[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Mid-Century Modern.]

Summary

Matt Bomer needed a break from doing dark roles and found joy in doing the Hulu comedy series ‘Mid-Century Modern.’

The sitcom live audience experience is compared to theater, with physical comedy challenges.

Working with the late Linda Lavin was grounding and a tribute episode was a heartfelt way to honor her.

From creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (Will & Grace) and executive producers James Burrows and Ryan Murphy, the Hulu sitcom Mid-Century Modern follows best friends Bunny (Nathan Lane), Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) and Jerry (Matt Bomer), living together in Palm Springs with Bunny’s mother, Sybil (Linda Lavin). Longtime friends who have become chosen family, the trio are ready to sing and dance at a moment’s notice, but are also willing to be brutally honest. Between hook-ups, a Donny Osmond concert, an estranged daughter, COVID, a congresswoman with a double life, and a sister trying to find her way, Bunny, Arthur and Jerry are always there for each other.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Bomer discussed this charming new TV series and talked about why he needed to do a comedy, the sitcom experience, figuring out the physical comedy, the heartbreaking shock of Lavin’s passing during the filming of the season, whether they ever improvise, which episode made him the most nervous, their version of “Cell Block Tango,” and how much he’d like to have his White Collar co-stars guest in a possible second season. He also explained why working with Jonah Hill on Outcome was one of the most incredible experiences of his career, and wanting to direct again.
“I need to laugh.”

Collider: How did this come about? Were you looking to do a sitcom?
MATT BOMER: I had finished Fellow Travelers and realized that I’d spent, more or less, the past 10 or so years of my career really exploring repression and darkness. As great as those experiences were, and I hope to continue them as well, I thought, “I really need to do a comedy. I need to laugh.” Thankfully, first I got to work on the film with Jonah Hill (Outcome), which was a comedic experience as well. And then, I got this call from Ryan Murphy, out of the blue, a few months later. I loved working with Max [Mutchnick] and David [Kohan] and Jimmy Burrows on Will & Grace, and the thought of getting to work with these iconic actors on this material, on a script that I loved and a character that I really loved, just seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up. It is a medium and a forum that we all know, but it’s pushing the envelope in a way that I had never seen in a multi-cam.
You had it on Will & Grace, but what’s the sitcom live audience experience like? Is it similar to working on stage in the theater, where you also get that immediate feedback?
BOMER: It’s really its own beast. I guess it’s important to have a theater background because there are aspects of that that really lend itself to this medium. You do need a certain size. You need to be on voice. It plays in wider shots, so you can’t rely on a close-up to convey certain things. A lot of it is timing, and you’re in the same shot as your other actors, so there’s a physical life that you have to have. But it moves so fast. In theater, you have three to six weeks of rehearsal to figure out how you’re going to pick up the teacup. With this, you may have two minutes. You just really have to be on your feet. There’s something about the taping night that is so thrilling, especially when you’re working with Jimmy Burrows, who really only does one take. At most, you’ve had these lines for 72 hours and you’re trying to find your footing and convey it convincingly with a very limited amount of time in front of a live audience. To me, interestingly, that’s scarier than when they give you the lines very spontaneously. There’s something about when they give you a line immediately that gives you a sense of license to just explore and see what’s going to happen and have no idea, in front of an audience. And I think the audience picks up on that as well. It’s like crack. It’s addictive.

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What’s it like to then go another step further and add the physical comedy to it?
BOMER: Some of that’s on the fly. Some of it’s been rehearsed for three or four days beforehand. Sometimes you’re sweating it out for a couple of days, figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a really hot, sweaty moment where you’re falling on your face and it’s not working. That’s when you’re glad that you’re surrounded by these iconic actors who are generous of spirit, who are willing to share their wisdom with you, or a director like Jimmy Burrows, who can give you one slight, subtle change that says so much about the character, and all of a sudden, it’s getting a laugh. That’s when you’re glad to be surrounded by really brilliant artists.
I love that this is a show that allows space for the really special moments you share with Billie Lourd. What was it like to find that dynamic with her?
BOMER: Billie’s been my friend for years, so it was so special to get to share that relationship with her and to watch her shine in the medium. To get to connect with her in that way and have that moment with her was something I’m so grateful for. She was just so fantastic. I love that the writers are willing to have their more Norman Lear-esque moments where they tackle heavier issues with a lot of humor. That’s the kind of multi-cam that I loved growing up. That’s the messaging to me that was always a lot more effective than being beaten over the head with something. If somebody could make me laugh while they were showing me or telling me something, then the messaging was always a lot more effective to me.
The Loss of Linda Lavin During the Filming of ‘Mid-Century Modern’ Was Shocking and Heartbreaking for the Cast

“She was a lovely person who was at a beautiful point in her life.”

