Actor Matt Bomer on why he chose Bradley Cooper’s Maestro over Greta Gerwig’s Barbie

Actor Matt Bomer revealed that he decided to step away from the role of Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie because he wanted to spend more time with Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. Actor Bomer could’ve appeared in not just one but two Oscar best picture nominees in 2023, but he decided to keep the skill of multi-tasking at bay to solely focus on one project.

The Mid-Century Modern star has previously shared that he had auditioned to play one of the Kens in Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster comedy but eventually exited talks to spend time with his family.

In an interview, the actor revealed that he also decided to step away from Barbie to have more time to focus on Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro.

He credited his interest towards the Maestro to Bradley Cooper’s collaborative efforts from the start of the film’s production.

“Even though my part in Maestro was smaller, Bradley was so collaborative with me from the get-go. It was such an immersive experience that to have just flown in from London to film my scenes (in Barbie) really quick and fly back to London — I feel like Maestro wouldn’t have been the same experience for me.” said Bomer. In Maestro, Bomer played David Oppenheim, a lover of Cooper’s Bernstein. Though his role is largely contained to the film’s first half, Bomer expressed that his time on Maestro had a profound impact on his approach toward films.

“It was a way of working that I’m really grateful that I got to be exposed to,” Bomer said. “I wouldn’t have, I think, if I were trying to just squeeze it in,” added Bomer.

Lifestyle