Best known for his highly intelligent and multi-talented con artist role in White Collar, Matt Bomer stars in the new space comedy film, Space Station 76.
Space Station 76 is a comedic drama about a group of people (and several robots) living on a space station in a 1970’s-version of the future. When a new Assistant Captain arrives, she (Liv Tyler) inadvertently ignites tensions among the crew, prompting them to confront their darkest secrets. Barely contained lust, jealousy, and anger all bubble to the surface, becoming just as dangerous as the asteroid that’s heading right for them. Directed by Jack Plotnick and stars Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Kylie Rogers, Kali Rocha, Jerry O’Connell, Keir Dullea.
I caught up with Matt Bomer and the cast of Space Station 73 at SXSW Film to chat our favorite restaurant in Austin and inspiration behind the film.
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Matt Bomer’s Favorite Restaurant in Austin
MATT BOMER: Have you been to Uchi?
KO: Yes, that’s one of our favorites!
BOMER: So good. I ate there Friday night. I could just literally live there because you really just don’t get full. I could just keep eating. I was like all right Austin, you could go ahead charge me $5 for a hand roll. You earned that!
HAYDEN WALKER: Well next time you have to go to Qui.
BOMER: Well next time we’ll have to try and get another television series in Austin.
KO: So are we talking real food in the film, as if we were eating it here? Not frozen, dehydrated [space food]?
JACK PLOTNICK: In the 70s, we didn’t quite have it figured out. So we’re in space but we’ll have hamburgers. This crew ate real food.
D MAGAZINE: Can you talk about the idea for the film, influences, and things you wanted to pay tribute to?
JACK PLOTNICK: I want to pay tribute my favorite sci-fi films of the time and the films I loved in the 70s and the way they were shot. We wanted to shoot it as a 70s film. The impetus came from wanting to find a way to explore what it was like growing up in the suburbs in the 70s by using space as a metaphor for the isolation that people felt there.
D MAGAZINE: Can you talk about taking it from the idea stage to fruition?
JACK PLOTNICK: It’s a tricky script. Gosh, you know these beautiful actors joined and I have wonderful producers. You know what it is. The project is so specific and it just attracted the right people and the right producers.
MATT BOMER: As someone who jumped on later that’s what I would say. When you read the script.. If you had any clue of like ‘I don’t get it,’ then you shouldn’t be doing the movie. So everyone involved had a sense of ‘I got it’ and ‘I know how to do this’. Everybody from producers to designers, everybody had to have the same vision and trust Jack’s vision. And that is what I thought was so specific about it because it was so different from anything we’ve ever read. Like you said it attracted the right people.
JACK PLOTNICK: It was a very happy set because everyone was there because they wanted this artistic adventure.
KALI ROCHA: I also think there’s something about the 70s that gets people happy and excited. Not just makes you feel good but like I have something to say about the 70s.
D MAGAZINE: So it’s okay to come away feeling nostalgic?
MATT BOMER: I think anyone who had experience of suburbia, regardless of whether it was the 70s or not will have some form of nostalgia. That’s really most Americans isn’t it? Growing up recognizing that duality between what we say we are and how perfect our life is and secrets that are going on underneath, and the problems that go on behind closed doors. I think anyone can relate to that…
MATT BOMER: Any other good restaurants we should know about?
HAYDEN WALKER: Oh, there’s only a list of 25 or so restaurants.
KO: Have you had barbecue yet?
MATT BOMER: I’m going to Stubbs later.
KO: Oh no… Go to La Barbecue or somewhere else.
MATT BOMER: I need something in walking distance that’s open right now
KO: Go to Lamberts
MATT BOMER: Okay, let me text my sister.
KO: Here’s my card. Feel free to shoot me an email the next time you’re in Austin and I’ll let you know where to eat!
