Matt Bomer, who is openly gay and
married, recently discussed what he hopes people take away from
viewing The Normal Heart.
Director Ryan Murphy's adaptation of
Larry Kramer's Tony-winning play premiered Sunday on HBO.
In the movie about the early days of
the AIDS pandemic in New York City, Bomer plays Felix Turner, a
closeted fashion reporter for The New York Times.
Speaking to The
Daily Beast, Bomer, the 36-year-old star of USA's White
Collar, said the film reminded him that “as difficult as the
activism was, ultimately, it did unite us and gave us our voice.”
“It really catalyzed the gay rights
movement. So the younger generation today who is fortunate to be
born into a time to go, 'Oh, there's a NFL player who was drafted who
is openly gay and I can get married.' Well, we all owe it to this
generation of people, who worked so hard to give us the rights that
we have today. And also, these people need to be remembered. And
acknowledged. And thanked.”
“To remember them, but also to have
an appreciation for this generation that stood up at a time when it
was unpopular to do so,” he continued. “To understand that this
group of people, as difficult as it was, banded together and
catalyzed the gay rights movement and gave us the rights that we have
today. And I hope that the younger generation will be educated. I
hope for my generation there will be some clarity. And I hope for
the generation that experienced that it's maybe therapeutic for
them.”
Bomer added that the film is ultimately
about “the power of love.”
“Also, on a more positive note: It’s
really, ultimately, about the power of love. How people under the
most horrific circumstances could still love each other
unconditionally and triumph over a society that universally ignored
and mistreated them. That's a really profound message, and hopefully
it will remind us to treat each other a little bit better,” he
said.