‘The Last Tycoon’ Preview: Matt Bomer on the Wardrobe That Left Him Breathless

There’s no doubt that if it’s a fantastic period wardrobe you’re looking for, Emmy-winning Mad Men and Deadwood designer Janie Bryant is the go-to costumer.

Matt Bomer, star of Amazon’s new drama The Last Tycoon, couldn’t agree more about the “incredible” wardrobe Bryant designed for him and his castmates. The sharp duds he wears as 1930s Hollywood producer Monroe Stahr in this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final novel, in fact, often left the Golden Globe winner literally breathless.

“You hold yourself differently when you’re wearing an impeccably tailored, double-breasted suit,” Bomer tells Yahoo TV in the video above. “Where the waistline is, how the pants fall, and the shoes you wear all affect the movement of the character.

“The tougher part is, there were times that it was so tailored that breathing became an issue, so I guess that’s the hardest part about it, making sure I can breath.”

Bomer, who says Bryant’s work “informs your physical life as an actor and just brings you right into [the character],” lost weight to portray Stahr, a slim man who’s been dealing with a serious health issue his whole life.

“It was a bit of a physical undertaking to inhabit the role. He’s had a congenital heart defect since birth, and so, hasn’t been able to go to the gym and exercise, and has to be careful about his physical status,” says the actor, whose Last Tycoon character was written by Fitzgerald as a fictionalized biography of legendary producer Irving Thalberg. “So not only was that something to keep in mind in the scenes, but I also had to lose some weight.

“It was more a dietary thing. Walking, a lot of walking, and laying off the exercise, really. But all of that is part of the fun of going role to role. I’ve done it before, and it’s an enjoyable process. It didn’t inhibit the work at all, it allowed me to, hopefully, dig in a little deeper.”

The Last Tycoon premieres July 28 on Amazon Video.