The Famous Chef That Appears In The Bear (But You Never See Them Cook)
This article may contain spoilers for FX's "The Bear" Season 3.
There might not be a more accurate portrayal of restaurant life than that of FX's "The Bear." The show not only shows the real ins and outs of restaurant competition but also gets into more nitty gritty concepts, like how modifications are a big deal in fine dining. And with "The Bear" returning for Season 3, there's been no better time to get back into the show.
But for all its accuracy about the ins and outs of restaurant life, there's one area in which the show diverges significantly from the real world. There are a bunch of memorable actors playing chefs on the show -- Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri have both won Emmys for their roles as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto and Sydney Adamu, respectively -- but one of its cast members is a well-regarded, famous chef IRL -- only you never actually see him cook. Not only is Matty Matheson a cast member on the show, playing handyman Neil Fak (generally just referred to as "Fak"), but he's also a producer and serves as the show's consultant for restaurant realism.
Read more: The One Restaurant You Need To Visit In Every State
Matheson Didn't Want To Play A Chef On The Bear
Matty Matheson has been a fixture in the cooking world for a long time, serving as executive chef at Toronto's Parts and Labour since 2010 and starring in numerous food shows and YouTube series such as "Munchies," "Cookin' Somethin' W/ Matty Matheson," and "Dead Set on Life." Matheson is known for his outsized charisma and boisterous, authentic nature -- think Guy Fieri with a lot more tattoos and significantly more colorful language. In many ways, acting seems a natural progression of his already-copious on-camera experience.
Originally brought on to make sure the show accurately portrays restaurant life (and nailing that job), Matheson was also asked by showrunner Christopher Storer to join the show's cast. The Canadian-born chef, however, specifically requested not to play a chef, as he was worried about being the only actual chef on camera. Fortunately, Storer's plan was always for him to play Fak, the titular restaurant's odd-job man and, in many ways, its moral compass.
Matheson's Fak Is An Important Character On The Bear
Despite his relative lack of acting experience ("The Bear" is his first consistent role), Matty Matheson is one of the show's more memorable characters. Fak has saved the restaurant more than once, such as in Season 2, Episode 8, when he figures out the problem with the restaurant's fire suppression system, enabling them to eventually open as scheduled. In addition to his role as handyman, Fak eventually begins helping out as a front-of-house manager near the end of the show's second season. While he's often regarded as a comic relief character, Fak also effectively serves as Carmy's best friend and the person he can rely on most emotionally.
Matheson may not cook on "The Bear," but he serves a crucial role in the show's ecosystem. And for everyone who's worked in the industry and marveled at how real the show feels, now you know exactly who to thank for it: The funny dude who seems to be holding a screwdriver in every scene.
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
