Matt Bomer on Resilience, Family, and Staying Strong at Every Stage of Life

Summary

Stronger with Don Saladino: Matt Bomer on Resilience, Family, and Staying Strong at Every Stage of Life

Date: November 18, 2025
Guest: Matt Bomer
Host: Don Saladino

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives deep into what it means to be strong far beyond physicality. Don Saladino and guest Matt Bomer (actor, producer, father) explore the multi-faceted nature of strength: personal resilience, family, navigating career transitions under pressure, and the lifelong pursuit of health and mental well-being. Through anecdotes, candid admissions, and advice, Matt shares how his definitions of strength, health, and success have evolved across decades in the entertainment industry and as a dedicated parent and partner.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Cold Plunges, Rituals, and Building Morning Resilience

[05:13 – 08:12]

• Matt and Don bond over a shared cold plunge ritual, even down to the presence of a quirky rubber ducky ("Quackers") for comfort—Matt admits, “We don't have a personal enough relationship to name him because I'm in such a destitute circumstance whenever I see him. I kind of dread seeing him. But now I have little flamingos too.” (Matt Bomer, 05:19)
• Both talk about how short cold plunges (as little as 30 seconds) can spike energy and replace caffeine, especially useful before or after challenging days.

Notable Quote

“If you are trying to cut down on caffeine and you’re lucky enough to have access to a cold plunger—even a cold shower—it’s real. It will definitely help you in that department.”
— Matt Bomer [07:02]

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Mentorship, Following Passions, and Parenting

[08:12 – 11:43]

• Matt recounts supporting Don’s daughter when she was steered away from her dreams by a finance professional. His advice inspired her to pursue the arts:
  “I just wanted to share my experience, a pathway, because I was lucky enough that somebody laid that pathway out for me when I was her age. And that changed my life.” (Matt Bomer, 08:56)
• Both discuss navigating parenthood as college approaches, emotional aspects of “empty nesting,” and learning to let children find their own way.
• Matt is open about performing arts being a non-linear, passion-driven path:
  “If you’re lucky enough to know what your passion is... you have to follow it.” (Matt Bomer, 08:55)

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Navigating an Unpredictable Acting Career

[12:13 – 16:15]

• Don commends Matt’s “versatility” as an actor and strength in protecting family privacy.
• Matt describes his early career experiences:
  • Taking any role to get a foot in the door.
  • The importance of reliability and relationships over ego.
  • The drive to choose roles that are challenging, even scary:
    “If it doesn’t scare me a little bit, it’s hard for me to get excited...that’s really thrilling to me.” (Matt Bomer, 15:16)

Notable Quote

"So much of the work, as you know in your field, probably even more, is about relationships and showing up and connecting with people in a way that they know you're going to give your absolute best—if you have three lines or if you're not number one on the call sheet."
— Matt Bomer [14:15]

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Facing Fear, Self-Doubt, and the Reality of Setbacks

[16:15 – 21:48]

• Matt admits, “I always have a dark night of the soul that I have to get through...racked with self-doubt...Why would you sign on to do this?” (16:36)
• His process: Transcending fear by focusing on the story, not ego. Getting “out of the way” to allow the material to “come through.”
• Discusses the pressure and logistical challenges of producing and starring in "Fellow Travelers," and how even illness (COVID shutdown) became an unexpected chance to recalibrate and recommit to the project.

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On Resilience and Giving Back

[21:49 – 28:09]

• Don raises the myth of overnight success; Matt recounts blue-collar origins, season of doubt, and volunteer work (including at a children’s burn unit) as crucial for regaining perspective.
• Advice Matt received from a “top five most famous” friend:
  “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get up.”
• The importance of helping others to shift the focus away from personal failures and setbacks:
  “Any volunteer work you can do is huge.” (Matt Bomer, 24:18)

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Craft, Collaboration, and Comedic Vulnerability

[28:10 – 34:07]

• The importance of directors in setting the film's tone; adjusting his process based on their style.
• Memorable “one take” anecdote from “Magic Mike,” needing a second take for a particularly vulnerable scene:
  "I said to [Soderbergh], 'I know you think we got it, but...please just give me a second take.'" (Matt Bomer, 29:35)
• Found “team mentality” pivotal on ensemble projects.
• Marveling at co-stars like Channing Tatum, especially their physicality.

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Staying Strong—Physically, Mentally, and with Age

[34:08 – 39:13]

• The evolution of Matt’s approach to training, thanks to learning from Don and others:
  “Physical exercise has always been huge for me...it's like therapy for me.” (Matt Bomer, 32:38)
• Both discuss the importance of muscle mass into one’s 50s.
• Matt details his changing relationship with exercise and nutrition, including learning to put on muscle, lose or gain weight for roles, and why staying “within 2–3 weeks” of camera-ready isn’t about vanity but about mental health and work demands.

Notable Quote

“It’s all about my head game...for me, just to maintain my sanity.”
— Matt Bomer [34:41]

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Nutrition, Food Sensitivities & Self-Experimentation

[39:14 – 41:39]

• Matt discusses the wakeup call in his late 20s: feeling “60 at 27,” leading him to deep self-education about nutrition, food sensitivities, and alcohol.
• His “nothing fancy” daily structure: protein, vegetables, sometimes carbs, one liquid meal a day, and making his own nut milks.
• Both stress the benefits of periodic indulgences for psychology and metabolism ("every now and again, I’m gonna have some gelato").
• Don notes that knowing how to get back on track post-indulgence is more important than “perfection.”

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Theater, On-Stage Nudity, and the Realities of Live Performance

[41:40 – 45:13]

• Matt shares how stage work means no “retakes” and is physically and mentally demanding, especially in musicals.
• Candid discussion about on-stage nudity in "Boys in the Band": his initial terror, how it was essential to the material, and discomfort with audience cell phones:
  “You have to convey how intimate they were...God bless poor Jim Parsons. I had to be naked in front of him the whole time.” (Matt Bomer, 43:02)

Notable Quote

“For me, theater is like the closest thing we have to the way storytelling started, which is some dude standing up in front of a campfire and telling how the hunt went that day. That’s what makes theater so electric.”
— Matt Bomer [44:00]

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Family, Work-Life Balance, and Parenting Strategies

[45:14 – 48:46]

• Matt describes the grueling logistics of being a new dad on "White Collar" (60-hour work weeks, cross-country flights).
• Shares a tip from a child psychologist: creating children’s books to explain his absences in a way young kids can understand—with reassurance about reunions.
• Both reflect on technology's positive role in family life (FaceTime), while cautioning about potential overuse of social media and communication challenges for their kids’ generation.
• On kids becoming young adults:
  “They become young adults...You get together with them and it’s interesting—conversations about politics and the landscape…the social dynamics at school.” (Matt Bomer, 50:20)

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Live Questions from Listeners

[50:44 – 63:52]

1. Has your approach to training changed—is long-term health the priority now? How do you balance that with roleprep?

(Luciana, 51:00)

• Matt: With Don’s help, he now balances project-specific training (sometimes intense, sometimes brief sessions due to work hours) with regular health maintenance.
• Sometimes the work is period-specific (adjusting workouts for the era of the role).

2. How did you transform for Magic Mike? Did you ever feel like quitting?

(Eddie, 54:57)

• He had just two and a half months to prep for the first film, focusing for the first time on creatine and higher protein.
• Learned quickly not to compete physically with co-stars—“just make the best of what I had.”
• Faced a much tougher challenge in the sequel, after losing 50 pounds for a prior role. He suffered “refeeding syndrome” but made a contract to give his body what it needed to recover.
• “I stopped weighing myself after I got below 130.” (Matt Bomer, 57:22)
• Wouldn’t want to repeat extreme transformations.

3. Favorite episode to film in ‘Mid Century Modern’? Do you want to do more comedy?

(Tara, 59:31)

• Matt: Comedy is “its own beast”—he learned by watching co-stars Nathan Lane, Linda Lavin, and Nathan Lee Graham.
• Motivated by being scared of the unknown, finds comedic acting ‘thrilling,’ and appreciated the direct laughter and real-time feedback from live audiences.
• Favorite episode: Pickleball.
• Notes the “one-take” high-wire act; lines are often rewritten in real time, adding to the excitement and vulnerability.
  • “What ended up in the episode, we only ever did that one time, ever. We never rehearsed it.” (Matt Bomer, 63:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You have to follow your passion if you’re lucky enough to know what that passion is.”
  — Matt Bomer [08:55]
• “If it doesn’t scare me a little bit, it’s hard for me to get excited about it.”
  — Matt Bomer [15:16]
• “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s about how many times you get up.”
  — Anonymous advice [24:12] (shared by Matt)
• “I always have a dark night of the soul with any role that's kind of worth its time...”
  — Matt Bomer [16:15]
• “If you’re down or having a hard time, any kind of volunteer work you can do is huge.”
  — Matt Bomer [24:18]
• “[Theater] is, like, holy in a way because you’re having that experience one time, one time only.”
  — Matt Bomer [44:00]

