Matt Bomer
A versatile actor with a magnetic screen presence, moving seamlessly from con artist roles to heartfelt dramas and becoming a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ representation.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American actor·Birthday: October 11·Generation X
Biography
Matt Bomer played con artist Neal Caffrey on 'White Collar' for six seasons, establishing himself as a leading man on cable television. He trained at Carnegie Mellon before landing that breakout role. After the show ended, he transformed physically and emotionally to play a dying AIDS patient in HBO's 'The Normal Heart,' a performance that earned critical praise. He followed with a sinister hustler role in 'American Horror Story' and a nuanced lead in Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers.' Bomer married publicist Simon Halls and has been open about his sexuality, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. He voiced Superman in an animated film. His career shows a pattern of deliberate choices across genres.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Matt was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Matt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Matt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role in the HBO television film 'The Normal Heart'.
- Starred as the lead con artist Neal Caffrey for six seasons on the hit USA Network series 'White Collar'.
- Received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his chilling guest role in 'American Horror Story: Hotel'.
- Earned a Peabody Award as part of the producing team for the film 'The Boys in the Band'.
Did You Know?
He provided the voice and motion-capture performance for Superman in the animated film 'Superman: Unbound'.
He is a trained singer and performed musical numbers on stage in 'The Boys in the Band' and on screen in 'The Normal Heart'.
He turned down the role of Christian Grey in 'Fifty Shades of Grey' due to scheduling conflicts with 'White Collar'.
He and his husband, Simon Halls, have three sons together.
“The most radical thing you can do is to introduce people to ideas they weren't familiar with, in an entertaining way.”
