Fellow Travelers, Showtime’s historical miniseries, made TV history of its own. The casting of four out actors — Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey, Jelani Alladin, and Noah J. Ricketts — to portray queer men in love stories, stretching from the 1950s to ’80s, is nothing short of groundbreaking.
Created by Out100 honoree Ron Nyswaner, Fellow Travelers presented viewers with decades of LGBTQ+ history through the eyes of its central couples — Hawk and Tim (Bomer and Bailey), and Marcus and Frankie (Alladin and Ricketts) — as they navigated the thorny times of McCarthyism, Harvey Milk’s assassination, and the AIDS crisis. The production educated and humanized, presenting not sanitized versions of LGBTQ+ people but complicated characters with flaws and great sex lives. A glass of milk will never taste the same.
For the Fellow Travelers cast, living queer history through their roles while simultaneously breaking down doors for representation has been revelatory. It was “the chance of a lifetime to expand the rolodex of Black queer characters that exist in prestige television, and portraying them with strength, lust, intelligence, and bravery!” Alladin says.
“Fellow Travelers opened a door in Hollywood,” Ricketts attests. “It allowed people to see that queer stories can be successful and relatable to a wider audience. We have to continue down this path. We have to continue creating content that reflects the world we live in today.”
Adds Bailey: “I feel supremely lucky to live in a time where we can begin to tell these stories authentically. And we do because of heroes like Tim, who simply demanded truth, of himself and the world around him. He fought for it, as so many before us did, and if I get to pay homage to them through storytelling like this, I can’t ask for much more.”
While Fellow Travelers is set in the past, these actors hope the show reminds viewers of how precious freedom is in the present and future. “So many of our viewers were shocked that the historical events were true,” Ricketts says. “As the saying goes, ‘History repeats itself.’ I hope the show sheds light on America’s dark history. We don’t have to repeat the mistakes of the past — but everyone plays a role in creating a better future. I hope this series encourages people to vote for a better tomorrow.”
“I hope this show and these characters inspire people like they inspired us, to stand up for what’s right and love beyond measure,” Bailey says. @jbayleaf @jelanialladin @noahjrkts @mattbomer