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Timestamps by Section

• 00:45–05:13: Intros/ad banter (skipped)
• 05:13–08:12: Cold plunges, caffeine, and resilience rituals
• 08:12–11:43: Mentorship, parenting, following passions
• 12:13–16:15: Acting craft, versatility, early career advice
• 16:15–21:48: Facing fear, role preparation, setbacks, COVID on set
• 21:49–28:09: On resilience, giving back, perspective from volunteering
• 28:10–34:07: Collaboration on set, comedy, “Magic Mike” stories
• 34:08–39:13: Strength, aging, mental health, nutrition evolution
• 39:14–41:39: Food sensitivities, self-experimentation, nutrition tips
• 41:40–45:13: Theater experiences, on-stage nudity, live performance
• 45:14–48:46: Family/work balance, parenting strategies
• 48:47–50:44: Tech & family, generational shifts, communication
• 50:44–63:52: Listener Q&A: training over time, body transformations, comedy roles
• 63:53–64:55: Closing gratitude and reflections (“I’d be here anytime for you”)

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Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Warm, candid, honest, and practical with a generous share of self-deprecating humor and real-life struggle.
• Major Takeaway: Strength is a lifelong, evolving process that includes seeking help, vulnerability, passion, physical/mental health, and the support of community and family. Both Matt and Don reinforce that setbacks and doubts are universal—even at the highest levels of success—and that true resilience comes from getting up, helping others, and embracing growth at every stage.

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For those who haven't listened:
This episode isn't just about workouts. It's about the human stories that underlie visible “success” and how real strength is built through adversity, humility, love, and commitment—both personally and professionally. Whether you're an aspiring parent, performer, or anyone seeking to find meaning and balance, Matt's journey offers actionable advice and inspiration to keep moving forward.

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End of summary

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Don Saladino]

Welcome back to another episode of Stronger. I'm so excited to introduce you to. Even though he needs no introduction, Matt Bomer. So Matt has become a very good friend. He reached out to me years ago about training. I had the privilege of being able to prep mat several different roles. I think he is an acting savant. This guy is incredible on the stage, on the big screen, but he is also an absolute student in reference to his health and wellness. We've talked about family, we talked about his acting career pivoting from different roles, even some of the anxieties in the business. I think it's a very interesting interview and I know for a fact that all of you are going to connect really closely with this.

[Matt Bomer]

Let's get ready to go.

[Don Saladino]

All right, guys, first off, I have to thank my sponsors, one of them right now being Mito Pure. Thank you, guys for. For just being a loyal sponsor of ours. Probably. I think it was our first one. Was our first sponsor. Yeah, I think it was. I'm saying it was. So they have a few different products. They have Mito Pure, which is a urolithin, a product, which is why I am in my 60s and I look like I'm in my early 40s. So I've been taking this product for a while. My skin, my lines, my energy level, my mitochondrial function is fantastic. And this is one of those supplements. I'm not. I like supplements. But you got to understand, I really value the importance of nutrition and sleep. Mito Pure, their urolith and a supplement. I take four capsules a day. That's a thousand milligrams. I take it religiously and I really can't travel without it now because I have seen benefits come from this with probably about three to six months. I just started feeling like my skin was glowing a little bit more. I was feeling a bit younger. I was okay. I'm not 60, I'm 48. Cat's out of the bag now. They also have these gummies that are delicious and they also have a powder which is fantastic as well, if you're into powder. So that's it, guys. Mitopure again, thank you again, Timeline. Thank you. And timeline is offering 20% off your first order of Mitopure. Go to timeline.com stronger. That's t I m e l I n e dot com stronger. I can't believe I actually had to read how to spell timeline. I did though. Thanks guys. We would not be able to do this incredible show without our special sponsors. I'm very grateful to Cozy Earth. Couple things. They sent me this bubble cuddle blanket. It's a bubble cuddle blanket. I'm a 48 year old grown man. You'd think I wouldn't want to lay in this. And my dog Sambuca, it's the same color of him. So when I go into my room, Sambuka is wrapped in this blanket. I can't tell he's in it and he looks comfortable. And next, you know, I'm laying on a bubble cuddle blanket, like in love with this thing. But guys, I'm telling you, this thing is magic. You are going to, your dogs are going to love it. Your partner's going to love it. Ladies, I, I, I don't care. This thing is unbelievable. And you know what's fantastic about it too? It's like when I go down to the couch and I'm watching the Mets lose, I like grabbing a blanket and throwing it on me. And it's just, it's been like a great throw blanket for me. So my dog loves it when we're laying in bed and then I love it when I'm on the couch. So great stuff. Check it out. And something that I love even more than the bubble cud blanket are these cozy earth bamboo sheets. And the reason is, is that I get really hot. My body just gets hot in bed. Like my, my wife's going to kill me because the thermostats on 64, 65 degrees. She's wrapped in the cozy earth bubble cuddle blanket to keep warm. And I'm sitting there like, how do I get my bed cooler? And these cozy earth bamboo sheets are actually cooling. Head to cozy earth.com I'm going to read now head to cozy earth.com and use my code stronger for up to 20 off. That's cozyearth.com code stronger. S T R O N G E R. And if you get a post purchase survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth. Right here. We want, you know, we want a pat on the back from Cozy Earth. We like them so much that we want them to know and feel like, you know what? We, me, you, we have their back. Right. These partnerships are very important to us. So head to cozyearth.com and use my code stronger for up to 20 off. That's cozy. C o z y e a r t h.com code stronger. Thanks, guys. So I wanted to bring something up so you and I have something in common. Really serious. You know what it is?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, I do.

[Don Saladino]

Okay. We both have a rubber ducky in our Coldplay. Yes. What's yours called? Quack.

[Matt Bomer]

I think I just wanted to be silly. I said quackers. I don't. We don't have a personal enough relationship to name him because I'm in such a destitute circumstance whenever I see him. I kind of dread seeing him. But now I have little flamingos too.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

He wouldn't be alone, you know, I'll send you some, you know.

[Don Saladino]

But the rubber ducky does help. I mean, I'm sit down looking at him, and he flips upside down all the time. But I'm just kind of like, I don't even want to touch him because I'm trying to keep my arms under.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes. Yeah, it does give you some sense of, oh, this is kind of a bath, except I'm freezing my ass off.

[Don Saladino]

You've been. You've been cold plunging a lot though, right? That's something that you have, especially with.

[Matt Bomer]

The warmer weather sometimes when it's, you know, mornings. And if I'm in California, mornings and evenings in the winter can get pretty chilly. So sometimes I will just like, do a cold shower or something like that. But now I plunge. I think we have the same plunge.

[Don Saladino]

The renew.

[Matt Bomer]

The renew.

[Don Saladino]

Give them a shout out. I love the company. I've been using it, actually. First thing in the morning. Most smokes, mornings, you know, sometimes you. You get preoccupied or you have meetings, but 30 seconds, that's it.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, wow.

[Don Saladino]

I'll jump in. So I met with this guy, Andy o', Brien, who's Sidney Crosby's strength coach, and he's. He does a lot of research on recovery and talking about how, you know, the three minutes, which I like to do on my off days. I know you, you do that sometimes. First thing that zaps me a bit and I get a little like, relaxed and calm before a training session. He's like, dude, try 30 seconds. It'll just kind of spike your adrenaline. So I'll jump in for 30. I'll do red light. I'll jump in for 30. I'm in the shower and I'm downstairs like, someone just poured coffee down my eyelids.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes.

[Don Saladino]

And I'm like, oh, my God. And I'm ready to go. And I actually feel like that's enhanced my workouts a bit.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, I'm going to try 30 seconds. Plus it's less time. Music to my ears, man. Because three minutes, sometimes that can.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, no, it sucks.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, it, it hurts a little bit, but yeah, 30 seconds. Okay. I will say if you are trying to cut down on caffeine and you do, you're lucky enough to have access to any kind of cold plunger, even a cold shower, it's real. It will definitely help you in that.

[Don Saladino]

Department, especially in the afternoon sometimes. I don't know if you ever have evening calls, but I know sometimes I do. And that three o', clock, jumping in it for a few minutes, getting out, taking a shower, you're like, okay, I'm ready to go. I got my second win.

[Matt Bomer]

So, yeah, no, it's, that's definitely a perk. I, I, I do, I find, like you, though, that if I do it for three minutes first thing in the morning, I mean, I'm peaked for like 6 hours. But then sometimes like 3 or 4pm would roll around and I'd be, you're.

[Don Saladino]

Like, ready for a nap. Yeah, it's tough, too. I mean, if you think about it, we do a lot. Between training and calls and life and work, you do a lot. So never do. And I tell people, never do that afternoon caffeine because that's just going to wreck your sleep. And that's something where. When do you try and cut caffeine off by.

[Matt Bomer]

I am sensitive to caffeine, so I usually cut it off by noon.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, I got to do like 9, 10.

[Matt Bomer]

I'll do a decaf in the afternoon. Okay. You know, if I'm like, really, like, just need to mentally think that I'm more awake than I am. Yeah, I'll do that. But yeah, I don't, I can't play with that afternoon or it's going to be not a great night's sleep.

