Source: Pittsburgh Business Times
Date: November 9, 2001

The newest star of “Guiding Light” has fond memories of working long hours in the drama department at Carnegie Mellon University.

Matthew “Matt” Bomer, a native of Spring, Texas, graduated from CMU’s drama department in 2000 and has already signed a multiyear contract to star on the popular soap opera. He will portray Ben Reade, a character who hails from a troubled past, beginning with the Nov. 14 episode.

“I started working on the show on Oct. 23 and it was so much fun. This is going to be a wonderful learning experience,” said Mr. Bomer, who now lives in New York City. “I play one of the darker characters in Springfield and I love it.”

Mr. Bomer said he had auditioned at six conservatories before deciding to study at CMU. He had never been to Pittsburgh before, but says he quickly grew to love the city.

“CMU’s theater department is for people who want to eat, sleep and breathe theater. You can take other classes if you want, but everyone’s there because they love it,” he said. “I just remember times when I’d be at the school from 8 a.m. until midnight — not because people forced me to be there, but because I had the opportunity and I wanted it. There’s no better way to train for the real world.”

Mr. Bomer joins the ranks of other CMU acting and musical theater graduates, including Holly Hunter, Jack Klugman, Cherry Jones, Blair Underwood, Renee Auberjenois, Steven Bochco, Ted Danson and Judith Light.

The most memorable moment at CMU for Mr. Bomer was when his entire class of musical theater majors stood on stage for the finale of “And the World Goes Round.”

“We’d been through so much together and there was a history there that you can’t act out or pretend,” he recalled.

“There are several lessons and teachers who will always stay with me, too, but there are too many to name.”