The Inside Out Film Festival, in conjunction with the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and HBO Canada presented a very special, one night only gala presentation of The Normal Heart, the film adaptation of Larry Kramer’s Tony Award-winning play. We were very lucky to be on the red carpet interviewing the evening’s special guests, including scene stealer Matt Bomer.

Before speaking with the star of the gala presentation, we were fortunate to chat with Andrew Murphy, Director of Programming for Inside Out, and Scott Ferguson, Executive Director for Inside Out. While special screenings of The Normal Heart and festival favourite Love is Strange have been garnering much awards hype, we were curious to hear from the men which hidden gems of the festival they’d recommend. Both Murphy and Ferguson excitedly perked up when speaking of the varied selection of shorts the festival has to offer, notably those showcasing filmmakers from Latin America.

Immediately afterwards we got the momentous opportunity to speak with The Normal Heart star Matt Bomer. In the film he is the emotional core that centers Mark Ruffalo’s character, and proves to be the catalyst for the monumental changes that transpire. Proving he is so much “more than just a pretty face” (as Details magazine recently proclaimed), he literally vanishes into his role by losing an astonishing forty pounds during the course of the film. During our conversation we got the chance to speak to the multi-faceted actor about the film, what advice his Magic Mike co-star Matthew McConaughey imparted on him, and little known tidbits about the upcoming Magic Mike XXL. Watch below for our interview with the award-worthy actor.

Photography Credit: Tristan Laughton