[Don Saladino]

And then on a serious note, putting the rubber ducky aside, what you did for my daughter. I'm just. I'm incredibly grateful for people don't. Obviously, I'm not expecting to know the story, but my daughter spoke to one of my clients who's a big finance person, and the guy completely talked her out of chasing her dream. And with me, I'm. I believe in passion and purpose. Don't chase the money. Chase what you believe in in the beginning and what you love. And I think things will evolve from that. I'm just a believer. And she was going to get into a field that she didn't. And you offered your time and she spent 30 minutes on a call with you, and the next thing you know, she came in and she goes, I'm getting a degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts. And I said, that did his job. And I was super proud of it, but I was forever grateful. She's like, been on cloud nine since talking to you.

[Matt Bomer]

She's phenomenally talented.

[Don Saladino]

Thank you.

[Matt Bomer]

To start with, and I agree with you, I. You have to follow your passion if you're lucky enough to know what that passion is. So many people get to the age of college and they don't know what that passion is. And it seems like she really had a fire to do to do performing arts. So I didn't have any agenda in talking to her. I just wanted to share my experience, a pathway, because I was lucky enough that somebody laid that pathway out for me when I was her age. And that changed my life. So I'm glad she responded to it and we're lucky to have her in the artist community. Are you empty nesting now? No, no.

[Don Saladino]

I got my son, Donnie.

[Matt Bomer]

That's right.

[Don Saladino]

I've only got two years. Then I'll empty nesting.

[Matt Bomer]

Same.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, you're.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, same trajectory.

[Don Saladino]

More or less.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. This is a college and our twins will be juniors next year.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, same, same. Donnie's going to be a junior.

[Matt Bomer]

Nice.

[Don Saladino]

Are they starting to look at the whole college route or no? Are they.

[Matt Bomer]

They're counselors right now at camp and they said that they're really going to put a lot of thought into it this summer as their counselors and have some kind of an idea when they come back.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

That's their plan, I guess. But I think it will probably evolve over the course of their junior year and we'll visit schools and things like that. So it could be a bit.

[Don Saladino]

I mean, for most parents it gets a bit stressful, the whole college thing, because, you know, you want them to have an experience. But on the other hand, you know, part of Me is like, I don't want them to be far because I selfishly, I want to see them, but I also want them to go and grow and evolve as people.

[Matt Bomer]

So I, I mean, I am so in support of wherever they want to go, even if it were far away. I went far away for college. And where'd you go? You were Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, but I was in high school in Spring, Texas, which is now. It's a suburb that I didn't know.

[Don Saladino]

I didn't know that you were in Texas.

[Matt Bomer]

I was in like, kind of. Well, it was more of like a Friday night lightstown back then, but now it's like a proper city Spring. But yeah. So I, I don't even know if I applied. I think maybe I applied to SMU in, in Texas, but that was it because they had a performing arts program. But yeah, I went pretty far away and, and that I, I, that was so great for me to be able to just explore artistry and become. See who I was and explore my identity and all those things, being outside of Texas. So I support our kids wherever they want to go, I guess. Yeah, it is hard, but you know, if they're in the U.S. like, you can always try to visit on parents weekend and.

[Don Saladino]

But it's, but it's emotional.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. Oh, I'll definitely. I was just saying to my husband we were dropping our kids off at camp because I almost cried dropping our twins off of camp.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

So I was like, this is going to be. There's always that moment.

[Don Saladino]

Who's more emotional, you or your husband?

[Matt Bomer]

I would say with the college thing, I kind of backed up a little bit because he was super emotional about the college thing. I was like, if we're both too. I have to try to be. Yeah, I was like, I have to try to at least use my actor hat and try to be stoic at this point in time just to make it a little bit easier. But I'm definitely just as emotional inside.

[Don Saladino]

I would say I'm going to be way worse than my wife. My, my wife's a little more like, you know, she's, she can keep it together more. I'm going to be sitting there like.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, so much of my life as an artist has been transient. You know, I'm constantly having to pick up and move to a new place, have a whole new creative family, meet an entirely new group of coworkers. And so I guess that sort of sense of, of migration to a new place and building a whole new world just feels a little bit easier to me now. And I know that it's, I know that they're equipped to be okay in that environment.

[Don Saladino]

So, so part of like what you do and I've, I've been observing and watching you on the screen for years. And the thing I like, I always say out there, like, there's actors and there's actors and I always consider you like an actor and you're even by your peers, they're always like, oh, wow, he's the real deal. I think it's a really nice, nice compliment. But you know, I think your versatility from role to role is something that I think is really special. Was that something that you just knew early on, like, I'm not going to go live in one role or I'm not going to just be doing comedy. I mean, you've really challenged yourself by going after different roles. And I'm, and when I think of actors and how they have to carry themselves in Hollywood, like, you're like kind of the epitome.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh no, I'm definitely.

[Don Saladino]

No, no, no, no, no. But I'm giving you a compliment here because I haven't said that to any of my people in here. I mean they're all, a lot of them are great actors, but I just feel like how you carry yourself and things that you do for the community and how you're so focused on family and how you keep that private. Like, I really, like I commend you for it because it's very difficult to be in the situation you're in when you're traveling and your husband's a powerhouse and what he does and keeping a family grounded, it's, it's. That's gotta be one of your biggest challenges.

[Matt Bomer]

It is, I think, and I think part of it's probably de. Romanticized the artist life targets in a lot of ways, but I think it's. Look, a lot of it's just the road rising up to meet you and opportunities that you're lucky enough to come across. I. And when you're starting out, obviously you don't really have a lot of control or say in what. I remember the first movie I did, it was with a. I'll try not to name drop throughout this podcast, but with an Oscar winning actress and she had her best friend who was there and her best friend said to me, just take any role you can and just get your foot in the door right now. Which was kind of the antithesis of what I thought about in drama school. I was like, oh, I'll better be picky and choose this and do this. But so much of the work, as you know, in your field, probably even more, is about relationships and showing up and working with people and connecting with people in a way that they know you're going to give your absolute best if you have three lines or if you're not number one on the call sheet. And so I think that helps to pave the way. And then, you know, I went to acting school, so for me, it was so much of the joy of getting to be in a conservatory is getting to explore all these different roles. And, you know, there were times in the same day where you're playing Hamlet in one class and then you're doing restoration comedy in another class, then you're doing something contemporary in another class, and then you're building sets for the seniors who are doing something else. So getting to, you know, kind of jump between all those different types of roles, it was so appealing to me. And I always want to challenge myself. And even if I fall on my face, you know, I do. If it doesn't scare me a little bit, it's hard for me to get excited about it because I know if it does scare me, it's A, challenging my ego, and B, something that I'm going to have to dig or go to a place I've never gone before if I'm even going to try to do it. And so there's something about that that's really thrilling to me. And then the last thing you said, I think, and you know this because you do, you embody this way more than I do. But just when you have whatever your mission statement, purpose is, and whether you have one or not, I think it's good to have one just to include other people in it.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

And to. To share whatever you. You've been afforded with others, and whether that's wisdom or experience or any, you know, advice you can pass on to somebody or just give back to your community or the world at large. I think that's always kind of tied into what I'm trying to do professionally as well.

[Don Saladino]

What about. So roles like, I mean, are you ever kind of embarking on a role where you're just scared shitless? You're like, oh, my God, like, this is not. No, but I've never really asked this question, like, have you gotten into something where. Actually, I've never asked this question. Yeah, have you gotten into something where you're saying to yourself, wow, I don't. Like, this is completely out of my comfort zone, but I need to do this.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, quite a bit. I mean, I think I always have with any role that's kind of worth its time. I kind of always have a dark night of the soul that I have to get through where I'm like, I'm really racked with self doubt. I'm like, what were you thinking? Why would you sign on to do this? This is your. You know, this is going to be your last job.

[Don Saladino]

What were you thinking?

[Matt Bomer]

I love it. You are toast. And so I have to kind of come face to face with that. And sometimes my poor husband bears the br. Running myself down. I'm like, what am I doing? But I have to face that. And then, you know, kind of try to transcend that, not for my own ego, but to serve the material. And I. Again, usually when I find myself in that predicament, it's because I'm looking too much at myself and I'm not looking outside of myself holistically, as much as I can. And once you get a sense of serving something bigger than you, then I feel like that takes a lot of that pressure off because you just. I just kind of see myself as a vessel. So, like, when we were doing Fellow Travelers, which is a project that I sold and took three years to get into development, and then we were finally on camp, I mean, I was. That's when it hit me. I was like, how am I going to play this role? And I was so racked with fear. And thankfully, I just come off a film maestro with Bradley Cooper, and he and Carey Mulligan had both kind of had to, like, time jump in that and have this romantic relationship that went across multiple decades. So I'd watch these two masters of the craft do it right in front of me. So I was like, okay, this can be. I'm not saying I can do it on their level, but it's possible to do this. And so that was a. That was like. I felt like that was just a gift from higher power, God, whatever you want to refer to it as. And so that. That was like a little bit of a encouraging thing. But then the second day, I. It's the one and only time, I mean, knock on wood, that I got Covid.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, no.

