FoxHey, Fox? We have a memo for you: Matt Bomer needs his own Glee spinoff. Like, now.
As the outrageously confident—and laugh-out-loud hilarious—older brother of Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) in the April 10 return of Glee, Bomer shines as this season's best guest star. (Dare we say rivaling Emmy-winning Gwyneth Paltrow'? 'Cause it's certainly a close matchup.)
So...can we keep him? I just chatted with Bomer about that possibility and more. And here are five things you need to know about Glee's Bomeriffic episode:
1. Matt Bomer Is More Than Just a Pretty Face: He's got blue eyes, too, people! (Kidding) You White Collar fans know well that Bomer can handle drama and action with the best of 'em, but his role as Blaine's brother Cooper is his best comedic TV work yet. Work that is definitely Emmy worthy. "It was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had, truly," Bomer tells me. "I mean, [executive producers] Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan gave me a real gift, comedic gift of a character to get to play, so just getting to do the scenes they wrote was a blast."
2. Cooper Anderson Is So Wrong He's Right: As the international spokesperson for a credit-rating commercial, Cooper (Bomer) believes he is a great mentor to the New Directions kids, and teaches them that pointing and yelling lines is the best way to convey real emotion. (Take notes, people!) "It was fun to play somebody who has such strong convictions and opinions that are all completely ill-founded and misguided," Bomer tells me. "But at the heart of it, you know he's really trying to look out for his brother and gave him some of the slings and arrows of the entertainment industry and he's trying to help."
3. Darren and Matt "Clicked": "He's incredibly talented but also a really great guy," Bomer says of his onscreen bro. "He's completely accessible, and when I got the job, we went out to dinner to talk about our characters but also to just get to know each other, because in order to play brothers you have to have a sort of inherent understanding of the person. And he was thankfully a great professional and totally open to becoming friends so that it would translate onto the screen. Interestingly enough, I felt a very brotherly kinship with him. When we sing together, our voices seem to blend well together so it all worked out great. He's just a fantastic guy." And fantastically wet and shirtless in this episode, FYI. There is a boxing-shower montage you Darren Criss fans won't be mad at! Get those freeze-frame fingers ready.
4. Bomer Kisses and Tells: Though he doesn't have any real love interests in the Gleeverse—quipping, "That would be a little bit statutory"—he does kiss Jane Lynch. "It was a real privilege. I'm a huge fan of hers, so it was an honor to get to kiss those lips!" Bomer adds that it was Jane's idea to pucker up. Smart cookie!
5. Bomer Is Totally Up for More Glee: Yes, he's a wee bit busy shooting USA's fantastic series White Collar, but Matt says he'd do whatever it took to try to return to the Gleeverse. "I'd be there in a heartbeat!" When told he's arguably one of the most highly anticipated guest stars yet on the series (at least, by the looks of our email and Twitter inbox), Bomer seems legitimately surprised and says: "Well, until Lindsay Lohan maybe. I may only hold that title for about two weeks but I'll take it when I can get it!"
Glee returns to Fox on April 10 with Matt Bomer, the fate of Quinn, Rachel and Finn developments and more!