Since White Collar premiered in October 2009, this fast-paced crime caper has proven that characters are, in fact, welcome on USA. The series—now in its second season—features a memorable cast of veteran actors and up-and-coming stars, including Texas native Matt Bomer.

Matt—best known for his recurring role on NBC's Chuck—plays Neal Caffrey, a semi-reformed con man whose disarming looks and encyclopedic intelligence help him avoid handcuffs...most of the time. After teaming up with the FBI, Neal begins using his talents for good but keeps us wondering if his bad-boy days are done.

Now, in this exclusive Q&A, Matt reveals what fans can expect from Season 2. Plus, what this Southern gentleman thinks is sexy and why he never gets away with anything.
Kari Forsee: Why do you think people are responding so favorably to USA crime dramas like White Collar?

Matt Bomer: They're an incredible network to be in business with. As big as they are, in a lot of ways, it really does feel like a mom-and-pop shop. They're very hands-on, but they're also really collaborative. And, as an actor, to have the network motto be "characters welcome," I mean, you're never going to get more of a sense of permission than that. [You get] a view of the character with idiosyncrasies and details that maybe you don't get as much in network procedurals because their focus is more on the story. I think what USA does so well is, first of all, they have the whole blue skies thing going on, which in this time in our society, I think that type of optimism sort of stands out. ... One of my favorite things that people say to me about the show is that they watch it with their whole family, and I don't think there are a lot of shows that you can say that about these days.

KF: What do you like most about your character, Neal Caffrey, a semi-reformed conman and thief who escapes from prison to find his lady love, Kate?

MB: I always loved the duality of this character because on the surface, he's this hyper-intelligent, über-confident, slick, suave, charming conman, but underneath, he's this big kid who's a die-hard romantic. He's always testing his boundaries. He doesn't have a lot of impulse control, and you know, he's always seeing what he can get away with. And when it comes to his love life, I mean, it's just his Achilles heal. He's completely sloppy. He makes uninformed decisions that get him into trouble, and so getting to play both sides of that...I mean, to find a role where you get to do both those things is a rarity. That, to me, is the most fun aspect of the character.
Published 07/30/2010

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