[Matt Bomer]

And there wasn't anything they could film without me, so the whole production had to shut down for 10 days.

[Don Saladino]

This is. But this is what people aren't realizing.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

And I get asked the question all the time, is it harder to work with actors or is it harder to work with athletes? And I'm like, no, but. No, but.

[Matt Bomer]

Most.

[Don Saladino]

Most strength coaches get offended because I'm like, oh, no, it's. It's. I've said this before. I'm like, oh, no, it's actors.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

And they're like, why? I'm like, there's. There's an entire set that may be in a different time zone. They're away from their family. They're learning a new craft, a new skill that they've never learned. There's, like, Tom Brady's always out there throwing the football. Right. And he. That's something he's done his whole life. Like, you're not playing same role every single day to where you're like, I can get comfortable with this. Oh, and I'm six hours away from my three boys and my husband. Someone in your family gets sick or you get Covid. I put Ryan Reynolds on the set of Deadpool, and he got walking pneumonia.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, my gosh. That's worse than Covid. It was terrible.

[Don Saladino]

And you, like, he didn't even show it.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, wow.

[Don Saladino]

And he was just kind of, like, distancing and like, they.

[Matt Bomer]

They.

[Don Saladino]

They couldn't stop shooting.

[Matt Bomer]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

Like, he had to put. He had to push through it. And he's trying to train with me, and I'm like, dude, sleep.

[Matt Bomer]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

Like, we were public. We. We talked about it later on, but. But they don't have. There's no calling into work because I have a sore throat, and I'm going to take a personal day.

[Matt Bomer]

Like, it's. I mean, I've never missed a day of work. It was the only time I've ever.

[Don Saladino]

Missed a day of work.

[Matt Bomer]

But it was at that time when we're just coming out of the pandemic when, like, they. It was an automatic shutdown. So I just. I was, like, racked with guilt that I had, you know, incurred this fee from the insurance company. I was like, and I'm taking on this, you know, incredibly challenging role where I have to play somebody from the 1950s through the 1980s. And.

[Don Saladino]

But this is your movie. You weren't just acting in this.

[Matt Bomer]

You were pretty producing it as well.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. Which is like, double pressure in my mind.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Double pressure.

[Matt Bomer]

So as on my producer hat, I'm like, no, let's get back to work. You know, Like, I can't. But in a way, it was oddly kind of this gift because I got to really. I had been just spinning and spinning, going from job to job to job, and it was the first time I really got to just settle in and, like, revisit the material without Any sense of Rush, because I knew I had 10 days, and there was something about that that just enabled me to, again, look at it from outside, just myself. And what, what was the bigger sense of this project? And, and sometimes when you're working on things, not always, but you get the sense that the story. And I don't mean to sound too esoteric. No, no. But the story is coming through for a reason and it's way bigger than you, and you just have to kind of get out of the way and just do your part in it so that it can come through. And, and there are little signs that happen, like doors that close that don't ever seem like they're going to open and then suddenly they blow open or whatever it is. And so this was just. There were signs like that all around this project. And so it gave me a sense to just kind of get outside myself and really think about how I could serve the piece.

[Don Saladino]

So, one, one common theme on this podcast is resilience. And I think we were talking about a little bit earlier there, there hasn't been a person I brought in or I don't think there's one successful human being I've ever been around where at some point they were like, oh, my God, I'm either on. I mean, I'm going to be unhirable. You hear these, you know, monsters in their industry who have gone through those struggles and you realize that that's not what people see. People just see you on White Collar or you shooting, you know, you know, this like, great looking guy who's acting and doing his thing and, you know, putting out a movie with Bradley Cooper and producing, and they see this and they're like, oh, wow, it's just, it's just been easy.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. Yeah. People always see the end result and think that, oh, he just kind of showed up and now he gets to go walk down red carpets or whatever it is. It's such a crazy road.

[Don Saladino]

You're fighting the fight. Yeah. I mean, that's what I, I want people to hear these stories because I want them to keep pushing.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

You know?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. I mean, I think it's so interesting even on a day to day basis, especially when I'm in New York, because White Collar filmed here. But people always associate you with whatever the first role they saw you on screen was. And for me, 90% of the time, that's White Collar because it was the first time that, you know, they used my face in the marketing and there was an actual marketing budget and, and it was put out there and the show did well. And so it's, it's so funny to me because I come from more of a blue collar upbringing. And the fact that people associate me with like anything white collar is hilarious to me. I mean, I used. I worked in the gas pipeline with my brother for one summer. So talk about, you know, creating some hormesis for yourself. Like, that was, you know, I had to dig deep to do that. He's an engineer. But it was just a great way to make some money in the summer. And then I quickly realized that I was gonna go, you know, do like a Shakespeare festival the next summer because that those were more my people, but love my brother. He's amazing. But so I think a lot of it was just building up buil of my childhood.

[Don Saladino]

I.

[Matt Bomer]

And I have parents who are incredibly resilient people as well and who have been through a tremendous amount. And just watching how they've transcended that and survived that and kept their head up was huge for me. And I, I do think, you know, again, I'm not going to drop names, but I have a friend who's, I would say, probably one of the top five most famous people in the world. And she said to me, she was like, it's not about how many times you get knocked down, it's about how many times you get a up. And there's so many, so many times in my career when, and even, you know, it's not something that goes away after your first couple jobs when you think, oh God, this is it. Like, I don't know, you're just wracked with guilt and remorse or doubt or whatever it is. And again, it's about kind of giving yourself a chance to lick your wounds or whatever it is, but then getting back up on your horse. And again, I think it goes back to putting the focus outside of just yourself. And when some. I remember when I was really struggling as an actor and I'd done a pilot, and then I was testing for all these pilots and not getting them, but I always be between me and one other guy. And I was just, I was really down and I started volunteering and I worked in Children's Hospital and I worked in like the burn victims unit of the Children's Hospital and stuff like that. And, and giving back in whatever way I could gave me such a sense of purpose and perspective. And so I always say to people, like, if you're, if you're just. If you're down or if you're having a hard time, any kind of volunteer work you can do is huge.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. This podcast would not be possible if it weren't for our sponsors and I would like to thank Everyday Dose for being one of them and supporting us. This is a coffee plus mushroom product. I was blown away by Everyday Dose because was they're one of the first companies I've seen to actually list the proprietary blend of ingredients. Most companies are going to turn around and they're going to throw secretive ingredients in there. Everyday Dose does not do that. So they combine a high quality coffee with nootropics and mushrooms. And the different types of mushrooms would be lion's mane or chaga collagen protein. They bring in these mixtures which I found allow me to be less jittery. Not only me, but the people I've recommended to. So less jittery, better brain focus. When I overdo caffeine, I don't like that feeling. And mixing it with these nootropics and mixing it with this mushroom has really eliminated that for me. And it's delicious. It tastes really, really good. It tastes just like coffee without the downside. No crash, no jitters, just clean, sustained energy. Right now for Black Friday, get 61 off your first coffee starter kit. Is that accurate? 61% sounds pretty massive. 61. Interesting. Interesting number. I've never heard that. I like it now. I'm never going to forget that. So right now for Black Friday, get 61% off your first coffee plus starter kit, a free A2 probiotic creamer and over $100 in free gifts. That's value plus. Enter for a chance to win $100 cash or get your entire order refunded. Visit everyday.com stronger or use code stronger at the checkout. Give this one a shot. I'll be. I get hit with so many of these products and it's one of those things where you don't believe it till you try it. But they really blew my mind and I've been. I've been really enjoying it. This episode of Stronger is presented by ExpressVPN. My business moved fully online in 2020 due to the pandemic and I didn't realize how often you are going to be exposed. And for so many of us, privacy is an afterthought, right? So using the Internet without ExpressVPN, imagine taking a call on the train and just reading off your credit card number. The reason why I'm bringing that up is because I had to do that the other day and I'm literally whispering. So you know, but don't do that, please. But you know, ExpressVPN is your security system online. So with ExpressVPN, 100% of your traffic is rerouted through secure encrypted servers so your service provider can't see your browsing history. ExpressVPN is like having tinted windows for your Internet connection. Very cool. You can see out, but no one else can see in. It's easy to use and works on all devices, phones, laptops, tablets and more, so you can stay private on the go. Right now, listeners of Stronger can get up to 4 months of ExpressVPN for free. So head to ExpressVPN Stronger to check out their plans. 4 months free? Why not? Why not? What do you have to lose? Secure your online data today by visiting expressvpn.com stronger that's E X P R E S s v p n.com stronger to find out how you can get up to four extra months free. Expressvpn.com stronger ExpressVPN thank you again for your support. It's fun to see actors feed off each other's energy, right? I'm sure you've been on sets where you're working with someone that's just inspiring.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Don Saladino]

Pushing you and challenging you.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, especially on a film. Like, my relationship with the director is so important on a film because it's really their sandbox. This is their story that they're playing. And I'm getting in and going, oh, how are we playing in this? What is your. How do you like to work? Do you like to do one take, like Steven Soderbergh or Bradley? Sometimes we only did one take. Do you like to really talk about the process or is it all up to me? Do I need to insulate myself and protect myself, or do I open myself up and we, you know, there's so many different ways to work, but especially on a film, episodic, you know, sometimes you're working with four or five directors, so you're kind of maintaining the through line a little bit more than they are. Maybe the producers or the showrunner is. But in a film like, that's your leader. That's who. That's your coach. You know, they're. They're setting the tone on the set. They're. They're setting how the. The template for how you're going to go about creating this thing every day.

