SCAD held its annual TVfest just a few weeks ago, and every year we get a chance to catch the latest in TV and learn from the inspiring creatives. This year, the Hollywood Reporter announced actor Matt Bomer as the recipient of the Trailblazer Award for his performance in “Fellow Travelers” here at TVfest. The Connector was fortunate enough to speak with Bomer himself to get a deeper dive into the story and his character.
For those of you unfamiliar with the show, “Fellow Travelers” is a historical drama series that follows the turbulent romantic relationship between two young men in D.C. Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller is a veteran and an official at the State Department who falls for Tim Laughlin (played by Jonathan Bailey), a young and naive congressional staffer. Their story starts in the 50s, during Joseph McCarthy’s time as senator and ends during the AIDS crisis in the 80s. Hawk brings Tim, who he affectionately calls Skippy, into the world of politics and into his romantic life. Despite tension from the changing power dynamics in their relationship and the societal expectations that keep them apart, the two continue to find their way back to each other while also telling their story through important moments of history.
At its core, “Fellow Travelers” is a love story. Hawk is a confident and charming man, but avoids vulnerability. Tim is more reserved, but is genuine and looks for love. Seeing the constant push and pull in their relationship, broken up by intimate moments of them dancing alone in an empty apartment or crying into each other’s arms in bed, make their story so heartwarming. It feels real and it feels emotionally rich. Tim’s character is naturally lovable. He might not be the “it” guy like Hawk, but his morals and authenticity is what sets him apart in a world of corrupt politicians. You can’t help but root for the guy. Hawk, on the other hand, takes time to grow on you. At first, it seems like he spins to the world to fit his own narrative and emotionally detaches himself from everyone around him. “All intimacy he’s had in his life has led to death,” says Bomer, “he essentially equates intimacy with death.” Bomer talks about his approach to building a world around Hawk and understanding his character. Hawk is complex and can be quite unlikable. As the story unfolds, we start to see the effects of Tim’s innocence drawing out a vulnerability in Hawk, and we start to empathize with his character.
Outside of these two, every single character comes with their own unique perspective to this rich narrative. A supporting storyline in this series included the journey of Marcus (played by Jelani Aladdin) and Frankie (played by Noah J. Ricketts), another queer couple who embark on a similar journey to that of Hawk and Tim. Marcus is a serious journalist trying to pave a road for Black writers in the media. He falls for Frankie, a server and drag performer. Both Hawk and Marcus fell for idealistic significant others who brought out a different side to both of them. “I would love to see the ins and outs of Marcus and Frankie’s life,” says Bomer. Their story as people of color brings a new level for this larger narrative around the LGBTQ+ community, which is something that would be amazing to explore in a spin-off or second series.
Being a historical fiction drama, there is a lot of emphasis on historical context, especially in the world of politics. If you’re someone who hasn’t grown up knowing US history, fair warning, there will be a lot of Googling involved. But even if you’ve memorized your high school history textbook, the series shows a whole new side of the past that you’re not gonna find in those pages. In the 1950s, Senator McCarthy used his “Red Scare” campaign almost like a trojan horse to fight against communists and the queer community, also known as the Lavender Scare. Anywhere between 5,000 to 10,000 people lost their job as a result of this, and this includes the many people that took their life because of the struggle that came from being forced out of their jobs. “Fellow Travelers” took this important moment in history that we’ve neglected to talk about for years now and placed these people at the center of the story. While this doesn’t rewrite history textbooks, there is something to be learned from the story they’ve written.
Even in the thrill and drama of the world, “Fellow Travelers” tells a heartwarming story between two people in love. You can watch the complete miniseries on Paramount+ with Showtime.