Actor
b. October 11, 1977
“Everybody thinks that equality comes from identifying people, and that’s not where equality comes from.”
Matt Bomer is an award-winning actor and LGBTQ advocate. Some of his best-known films include “Magic Mike” (2012), “The Normal Heart” (2014) and “The Boys in the Band” (2020).
Bomer was born in Missouri to ultra-conservative parents and raised in Texas. His father played football briefly for the Dallas Cowboys. Bomer played for his high school team.
While still in high school, Bomer made his professional debut in “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Alley Theater in Houston. He attended Carnegie Melon University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2001. At about this time, he came out in a letter to his parents. They initially rejected him.
Acting became Bomer’s salvation. In 2001 he joined the cast of “Guiding Light,” a soap opera role that earned him a Gold Derby Award for Younger Actor – Daytime Drama.
In 2005 Bomer made his film debut opposite Jodi Foster in “Flightplan,” which opened at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada. He secured a second movie role in 2006 and continued to work regularly in television. In 2009 he joined the cast of “White Collar,” an opportunity that earned him a 2015 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Actor.
In 2011 Bomer starred on Broadway in Dustin Lance Black’s “8,” a reenactment of the landmark trial that overturned California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Bomer publicly came out as gay in 2012. The same year, he starred opposite Channing Tatum in the critical success, “Magic Mike,” a movie dramedy about male strippers. Bomer reprised the role in Magic Mike XXL (2015).
Bomer’s creative choices often comport with his sexuality. He earned a Golden Globe in 2014 for his portrayal of a man dying of AIDS in the film “The Normal Heart,” based on Larry Kramer’s autobiographical play. He starred on Broadway in the 2018 revival of Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band” and also appeared in the film adaptation, which featured the same all-gay cast. He has guest starred in TV episodes of shows such as “The New Normal” and “Will and Grace.”
As of 2021, Bomer has performed in 18 films, 22 television productions and 6 plays. He has earned at least 10 awards and numerous nominations for his acting. In 2012 he was honored with the Steve Chase Humanitarian Award and the GLSEN Inspiration Award for his LGBTQ advocacy.
Bomer is married to Simon Halls, a well-known publicist. They have three children.
