Blazing new trails and dodging a shootout or two is par for the course for Texas native actor Matt Barr (@matt_barr_). With a few projects in the works, Barr dishes on what he’s working on currently, including dream projects and what he’s mapped out for the road ahead.
PHOTO BY IRVIN RIVERA @GRAPHICSMETROPOLIS
Where did your love for acting first begin? For me, as a young boy, it was a combo of seeing Christopher Reeve’s Superman and seeing Rocky. I was so taken with Superman’s ability to fly. It was pure magic to me. When I later learned about movie magic, I knew what I was going to spend my life doing. And the underdog story of Rocky Balboa—even as a child, I was very affected by his character’s journey. I fell in love with storytelling.
With Netflix’s new season of Blood & Treasure on the docket, what can we expect? In Season 2 we amped it up! Bigger, more exotic, the locations are out of this world, it’s nonstop adventure. And there’s ninjas. That’s right, ninjas. Our treasure this season revolves around Genghis Khan and the search for his legendary spirit banner. We filmed all over Thailand: the coast, jungles, massive cave systems, the floating markets. Our goal with the show has always been to put the audience right into the adventure. No green screens here—it’s all legit.
I believe you are currently filming in Austin... anything to share? It’s amazing to come home to Texas to film. I’m having maybe too much fun playing my character Hoyt Rawlins. He’s somewhat of a Hill Country Han Solo, a small-town criminal with a big heart, who also happens to be Walker’s best friend. What I love is the dynamic between Hoyt and Walker.
First thing you do when you touch down in Texas?
I give Mom a bear hug, and then we’re off to my favorite Tex-Mex. We love queso and margaritas in this family. The Original in Fort Worth is my spot. If you pop in, tell Cindy I say hi!
What’s next for Matt Barr?
I produced a movie called 12 Mighty Orphans with Luke Wilson and Robert Duvall that’s coming out in June. This has been a 13-year passion project for me, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s a true story, and it’s a Texas story. It revolves around an orphanage in Fort Worth during the depression and this visionary coach who uproots his family, moves to this orphanage and starts a football program. These orphans rose to national prominence in a time when the whole county was looking for hope. Very excited for people to see this film.
Photography by: Graphics Metropolis