[Don Saladino]

But they, of course they have a vision going in there.

[Matt Bomer]

It's totally up to them. And you're kind of having to. If you haven't had the the benefit of a rehearsal before, which is very rare, you're kind of having to assess that out in the moment. So I remember I won't give. Get. It's a little blue, so I won't get too far into it. But the first scene I did in Magic Mike, I had. Well, part of it ended up getting cut from the film because it was too risque, but I had to do something really intense.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, really?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, like, really intense. And it was all in one shot. And I didn't realize at the time that Steven Soderbergh really likes to do one take. And I think we'd done, like, a couple tiny things, but they were easy things. And this ended in, like, a close up on my face. And I had to do some really intense things. And I said to him, he was like, all right, we got it. We're moving on after the first take. And I was like, stephen, I know you think we got it, but. And I will do one take for you now that I know you work this way the entire rest of the shoot, but please just give me a second take.

[Don Saladino]

Did he do it or no? He did, and then he decided to pull it.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, I don't know if he decided to pull it or the ratings board decided to pull it, but, yeah, it was pretty intense.

[Don Saladino]

I thought that movie was awesome.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, it was so fun. Oh, my gosh. Just a fun movie. He's still a good friend of mine. I love Steven. I. I love working with him. I love the way he works. But I didn't know going into it, and it was something that was easy to kind of get self conscious about, and I felt like I was just in my head instead of in the moment in the scene. So I needed that second take because it was a close up where you can really see what somebody's thinking. I needed one more take to get out of my own way.

[Don Saladino]

I thought it was a great movie, and I thought McConaughey and it were just. Oh, my gosh, he was incredible.

[Matt Bomer]

It was so inspiring to watch. I mean, he's such a great actor, and he was in such a zone.

[Don Saladino]

He played a perfect. He played like a perfect character. Played like the strip club owner who was, like, just, like, kind of self absorbed, but thought he was smarter than he was, type of. He's just.

[Matt Bomer]

And he walked it and he talked it, and he was Dallas the whole time he was on that set.

[Don Saladino]

Baby.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, it was. It was a lot of fun and a great group of guys and incredible talk about a team. Everybody on the that shoot had a team mentality, truly. And so that went so far. Channing was just so inclusive with everybody. And, you know, when you have to do something like that with people, like, it does bond you.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, yeah. You guys are. Seeing you.

[Matt Bomer]

You guys walk through the fire together.

[Don Saladino]

It's. I've heard great things about Channing, though.

[Matt Bomer]

He's wonderful. Such a great guy.

[Don Saladino]

Talented, too.

[Matt Bomer]

So generous of spirit. So talented.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. Really.

[Matt Bomer]

I mean, he really is. Watching him take to take in scenes, he's just. He's a really, really talented guy.

[Don Saladino]

Could dance too, man.

[Matt Bomer]

I mean, he defies the laws of physics. He actually defy. Because he's a big guy.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

He's not six two.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

And the. But the way his body. I'm like, are your bones, like, feather light? Like, how do you move. How do you move that quickly when you're such a big dude?

[Don Saladino]

It really defies the total athlete. So getting into that now, you guys had to be in an exceptional shape for. For the. And it's not something that you had to. Most people come to me, and they have to create something, and. And that's what gets interesting on my job, because I have to sit down with the actor and say, well, what are we trying to create? And what direction do you need to go in? This isn't just about making people look like Brad Pitt and Fight Club.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

It's like, well, do we need to get bigger? Do we need to put on more body fat? Do we need to lose body fat? And that had to be interesting for you because, I mean, you've always been in great shape.

[Matt Bomer]

I mean. Okay. I mean, I think there were times when I think I've always. Physical exercise has always been huge for me.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

As. You know, like, it's like therapy for me. Oh, yeah. I. I need it in my life, or I go cuckoo. So I feel like that's always been important to me, but it's only through meeting people like you and getting to work with you and other people who have a lot more know how than I do that have actually feel like I've really been able to get in shape holistically, as opposed to just what might look good on camera, you know?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. And that's something that you and I are both born in. 77. You're 77, baby, right? October.

[Announcer]

October.

[Matt Bomer]

October.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. I'm tax day. I'm April 15th.

[Matt Bomer]

But we're both.

[Don Saladino]

I mean, so we're gonna be.

[Matt Bomer]

Damn, man.

[Don Saladino]

I'm gonna be 48. I am 48. I'll be 49.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, yeah. Got it. Okay. Yes. So, yeah, I'll be 48 in October.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. You're not there yet?

[Matt Bomer]

Not there yet.

[Don Saladino]

I'll be. I mean, we're pushing the 50. Do you feel like. Because your physique looks like it's improved throughout the years.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, thanks to you. Well, no. I mean, I put on, like, I didn't, like, change suit sizes until I started working with you, but it was important to me, and we talk about that, especially going into my 50s, which is a time when it is so hard to put on muscle mass, to. To go in with as much muscle mass as possible. Oh, yeah. Obviously, you know, different roles require.

[Don Saladino]

We're gonna have to adjust things.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, I'm always having to mix that up. I've. I've lost, you know, 40 something pounds for a roll before I've put on 15. So I don't want to do that too much more with my body if I can help it. But sometimes people want you really lean. Sometimes people want you pudgy or whatever it is that they. They see as. And I don't say that in a disparaging way. They just want you to carry a little extra.

[Don Saladino]

You take a really smart approach to it, which most people don't want to take people. And you're always lean. But I think over the last few months we tried putting on some muscle. Yeah. I think it was an opportunity for you to. And now it's like, all right, you're like, we gotta. Not like you have to tighten up, but for the role. You want to tighten up a little bit more. Easy play on you.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Because I feel like 365 days a year, you're always probably two to three weeks out from being exactly where you want to be.

[Matt Bomer]

No, it's a huge. That's out of just sheer terror.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. I mean, because you don't want to. You feel good. It makes you feel good. It's not about the vanity piece of it.

[Matt Bomer]

No.

[Don Saladino]

Do it because of this.

[Matt Bomer]

Absolutely. It's. It's all about my head game and. Sorry, that sounds like a strange thing to say. Rephrase it. No, it. It is very much a mental thing for me, like, just to maintain my sanity. I think that meditation, some of the other things you talked about, the modalities, like, like cold plunge, sauna things, like, if I'm lucky enough to have access to those things, those are huge for me. And I. I'm one of those people who realized thankfully early on how. How important diet was for me.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

Because I got to be 27. And I thought I looked okay or whatever. My face was swollen. I was on antibiotics for my skin. I felt terrible. I felt 60 years old at 27. And I felt. Thought, this can't be my life for the next however many years.

[Don Saladino]

How did you change it? How were the things that you changed?

[Matt Bomer]

I read. I read book after book after book after book after book because I knew that what was being provided and not to disparage medical, Western medicine, because I think it's fantastic, and I think it's definitely something we all need. But I wasn't getting from a doctor what I felt like I needed to thrive as a person. And so I thought, okay, I'm going to have to go with my doctor. And then I. And research on my own. Like, how am I gonna get to a better place? And I. I realized that for me, what I eat shows up in my face. What I drink shows up in my face, whether I like it or not. I'm so jealous of people who can, like, go out and drink like a fish and, like, show up looking like a million bucks the next day. Like, I just can't do it. But most. I look like a different human being. And honestly, thank God I can't, because, you know, that could lead you to real troubles, too, right? But, you know, so reading, learning about nutrition and all those things and what foods work for me, starting to test my body a little bit deeper and find out, okay, well, what kind of foods am I sensitive to, realizing that I was eating? All these things that were, like, showing up in the red zone on food sensitivity, things like just. Just kind of working with my body and, like, actually for the first time, having an actual dialogue with my body as opposed to letting everybody else tell me what to do to my body.

[Don Saladino]

The basic things that you do nutritionally, like, could you share with us? Like, and it doesn't have to be fancy, but everyone's looking for this fancy formula of, like, oh, what vitamins? And, like, you do things, you know, it's your protein. You get your vegetables. It's nothing fancy. Can you just talk about it?

