Elizabeth. None of your drama for performative drama here. Two intelligent, strong adults, who just happen to have fallen into parental roles for Matt Bomer’s charming and irresistible Neal.
And of course, there’s Willie Garson.
It’s fun, light-hearted and perfect for de-stressing.
Thirding or fourthing or whatevering the recommendation for White Collar. So charming!!! Season one and two in particular is one of my comfort shows.
based on these recommendations, just purchased the DVDs. Thank you!
Second here to recommend White Collar! It’s just a fun watch
White Collar is one of my comfort watches. And the relationship between Peter and Elizabeth Burke is my #relationshipgoals.
Chiming in to also recommend White Collar. It was so much fun. Genuinely good acting all around, agree re: the marriage in the series, and I love the set decor for Matt Bomer’s character’s home. Plus imho they nailed the series finale.
What were his favorite concerns about Covid rules? I see it mentioned in this article, but not the reference material.
I figured it was the “being away from his family” part if they were isolating.
He is just a ridiculously handsome man. Another fascinating role he took was in The Sinner, season 3 I think. He surprised me on a show that I enjoy and also love to hate.
That makes sense.
And yes, he is very handsome.
It is what he is talking about here, nothing bad. Just that the production had very strict rules on travelling and isolating to be on set so it would have meant an extended time away from his family. His kids are mid to late teens now so I imagine it’s not easy to uproot them.
His oldest is 18, so that year away would have been his son’s last year at home before leaving for college. I can completely understand wanting to be around for that.
The moment I heard about the Barbie production I thought Matt Bomer HAS TO BE KEN. Or that Superman guy, Henry something. Perfect Ken dimples. Was also hoping for Leon Robinson, Jason George or Michael B. Jordan as an African-American Ken. Wishing Greta Gerwig would read this for the sequel!
Still came out well without them.
I have all of you beat I remember when he played Ben Reade on Guiding Light around 2002. I thought he was the most beautiful man in the world. And was so sad when they killed him off. I was so happy when he was cast on White Collar so I can see my fantasy boyfriend again lol.
He would have been an amazing ken!
Ok, I’m on an island. For all his handsomeness I find him incredibly DULL on screen. Just no nuance to his work. I watched 1 episode of White Collar years ago and gave up. His scenes in Magic Mike, nothing going on behind the eyes. Then again on Maestro. The writing is strong so that saves him. But he’s a hard no to me. Give me Paul Giamatti, Gary Oldman any day. So fun to watch
Funnily enough, his character’s name in Magic Mike was in fact Ken, and his stripper nickname was…Ken Doll. The more you know 😉