Matt Bomer reveals why he didn't play Ken in 'Barbie'

Matt Bomer had an impossible decision to make when he had to choose between starring in Maestro and starring in Barbie.

Bomer revealed that he sent in an audition tape to play one of the Kens in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in 2023. Despite being so dedicated while making the tape, he ultimately couldn’t star in Barbie as he wanted to give all his time and focus to Bradley Cooper’s Maestro.

“Even though my part in ‘Maestro’ was smaller, Bradley was so collaborative with me from the get-go,” Bomer told Business Insider. “It was such an immersive experience that to have just flown in from London to film my scenes [in ‘Barbie’] really quick and fly back to London — I feel like ‘Maestro’ wouldn’t have been the same experience for me.”

The Fellow Travelers star played David Oppenheim in Maestro and his time in the film wasn’t a lot. Still, the film changed his approach to work “for probably for the rest of my career on film.”

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