Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer And Nathan Lee Graham On ‘Mid-Century Modern'

Forbes

27-03-2025

Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham in "Mid-Century Modern"
For anyone in need of a good-hearted, witty and fabulous time, look no further than the new Hulu comedy series, Mid-Century Modern. Revolving around three gay, longtime friends (starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham) who decide to move into a - you guessed it - Mid-Century Modern home together in Palm Springs, California, this multi-cam sitcom feels nostalgic with a TV formula beloved from yesteryear, yet tackling timely and universal themes surrounding friendship, love, pain and loss.
Sitting down with Lane, Bomer and Graham to discuss their new Hulu series streaming on March 28, what exactly was it about this Mid-Century Modern story and their characters Bunny, Jerry and Arthur that ultimately intrigued these seasoned actors to want to take on this project next?
Lane said, 'Ryan Murphy. Ryan Murphy called - and when he calls, one pays attention. He said, 'This script is great.' I've never done a multi-cam, but if I'm going to do one, this is the one I want to do. It's Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who created Will & Grace. Jimmy Burrows is going to direct it. [Ryan]
(Left to right) Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, Linda Lavin, Nathan Lane, Max Mutchnick, David Kohan ... More and Jimmy Burrows on the set of "Mid-Century Modern"
Bomer said, 'I think it's obviously getting to work with these brilliant artists and the creative team involved - and Mr. Murphy, again. It was about a sense of experiencing joy and community and found family in the workplace, and humanizing that experience and having sort of some Norman Lear-esque episodes, where we're able to tackle some bigger issues but washing it all down with a lot of laughter in the process. For me, especially coming off Fellow Travelers, I really needed to laugh. I feel like a lot of other people do too right now and I hope that this provides some some joy and escapism, both to our community and the world at large.'
Graham, 'I just wanted to work with everyone who's involved with this project. Everyone - from Ryan Murphy on up and through and around. It's just a magical thing to be a part of and just so fortunate and so privileged to be a part of it. I think that it will resonate with so many people on so many different levels, and that's important. Representation is important. Showing up is my way of having activism. That's my activism - showing up. Oh, there she is again! Consistency - like a glorious cockroach, you know? It's wonderful to be a part of something so special.'
Also starring Linda Lavin as Lane's mother Sybil, Mid-Century Modern brings as much heart to the show as it does laughs - with inclusive storylines that showcase conflicting family dynamics, today's dating ways and the unavoidable reminders about our own mortality, while learning to live for right now.
Speaking also with show creators Kohan and Mutchnick, I was curious how they perhaps approached the creation of this Mid-Century Modern world and these 2025 characters differently from how they crafted the on-screen personas in previous years for Will & Grace.
Nathan Lee Graham, Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Linda Lavin in "Mid-Century Modern"
Mutchnick said, 'Well, we grew up! We knew more, so we said more and we had learned more. With time, hopefully things got better, you know? It is nice for us to not have some of the constraints that we had on Will & Grace and we were able to talk about some of the real stuff on this show. It was refreshing.'
With Mid-Century Modern being on video streaming with Hulu, compared to how Will & Grace originally aired on network television with NBC, these television creators noticed a real opportunity for more free rein, both with storylines and the language used within the script.
Kohan said, 'That was what was satisfying about it, was the fact that you could sound more like when we talked, but you don't want to turn on the spigot and just let it run, because one of the great things about multi-camera comedies is the restraint - is the things that you're not saying. You want to be able to make sure that you're still doing that.'
Even before filming began and they were developing Mid-Century Modern, I wondered beyond all of the things they wanted this series to become, were Lane, Bomer and Graham at all adamant about any particular aspects that they did not want this sitcom to ultimately become?
Nathan Lee Graham, Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer in "Mid-Century Modern"
Graham said, 'That's a lovely question.'
Bomer continued: 'I think, honestly, a lot of it was about not being The Golden Girls. It's its own thing, and while we are 'a spiritual sister' to that show, The Golden Girls was already done to perfection. We didn't want to be that show. We wanted to be our own entity and really find the humanity between the laughs, as well, and who these people were, so that they were relatable and human at the end of the day.'
Lane said, 'Look, they have to be funny, these shows. The great thing about this cast - they were talented folks and professionals, but everyone is funny in their own unique way. I mean, it certainly comes also from the characters that have been created for them. It was a beautiful blend of all of us and it felt like we had been doing it for a long time. I think wanting to be careful about - we were like - How gay are we going to get? There is flamboyance with these characters, but to keep it human - to keep it real and to hopefully navigate - like in the pilot - the real feelings about loneliness or wanting to be with your chosen family and why that's happening - because it's out of love.'
For Kohan and Mutchnick, how important was it for them to find the capable leading men in Lane, Bomer and Graham, and to ensure that the three of them had the natural chemistry together that would effectively come across on-screen?
Nathan Lee Graham, Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer in "Mid-Century Modern"
Mutchnick said, 'It's a blessing, is what it is.'
Kohan said, 'The casting is one part and Ryan Murphy had a big hand in that. He just gave the script to Nathan Lane, who was our first choice. And Matt Bomer, we had written somebody much older than Matt Bomer. We had to reconceive the role, based on Ryan saying, 'You know, it would be nice to have that.' We'd worked with Matt before and loved the idea. Then, Nathan Lee Graham was just like a gift from the heavens. He came through the audition process, so you have these three great actors, but then it's like - well, how are they going to gel on-stage? To a person, they are kind, generous - like open-hearted people. So, it made it easy.'
Mutchnick added: 'A large part of that probably has to do with Linda because I believe Linda set a tone as the matriarch on that set and the one who had been doing it the longest. She worked a certain way and she brought a vibe to work, and it stayed with us for the entire run.'
In December 2024, Lavin passed away in the midst of filming Mid-Century Modern's 10-episode season, forcing the cast and crew to pivot with the storyline, while in reality, they collectively mourned the loss of one of their own. So, how would Lavin's co-stars say that she made an impact on them during the time they got to work together on this series, and how perhaps will her impact continue, as they move forward?
Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham and Nathan Lane in "Mid-Century Modern"
Graham said, 'Well, I like to say that she's the spiritual showrunner of our show. She really is the glue. She was that way, character-wise, as Sybil anyway, but she was just such a joy to be around. She was very nurturing, very gracious, but quite the broad, in the best possible sense. She was very supportive of us, on and off the set, as well. It was just such a joy to work with such a pro. She was literally good at everything and she literally did everything. All you had to do is look at her in the eyes and you just immediately knew where you were. She was so present in that way.'
Linda Lavin and Nathan Lee Graham in "Mid-Century Modern"
Bomer said, 'I went and saw The Tale of the Allergist's Wife twice on Broadway when I didn't have two nickels to rub together, much less see the same Broadway show twice. So, I was obviously a massive fan coming in and she just led this set with so much love & character and gave me so much great, gentle guidance and was in such a sweet and gentle way. Obviously, she's very much missed. She was in the zone. She was in such a beautiful place in her life, in her career, and there's nobody better at this medium than her. I'm so happy that this work was all caught on film, because she's brilliant on this show.'
Linda Lavin and Nathan Lane in "Mid-Century Modern"
Lane concluded about Lavin, 'We had known each other a little bit and I was a fan, of course, but whenever we would run into each other, we'd always say, 'I really hope we get to work together someday.' So, this was a very special thing to have happen and to have her play my mother. I just loved her. I had loved her as an actress, but then getting to know her as a person was a real privilege. I think she had just reached this great place in her life, where she was so centered and happy and so gracious and kind and loving. You felt that every day.'