Image via Hulu

While you were doing this series, Linda Lavin passed away. What was it like to work with her, to share laughs with her on this, and then also have a tribute episode for her and her character?
BOMER: She was such a glorious, beautiful, kind, gracious, fun, broad of a lady. She really grounded the whole set and led us all by example. She was a master of this medium. She knew how to do a multi-cam, inside and out, and how to ground it and make it all human and real. Starting with the work, if I was ever lost in a scene, I would turn to Linda. She knew exactly what to do. More importantly, she was a lovely person who was at a beautiful point in her life. She was vital and kind and gracious and loving and doing some of the best work of her career. It was shocking and heartbreaking. And then, to try to process that and perform it, at the same time, was really difficult and painful. Ultimately, it brought the Nathans and I closer together because it was really harrowing and tough. We wanted to pay tribute to her in a beautiful way and get out of our own way and give her the love and respect she deserved as an artist. I’m just grateful for the time that we had with her. I think she’ll always be a part of this show.
Because this is a streaming series, there is cursing and there are some jokes that you probably couldn’t get away with normally. Is all of that scripted? Are you allowed to throw in a “fuck” when it feels right, or make an innuendo in the moment? Do you have some freedom in that?
BOMER: I think if you wanted to find some freedom between the lines, you probably could. It’s not really encouraged to just riff. These are writers who really know what they’re doing, and they have a sense of the math of it all. This is a medium where you’re using both sides of your brain. You’re performing and you’re all up in your right-side creative brain, but there’s also a sense of timing and rhythm and the way things are said. What I learned from this is the way a line is phrased can make it funnier than if you say it a different way. So, improv is not encouraged unless it’s during rehearsals or between the lines. The nice thing is that they are always collaborative and open to input in the process.
I love how this is a series where you can just invent a word like Orgosmonds.
BOMER: That was a last-minute call. There were some things in the script that were pushing the envelope too far and they got cut out. Some of my favorite lines from the pilot for my character got cut out because they were too adult, evidently. But with Orgosmonds, whatever is on film is the only time I ever said that word on camera.

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How much closer are we to seeing the return of White Collar?
BOMER: I love those actors so much. I really do. And all the creatives on it. To get to work with them on anything would just be a dream come true. Who knows? We’ll have to just see.
In the meantime, while we’re waiting for that to happen, you can just have people come guest star on another season of Mid-Century Modern.
BOMER: That would be pretty dreamy, too. I think they’d all do a pretty kick ass job on this show, I have to say. Tiffani [Thiessen]’s been doing this since she was 12 years old. She’s got this down. Tim [DeKay] did the show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
There’s such an opportunity for great guest stars on this show.
BOMER: We had a lot this season, with Billie and Vanessa Bayer and Richard Kind and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Stephanie Koenig and Zane Phillips. The list goes on and on and on. We had so many great actors.
Matt Bomer Reveals Which ‘Mid-Century Modern’ Episode Made Him the Most Nervous

“That was thrilling and really scary.”

Image via Hulu

The episode with the Mormon guy was really so memorable. Singing the song with him is such a beautiful moment. What was that episode like to shoot?
BOMER: I grew up with a religious background, so it’s a part of my character that I’m really able to tap into. It was honestly probably the most nervous I ever was on this show because it required so much quiet and so much stillness, as well as laughter. It was one of the first things we filmed, so it was the first time we had settled into a more serious tone. It was the first time venturing out into the deep end in front of an audience. There was something about that that was really thrilling and really scary, and Zane was just a really great co-star to have. The scenes they wrote were so strong and so meaningful, and I hope that they’re impactful to people. I know that if I had seen a scene like that growing up as a kid, it would have meant a lot to me. That’s a big reason why it was important for me to be a part of a show like this.
And then, you follow that episode up with doing an episode where you have your own version of “Cell Block Tango.” What was that like to figure out and shoot?
BOMER: That was hilarious. We had so much fun. Nathan Lee [Graham] and I will spontaneously break into song at any given moment anyway, so the fact that we had license to do it on set was an extra bonus that week. There was a lot of math to that one because it was very specific camera work as well. Between the timing of when we could drop the pill and say the thing and do it on the rhythm of the song, it was a lot of left-brain, right-brain working at the same time, but it was great. It’s one of those fun moments that hopefully will feel universal to a lot of people.
I appreciate that you leave the end of the season on a dance note with a giant disco ball. Did you have a favorite singing and/or dancing moment this season?
BOMER: I grew up on En Vogue, so ending the pilot with an En Vogue song, did 12-year-old me manifest that? Maybe. Getting to share that moment with those guys, and then to bring Linda into it, all just felt really magical. What a bop.

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You mentioned doing Outcome, the movie with Jonah Hill, who directed and co-wrote that, along with being in it. As someone like yourself, who has directed and I’m guessing will direct again at some point, what do you learn from working with someone like Jonah Hill, in that capacity?
BOMER: Working with Jonah was one of the most incredible experiences in my career. The way I collaborated with him and the way he works with actors is so singular and unique. I don’t think it’s something that you can take to every set. What I took from him and tried to bring to the set was such a sense of joy and a sense of humor. He tries to approach everything with a sense of humor, no matter how much pathos was involved. It was an unbelievable experience. I love him, as an artist and as a person. That cast was so dreamy. Cameron [Diaz] and Keanu [Reeves] were both phenomenal human beings and beautiful actors, as the whole world knows. I’m so excited for the world to see the movie.
Are you thinking about directing again soon?
BOMER: I would like to. I had an opportunity come up, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t take it. I wish I had. It was hard because I was in the middle of this, it was hard to read the script, and I didn’t have time to process it. But if it’s the right thing, then yeah, I absolutely would. It’s tricky because if it’s an indie film, it really takes a year of your life, you don’t get paid, and you have to go around to all the festivals promoting it. If it’s episodic, you have to get in where you fit in and hopefully it works out with your schedule. It just has to be the right thing.

Mid-Century Modern

Release Date

March 28, 2025

Network

Hulu

Directors

James Burrows

Linda Lavin

Sybil Schneiderman

Mid-Century Modern is available to stream on Hulu. Check out the trailer: