A recent article for Complex details how Matty Matheson got involved with the quirky cooking drama. Matheson was brought on as a co-producer for the series, ensuring the actors on the show were behaving as real chefs would. He told the New York Times, “It’s just one of those things where I’m trying to give them what they need.”
Matheson also appears in “The Bear” as Neil Fak, a handyman for Carmy’s restaurant, and in many ways, this is a fitting role for the man whose job it is on set to fix the way the show’s actors interact in the fictional kitchen. He explained to the New York Times that he helped the cast appear believable. He would tell them things like, “Hey you wouldn’t say it like that” and “The way you’re holding the pan is kinda wack,” all hoping to create a more authentic viewing experience, down to the kitchen lingo. And for the most part, his guidance really paid off. “The amazing thing is by the end of the season, the actors would be like, ‘Yo, where’s my knife?’,” he told the Times.
Christopher Storer, the show’s creator, told the Times, “Matty’s been through it. He’s seen every peak and every valley of small business. He was prepping his new restaurant as we were shooting so we had a direct line into what the chaos of opening a restaurant can be.” Fans of the show know that Carmy is going to need all the help he can get in season two as he sets out to rebuild the beef restaurant into something his late brother would be proud of, and we can only hope that Matheson will return to help guide the cast along the way.