[Matt Bomer]

It's not fancy at all. I mean, for me, it obviously, a lot of it depends on what our goals are. When you and I are working together, like, if. If we're trying to put on some weight, I know I have to eat more. So. And that's something you kind of had to break me off, remember, because I was all about food combining a lot of protein and vegetables. And you're like, you know, it's okay to, like, dip into some carbs every now and then throw those into the meal, too. And that really changed the game for me. So I try to keep one meal, a liquid meal, and then two regular meals over the course of the day. And if I snack, I try to make sure it's whole foods or somewhat healthy. When I say liquid meal, that could be, you know, if it's a light day, it could be like a green smoothie. If it's a day where I know I'm gonna be working out a lot, it could be a protein shake. But I always throw some veggies and who foods into the protein shake if I can, too. And then. Yeah, I mean, I'm kind of a nerd about it. I, like, make my own, like, macadamia nut milk at home and stuff.

[Don Saladino]

It's fine.

[Matt Bomer]

But I think your program is so great.

[Don Saladino]

No, I appreciate it.

[Matt Bomer]

And it's. It's so accessible to everybody. And I think it's. It's such a great price point, which is why I've gotten so many of my friends on it.

[Don Saladino]

Thank you.

[Matt Bomer]

Because you have a wealth of diet information on there, too, which is obviously clearly researched and backed up and scientifically as well. It's. It's not prohibitive in a way that I feel like is going to make anybody feel like they're giving up their. Their, you know, happiness.

[Don Saladino]

That that nutrition guide really kind of becomes your life's work because you start working on it at a young age and it evolves in time, and you, like, create a macro area and you're like, well, what about people who aren't using macros? And you're always trying to deliver something, but if you go look at all the foods, it's like, you and I eat the same. It's a protein, it's a fibrous carbohydrate, and it's a veg or a fruit or like, all the food you eat is powerful, but you allow yourself at times to go deviate from that, and you might do it and you feel good and you get back on it. I think it's important for someone like you to get into these phases where you do try and put on a little bit of muscle and you do get your calories higher, because now we're getting into a little bit more of a cut. Your metabolism is going to be so much more efficient.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes.

[Don Saladino]

And it's just gonna, like, just gonna vacuum seal up.

[Matt Bomer]

And I think it's good to shock your body 100. Like, you're saying 100. I try to keep my sugar pretty low, but every now and again, I'm like, I'm gonna have some gelato.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, hell, yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

And, like, I actually find that my body responds better to doing that every now and again than if I abstain all the time or if I partake all the time.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

So that one little shock kind of like kicks my body into overdrive, and then.

[Don Saladino]

And you probably sleep a little bit better, and you're probably waking up the next day feeling a little bit more vascular, a little bit fuller. Energy's a little bit higher. It's like, yeah, don't do it every night. But on the other hand, don't give it up for a year.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes.

[Don Saladino]

Giving those mental breaks, too, I think keeps things fresh. I think. Recently you told me that you were doing a little trip with the fam, and I was like, start the program after. And I told you, because I don't worry about you. I'm like, just take the three days. And if you're going to have some food, don't feel bad about it. Like, you're going to come back, you're going to be good. I think that's important also that people understand that you're on the plan. But that plan, the purpose of it is so when you deviate off, you know what to get back to. And I think you've kind of mastered that.

[Matt Bomer]

I don't know if I mastered it. I do. I try to use it as incentive. And at times, too. Like, I know I've been on long shoots where they want me to look a certain way for, like, six months at a time, and then there's nothing I get more excited about than having, like, you know, that bowl of frozen yogurt with all the toppings when I.

[Don Saladino]

Wrap, you know, It's a lot of pressure, though, man. It is. When you got to be on and you. Have you done much theater?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

What do you. What do you.

[Matt Bomer]

I started in theater. I actually only ever thought I was going to do theater. That's what I thought. I mean, I was like, oh, maybe at some point I'll get to be on a TV show or in a movie. Who knows? But that's what my training was in. That's what I started out doing, and that's what I thought I was going to be doing the rest of my life. And I try to get back and do it when I can, but for me, it's got to be a really, really appealing job at the right time of year to take me away from Everybody. Because you really can't come home when you're on a play because you get one day off a week.

[Don Saladino]

Well, the reason why I brought it up is there's no retakes. There's no, like, my body doesn't look good in that. Let's reshoot it. And I've even found working with people in musical theater, I think it's one of the hardest things you guys have to do.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes. I would say, especially the people who do musicals, the actors who do Michaels.

[Announcer]

God.

[Matt Bomer]

I went to one last night. I went to go see Death Becomes Her Last Night, which is so funny, so fun. But they're working so hard up there and what they're putting their bodies through. And sometimes they're on a raked stage. You know, these girls doing and jumps and kicks on a stage that's angled in, like, high heels. I mean, I can't imagine what that does to your body eight times a week. And they're out there loving every second of it. It's so inspiring.

[Don Saladino]

It's like. And what'd you say? My days off on what, Monday?

[Matt Bomer]

Monday.

[Don Saladino]

That's it, right?

[Matt Bomer]

I think it can change. Some people maybe can get Sundays sometimes, depending.

[Don Saladino]

What's it. Matinee Wednesdays and Wednesdays and Saturdays. What's that? That's like 12 o' clock and 8 o' clock or.

[Matt Bomer]

No, I think it's 3pm and 8.

[Don Saladino]

3Pm what was the last theater that you did?

[Matt Bomer]

Last theater I did was Boys in the Band on Broadway.

[Don Saladino]

Okay. And that.

[Matt Bomer]

I had to be naked in that.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, do you really?

[Matt Bomer]

So I had to be really disciplined.

[Don Saladino]

How you. How'd you feel about that? Because I've worked with some people that had. How to have done that, and they're very like, hey, listen, it's part of the role. Like, did that. Was there any awkwardness there, or did you feel like I just kind of jumped into it. It's the human body, and it's a beautiful thing. Like, it's.

[Matt Bomer]

I mean, I was terrified, I'll be honest with you. I was like, wait, let's. Let's talk about this a little further.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

Because there was discussion as to, like, how long I'd be naked and things like that. And I was like, look, if we're all getting naked, I'll be naked as long as you want. If it's just me getting naked, it's gonna be quick. And so I think that was definitely. And thankfully, it was tasteful. It made sense in the scene. It was actually important because I'm with my character's best friend, who they kind of had a love thing with at some point. So it was kind of important to convey how intimate they were in a way. Even though they were having this very superficial conversation, they had had that level of intimacy at one time. So God bless poor Jim Parsons. I had to be naked in front of him the whole time. He's the best.

[Don Saladino]

I worked with him for years.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, really?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, he was a member of my club. Him and Todd. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

So that's who I had to be naked on stage with. But, yeah, he was the star of Boys in the Band. He's fantastic. Great guys, great. Great actor, great person. But, yeah, so it was. It was brief. I think what is kind of, you know, gave me pause. In this day and age, there's so many people who go to the theater and pull their phones out and they're taking pictures of you the whole time. They're videoing instead of just sitting and doing. What makes theater so electric, which is this once. It'll only ever happen, like, this one time with this audience. That's what makes it so gratifying as a performer. Like, you don't know where it's going to go in that performance. And to, you know, kind of sacrifice that experience to, like, take pictures of somebody naked on stage or video ed, it's just like, oh, man.

[Don Saladino]

Kind of ruins the experience a little bit, you know? And I mean, honestly, being in the. Being in the audience, I don't really want to see that. I don't like when people pull out a phone.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, no. If it's curtain call or something, like, go ahead, do your thing. But for the experience, from when that curtain comes up to when it comes down, like, to me, that's like the closest thing we have to the way storytelling started, which is some dude, you know, standing up in front of a campfire and telling him how the hunt went that day or whatever it is. I know that sounds cheesy to even say, but that's what theater is to me. It's like, holy in a way, because you're having that experience one time, one time only, with that group of people. No one's ever going to laugh the same in a certain place. No one's ever going to. I mean, some things are reliable, but there's always going to be something that's different. Every time.

[Don Saladino]

The family piece in conjunction with worth do you find that's become a big challenge? Right? Like, there's specific roles or locations. You've got. You got twins, right? And you got one son that's away in college. Do you find that you and your husband have to sit down a lot and talk about what's the commitment here? Where do you. Do you want to be away that far? I mean, I know I do it with my wife on projects that might only be a week or two. And that's. And that's like, all right, well, what do we want to do? Do we want to really. Like, is this something that I want to. Want to be away? Like, that's got to be ch. This is your job, or yes, like, this has got to be a challenge.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, I'm really fortunate that I have a family that really supports what I do. And I think it was. I remember someone saying to me early on when they were little kids, because I got white collar, like, right after the twins were born. And then so from the first six years of their life, I was commuting across country, and somebody said, make sure they know how much you love it. And so I would work 60 hours a week on that show, Go, fly back Saturday morning to la and then fly back to New York Sunday afternoon, start work again on Monday. And I was in every day on that show for the most part. So it was. It was a grind for sure. But I. I love them so much, and I love the. The opportunity I was getting so much. So sometimes it just. It has to be worth it, you know? And it's always a discussion. I will tell you, I'm not going to call it a hack, but it's something I learned from a child psychologist. Because when I got white collar, I. I met with a child psychologist. I was like, what am I going to do? Yeah, we have a three newborns. I'm commuting all the time. Like, how do I stay present in our lives? And she gave me this. I'll save everybody the thousands of dollars I paid to get this information. She said, make a children's book, because you have to do it in a way that they'll understand. Because when they're three, they don't understand, like, hey, I'm going here. I'm doing. Everything is so numinous and dreamy to them. They don't have any sense of time. So I made a children's book. I'm not a good artist, but I basically cut photos of all of us out, and I made stick figures of myself. And I said it was called Maddie Goes to Work. And it was like me on a plane going to New York, and then I'm gonna be back for Easter, and then I'm gonna be back for your birthday. It was a timeline that they could understand in children's book form. And at the end of the book was. And then we're all back together at home again and all is well.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, so they're able to go through that timeline with you and know Dad's.

