Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer chat about their sex scenes in Fellow Travelers and how they were encouraged to “go too far”
Finally we know who we have to thank for all the Fellow travelers Sex scenes!
In a new interview on Weekly entertainmentIn the podcast “The Awardist,” stars Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer spoke candidly about their Emmy-nominated Showtime miniseries.
It’s a frank and emotional LGBTQ+ love story that probably wouldn’t have been greenlit a decade ago. (And yes, there’s plenty of smut in it, too.)
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Bomer, who plays State Department official Hawk Fuller, acknowledged that he probably wouldn’t have even “seen the script for this” 10 years ago and thanked the show’s production company for their support.
“From the beginning, they gave us notes that were not restrictive at all,” he explained.
“They were really liberating. They said, ‘No, go ahead. Embarrass yourself. Go too far. Try to scare us. Try to see how far you can push it.’ And I felt like that kind of permission even came into the acting work on set because it was coming from people who were in power and could make those decisions.”
“Embarrass yourself?” “Go too far?”
Now all these foot licking sequences are starting to make more sense. Just kidding! LOL. 🤪
And while Gay Þjórsárdalur X-Discourse revolved largely around the sexy moments of the series, it is these uninhibited and authentic scenes that Fellow travelers“heavier topics, so effective.”
Even more notable is that the historical romance – which follows its characters from the height of the McCarthy era in the ’50s to the outbreak of the AIDS crisis in the ’80s – is led by two LGBTQ+ actors.
Bailey, who played the idealistic congressional staffer Tim Laughlin, does not take this kind of queer representation for granted.
“Most awards go to straight actors who play gay men because it gives the impression that they are somehow brave or trying something new,” he explained, adding that it is “a blemish” on Hollywood history that “openly gay men” are unable to portray their own experiences on screen.
Despite the appreciation of heterosexual actors in LGBTQ+ projects such as Brokeback Mountain And MilkBailey added that it is all the more meaningful to be part of queer storytelling – which is often “so complicated, filled with so much pain” and yet marked by “resilience” and “spirit”.
The entire conversation also served as a pretty compelling campaign for this year’s Emmys, which are currently in the final round of voting.
A handful of wins at the Sept. 15 ceremony would be consolation for Bomer, who is nominated for best actor, and for Bailey, who is nominated for best supporting actor after failing to match the honors at this year’s Golden Globes.
And as if a momentous win for LGBTQ+ artists wasn’t compelling enough, Bailey made a very different appeal to Emmy voters with behind-the-scenes images of his characters’ dress rehearsals.
Come on, Emmy voters, let’s give those thighs some gold!