[Matt Bomer]

Coming back in a way that they can understand. Yeah, that's brilliant. And obviously we talked on the phone and then, you know, over the course of filming and that, you know, FaceTime and all those things became more of a reality. But that helped them to understand and kind of wrap their heads around a. That I love what I do, what I do, and the fact that I was going to be home again and when I was going to be home again.

[Don Saladino]

FaceTime's amazing now. I mean, thinking about 20, 30, 30 years ago when we didn't have that, think about, like, the value it's added. I know. For, for me, I mean, people knock social media and they knock. Sometimes they. They get on technology and I'm like, wow, this is. If you know how to use it it. And yeah, you got to know how to use it. Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

And you have to have the self control to use it properly.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

I think we've all been lured into the algorithm at some point or another and just gone, oh, wait, where did the last two hours of my life go?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, I've really tried. That's one thing that I've tried to be cognizant of is making sure that, you know, I'm busy with work and, you know, a couple minutes I'll go through and I'll try and respond to people or I'll try and do those things. But like, surfing is something I'm really trying to avoid.

[Matt Bomer]

It's. I think Andrew Huberman said it really well when you. You come to the Internet as opposed to letting it come to you. So kind of do it on your terms. When you're going on to post something and share your content and then if there's things you want to check in on or whatever, that's fine, but kind of have a structured set of time to do it. That's when I. And I'm. I'm not perfect at all in this situation. I'm highly imperfect. That's when I. I'm the guy who, who got a TikTok account just to make sure our kids weren't posting any questionable. Not that they would, but, you know, they're young kids and. And then all of a sudden I got.

[Don Saladino]

No, you never Know, you never know.

[Matt Bomer]

So. But I think if I can, like, kind of, like, keep time, you know, timelines, specific as to how long I'm going to be, you know, 100.

[Don Saladino]

That was one thing that did worry me when I was, you know, we were still raising our kids, but with social media, that communication aspect of how I turned my son. One day he was, I think, going out with a girl or something like that. And I said, do you guys call? And he's like, no, we just kind of message each other. Snap, snap, snap, snap. And I'm like, what do you mean? Why don't you just call up and hear their voice? And he's go, dad, no one does that. And I'm like, really?

[Matt Bomer]

Like, this is.

[Don Saladino]

So now I'm one to just pick up a phone and call people. And people are like, is everything all right? I'm like, everything's fine. I'm calling you, for God's sakes. Like, I need to hear your tone. I need to hear your voice. And I don't to want. Want it to be misconstrued by my delivery where you're thinking, you know, feeling aggressive or agitated or. I think tone is so important.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, absolutely. I think. I think just the fact that you shared that with them is so enlightening. Because it text you. There's no context, really.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Matt Bomer]

There's no. There's no social clues via a text. It can all be taken out of context. And you can, like you said, you don't hear the tone of their voice. You can't see what's going on in their eyes. Like, you don't know what's happening with them. So. So the fact that you use FaceTime, I think is great. I need to be better with FaceTime. Sometimes I get annoyed when I call them on FaceTime. But, yeah, I do have to check in at least on the phone at times.

[Don Saladino]

I'm starting to feel old because they are saying things now, and I'm like, what the hell is Riz. What does this mean? Like, they're saying certain things, and I'm like, what? And it's funny, but they become. I mean, our kids are around the same age, so they become young adults, where you really feel like. I'm sure your husband. You and your husband feel the same as Melissa and I, where, like, you get together with them and you. It's, like, fun. It's interesting.

[Matt Bomer]

Yes. Conversations about politics and the landscape and the social dynamics at school and things like that that, you know, they really, you realize, wow, they have a. Their own unique take on things and they see the world in a very specific way. And all three of our kids are so different. They're such different boys. So to get to see how they see the world individually is just, it's, it's so cool.

[Don Saladino]

That's also rewarding. Hey Chris, do we have any, do we have any college that we have? Three great questions for Matt. Oh, wow, I'm excited. Three, three.

[Matt Bomer]

I like that number.

[Don Saladino]

This is a question for Matt from Luciana.

[Matt Bomer]

Luciana.

[Announcer]

Hi, Matt. Hi, Dom. My name is Luciana and I just have to say I love you both, truly. Matt, my question for you is, has your approach to train me changed over the years or do you still train mostly to prepare for roles or has long term health become more of a priority for you? How do you balance the both too? How often do you actually get to train for your personal goals like health and well being, while also meeting the demands of the roles you take on? Thank you so much for the opportunity to ask in this dawn. I already love the new podcast and I wish you both all the time best.

[Matt Bomer]

Always.

[Don Saladino]

Very, very nice.

[Matt Bomer]

Oh, thank you, Luciana. Great question, great question.

[Don Saladino]

So she was asking pretty much, how's train, how's your training changed throughout the years, but I think was even more interesting is how do you balance out training for personal and training for roles.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, that was interesting. Well, that's why you're grateful if you get to work with somebody like Don who can somehow figure out how to encapsulate all those things into one training program. Even if we throw in little modulations here, there's where I can, you know, just want to titrate something just a little bit and you can be like, okay, add in some more zone 2 cardio three days a week or throw in a couple hit sessions or whatever it is. So I think a lot of it's, you know, you could start with Don's programs for that, but it has changed and evolved over the years. I think when I was doing White collar and I was working 70 hours a week, I was just trying to, you know, oftentimes I was getting into the gym at the end of a 12 hour day. So I was just like throwing together three sets of, you know, of, of an exercise and trying to hit every body part over the course of the week and just trying to, you know, get through it. But sometimes, like when we have time to luxuriate a little, not luxuriate, but we have, you know, more than like two months between a role like you and I Will go, okay, what do we want to do personally at this time? So in the best of both worlds, it's a combination of personal and goal, you know, project specific goals.

[Don Saladino]

See, that's what I love. That's what I love. That what you do is you're also understanding that it doesn' always have to be the scale of 1 to 10. You know, going all out every single day. Like there's times on shoots you're going to be exhausted.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

And going in and just what I like to say is just throwing a little bit of kindling on the fire and keeping that flame lit is really the approach I think you've embraced. And that's why I think you're in the shape and, and you have the health that you have.

[Matt Bomer]

Well, I got a long way to go, but I, I will say that like on Fellow Travelers, you know, it started in the 50s and ended in the 80s, so I couldn't do a modern workout out while I was, you know, doing scenes where I was going to be partially clothed. And so I found this old Canadian military workout from like the 50s called 5BX or something like that. It's online, it's super easy, but it's basically like push ups, sit ups, and it evolves over that. There are different charts as you evolve.

[Don Saladino]

It kind of increases volume over time.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, it can be pop squats or toe, toe touches and then some back raises. And that's all I did over the course of that shoot. And then I would do a time under tension once a week on the weekend. So sometimes it can be period specific too. Like I don't want to be in a restoration film looking like I. I'm working out in 2025, so ideally I'll have the time to kind of adjust that. And. And you're great about finding, even if it's just body weight stuff to do in order to sort of keep those goals and not take anybody out of a project that you're filming 100%.

[Don Saladino]

I mean, there's some weird roles I've had to get people ready for. And sometimes it, it does appear like you have to get them in worse shape. But in the end of the day, I want them to still feel healthy and resilient, even though they're playing someone that looks a lot worse than what, how they would normally look in real life. So I thought that was a great question.

[Matt Bomer]

Great question, Luciana. Thank you, Chris.

[Don Saladino]

Next one, Next up is Eddie.

[Matt Bomer]

Hey, guys, it's Eddie. Matt, I got to know how long it took you to Transform your body to be one of the actors in Magic Mike. How difficult was it for you, how long it took you? And most importantly, was there any point of the time where you felt that you want to throw the towel? I'm more interested to hear the mindset that you had to go through in order to. To achieve that physique that you were in at that point. And I'm sure you are still in that physique. Thank you. I wish I was still in that physique. Thank you so much, Eddie, for the question. The first film, I didn't have a ton of time and I had to get married in between when I wrapped that season of White Collar and when I started the film.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, wow.

[Matt Bomer]

So I was like. It was the first time I really started taking creatine and, like, really upping my protein quotient and things like that. And I remember just anybody I saw who was, like, jacked, I would say, what do you do? Because I didn't have a trainer really at the time. And then I worked with a trainer, Ryan Farhoudi, in LA at that time, who was fantastic for just like, tightening it up right before I got on. But I think what I had to realize, especially. Cause I was. I think I was the smallest guy in the film, was that I couldn't try to, like, you know, be Channing or be Joe Manganiello.

[Don Saladino]

Joe's huge.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah, he's a monster. And there were bigger people in the film too, you know, so I couldn't try to be one of them. I just had to kind of just do make the best of what I had. And so I think I had maybe like two and a half months. So it was pretty intensive. You know, it's pretty quick. But the second one, I had just lost £50 or close to £50 for a role in a movie, which is much harder. And then I had to. I mean, when I came back to my body weight, first of all, I was not responsible that I got something called refeeding syndrome, which can kill you, which is. Was not smart smart. It was my own bad. I take responsibility for it. But I. I could barely do like a squat with the bar. I was like, so weak. And so that was a much longer process to get back to doing the second film. And I was just so grateful to my body. I. I basically made a contract with my body. I was like, I will feed you so well. I will get all the rest. I can. I try to be the best parent and partner I can, but I'll also try to take care of myself. If you. If you just come back for me and have me showing up. Yeah. Close to it. Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

So what did you drop to? What was your body weight?

[Matt Bomer]

I stopped weighing myself after I got below 130 because.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, my God.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

How long do you feel like it took you to kind of come back to a place of being like, all right, I'm healthy again?

[Matt Bomer]

Not nearly as long as it took me to lose it, I'll tell you that much. There's a reason why I got refeeding syndrome.

[Don Saladino]

Wow.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. Because you're not. At a certain point, I basically, I had gone through with a doctor, and I cut into kind of a threshold where I couldn't drop any more weight. And Matthew McConaughey had given me this diet that he'd done for Dallas Buyers Club.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

And so I started implementing what he told me to do, and when I did that, then I started to continue to, like, aggressively drop weight. I mean, it was scary, and I wasn't in a great, like, mental place. I didn't have, like, like, all my faculties about me.

[Don Saladino]

I'm, like, one of the worst people to ask about extreme weight loss. I've had people contact me, like, I'm in this charity thing, and we're giving, and they're like, I have to lose £20. And I'm like, I can't, I can't. I can't. But, like, refeeding, which is what you need, like, I would have. If you ever have to lose again, we will strateg. We'll strategize your reverse dieting approach.

[Matt Bomer]

I don't know that I'd do that again.

[Don Saladino]

Don't do it again.

[Matt Bomer]

I think I came. I came knocking on death's door there for a second, but I. It was totally worth it for that project, and. And I would do it again. I feel like the writer of that project is someone who, in a way, I felt like I owed my life to. So I was more than happy to do that for the people I was representing and the film and all that. It is pretty costly, and it's my fault that I went rogue because I had medical supervision. And then when it stopped working that route, I was like, all right, I'm.

[Don Saladino]

Going to kind of, hey, do your friend a favor over here. Don't do that to me, all right? I'll give you a heart attack.

[Matt Bomer]

No, no. But I learned a lot from that. But that was. That was obviously a much thornier road to get back to, you know, how many were.

[Don Saladino]

How many years ago was that?

[Matt Bomer]

That was 2012 or 13.

[Don Saladino]

So it was 12 years ago, right?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

All right. Yeah. You're back. Chris, last question. Last question. Last question is going to be from Tara, and this is a fun one. Here is Tara's question.

[Announcer]

Hi, Matt and Don. My name is Tara and I have a question for Matt. Matt, you and the entire cast of Mid Century Modern were fabulous. I was wondering, what was your favorite episode to film and whether comedy is something you would like to do more in the future. Thank you for taking my question and have a great day.

[Matt Bomer]

Aw, Tara, that's so nice of you to start. And thank you for watching the show. Thank you for supporting. And I. I mean, it was really. I would say multicam comedy is definitely its own beast. It's a very specific type of acting that I really knew nothing about. So I was just watching the people around me. Nathan Lane, Linda Lavin, Nathan Lee Graham, who were just so great at that type of comedy and just trying to learn on the fly. But that's kind of what scared me about it, which is what incentivized me to do it in a way. And, yeah, it was just really thrilling. I would say the film I did with Jonah Hill as a comedy as well, but it's kind of a different, maybe style of comedy as opposed to a multicam. But it was so nice, especially having come off of so many serious roles and in a. And in a world stage and, you know, not to get political, but they're heavy times right now.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

No matter where you affiliate with. And so just to be able to go to work and laugh and get to laugh with my peers and my heroes.

[Don Saladino]

Keep it loose a little bit.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. I mean, you don't get to loosen up too much in that medium because it's moving, Moving so fast. But. But just to get to. Yeah, yeah. To cut loose a little bit. Yeah. And just to laugh was just. It was such a gift and something I definitely don't take for granted. In terms of my favorite episode. There's a pickleball episode that was really fun, I guess. Yeah, I guess maybe that's my favorite.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, that's pretty cool. I didn't think you were gonna even be able to answer that because a lot of times I feel like people.

[Matt Bomer]

People.

[Don Saladino]

Actors are shooting different scenes at different times, and they don't really.

[Matt Bomer]

Not on this medium.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. Oh, really? Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

You're doing an episode a week.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, that's cool.

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. You do two weeks in a row, then you take a Week off. You do two weeks in a row and take a week off, which is such a luxury.

[Don Saladino]

But that's not always that. That's not. No, fellow travelers.

[Matt Bomer]

I was doing eight hours, and sometimes I was doing something from hour six at the same time, hour two, you know what I mean? It was all over the place.

[Don Saladino]

So you wouldn't always know what the upper episodes actually look like until it's put together. Until the season's launch. Yeah. No.

[Matt Bomer]

And you had to have a sense of the sort of trajectory of everything. I wrote out a timeline just because I was like, if I'm jumping all around, I can't keep every second of eight hours of content in my head at all times. I mean, I was obviously very familiar with it. But, you know, the scripts came in shortly before we started filming. And then you're in the first two, you know. Right. So some of them came in earlier. So I had a little bit of a head start, but I just needed that to, like, look at and go, okay, this is where I am. And this is what's transpired before this scene. And thankfully, we had a great writer who was on set, and Ron, Nice one. Or who was just there for us for anything. If I was ever lost in the story at all, he was, like, right there for me. But, yeah, this. You get to do an episode at a time, so. And, you know, in comedy, it's a little bit more. I mean, it's a little more obvious when, you know, when you've been given good writing for. You know, it was always great writing, but for a specific episode, you know, when the jokes work a little bit better because you get the direct feedback from people.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. People are dying on set or trying to keep it together. Sometimes that's got to happen, right?

[Matt Bomer]

Sometimes. Yeah. But it is. You know, Jimmy Burroughs only does one take, so. And then they'll. They'll. They'll either move on if they're like, we're happy with that, or they'll rewrite some of your dialogue, or they'll rewrite a ton of your dialogue. Dialogue. And sometimes everybody else gets rewrites. You don't get any rewrites. Sometimes you get a lot of rewrites. Other people don't.

[Don Saladino]

You're like, what the hell did I do?

[Matt Bomer]

Yeah. No, but to me, that was kind of the most exciting thing.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Matt Bomer]

Because they literally, you know, there's an audience of hundreds of people. They pull you aside. They're like, okay, here are the new jokes we're going to try on this take. And you get one joke, three new jokes, and you don't even have time to get in your head about it. You're just laying it out the first time, trying to remember the words, you know what I mean? And sometimes that can go wrong and sometimes it can go so right. And there's so many times on this when what ended up in the episode. We only ever did that one time, ever. We never rehearsed it or anything. So something about that was also really thrilling.

[Don Saladino]

Well, listen, I cannot thank you enough for your time. I know you're all over the place and this was. I gotta be. This was a very special episode for me. I mean, I'm bringing all my friends and the people I'm really close to. Ironic. Up until today, me and you have talked a lot. We've been on FaceTime calls. We never actually met in person. So to be able to come in and give you a hug and just be grateful that I got the opportunity to get to know you and call you a friend and I know with your family and your life and everything going on right now, the fact that you put aside time to come down here is something that I'll always be grateful for. And thank you and my daughter and thank you.

[Matt Bomer]

Thank you, Don. You've been so great to me. To me and from my understanding of health and wellness and exercise. And we've been training remotely for a couple of years now. And you've just made such a huge impact on my life as a. As a person and as a professional. So thank you for, for, for all you do for me. I'd be here anytime for you.

[Don Saladino]

Well, listen man, you. You made me look good. You're one of the easiest people I've ever worked with. And I want to thank the team at the post. I want to thank Christian Ponder. The facility that we he gave us access to is incredible. It's private, it's. Everyone coming in here absolutely loves it. Listen, thanks again.

[Matt Bomer]

Thank you so much. The views, information or opinions expressed in the series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Chip and Joanna.

[Announcer]

Gains by no Audio nor Magnolia hey.

[Don Saladino]

Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift.

[Matt Bomer]

Of 50% off unlimited.

[Don Saladino]

To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price.

[Matt Bomer]

So that means half day. Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Give it a [e-mail] switch upfront payment.

[Announcer]

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[Matt Bomer]

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