Current:Home > NewsHow Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer Bonded Over a Glass of Milk -NextFrontier Finance
How Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer Bonded Over a Glass of Milk
View
Date:2025-04-13 05:41:03
It's a story that gives whole new meaning to the phrase, "Got milk?"
After all, all it took was a glass of the dairy beverage to forever alter the lives of Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey's characters in their new show Fellow Travelers. And much like their characters Hawk and Tim, the two actors first met IRL over a glass—though they swapped in coffee.
"It all started on Cumberland Avenue," Jonathan began to E! News in an exclusive interview, with Matt chiming in to finish, "At Goldstruck Coffee in Toronto."
And as the Bridgerton actor quipped back, "We struck gold, with our Cumberland."
Indeed, it did feel like a stroke of fate for the two actors as they embarked on a journey to tell the love story of Hawk and Tim—political staffers in the Showtime limited series. The show follows the two across the decades, beginning in 1950s Washington D.C., at the height of McCarthyism and ending during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
"It was literally the first time we had met in person; we had had a chemistry test on Zoom," Jonathan recalled. "We sat down, and it felt a sort of biblical moment actually, looking back. But at the time, it was just a really nice get to know you. And of course, when you're faced with this extraordinary task of telling these two characters' love story, that's so sort of complicated and nuanced, we just agreed that we'd support each other."
And in addition to the, as Matt put it, "pact to have each other's backs," the Normal Heart star noted, "I knew that Jonny was a tremendous actor. So, a lot of it was just trusting the work you brought to the set that day, and then working opposite a great actor."
It was an experience and a story—one equal parts romantic, heartbreaking and educational—that both Matt and Jonathan found meaning in telling.
"It's just so rare that you get to work on something that's educates you, and also provide you with such an extraordinary challenge as an actor," the White Collar actor explained. "It was just all the things that you hope for as an actor, that sometimes you get a little bit piecemeal. But to have that and all of that experience in one job was just kind of once or twice in a career if you're lucky—especially when you get this cast and the creatives we had."
Working on Fellow Travelers was, for Jonathan, a "nourishing" project to dive into, the 35-year-old remarking on how it was "just thrilling to have an opportunity to really understand the queer experience in that way, through research."
"And being able to play characters that otherwise I hadn't really seen before," he continued. "So, it felt groundbreaking, and then, unsurprisingly, completely energizing despite the real pain and anguish that these characters sort of withstand and experience—and within that, the joy that the characters find."
Much like Hawk and Tim's first encounter over milk, from meeting over a cup of coffee to wrapping their show after almost 100 days, the experience left Matt and Jonathan with an unbreakable bond—one that allowed the echoes of their real-life friendship to find its way onto the screen.
"It's amazing," Jonathan mused, "to get to know that these characters meet on a bench, sipping milk. And then, from there, this whole thing blossoms. So, we could lean into the characters' experiences and find it in the scenes. And I think by the end of the shoot, we were sort of bonded for life."
Don't miss Matt and Jonathan in Fellow Travelers which is currently airing on Showtime and streaming on Paramount+.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (373)
Related
- Connie Chiume, Black Panther Actress, Dead at 72: Lupita Nyong'o and More Pay Tribute
- College football Week 0 kicks off and we're also talking College Football Playoff this week
- Isabella Strahan Reacts to Comment About Hair Growth Amid Cancer Journey
- Raise Your Glass to Pink and Daughter Willow's Adorable Twinning Moment While Performing Together
- Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
- His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.
- 3-month-old baby is fatally mauled by dogs in attic while parents smoked pot, police say
- The Daily Money: A weaker job market?
- Giants, Lions fined $200K for fights in training camp joint practices
- Taylor Swift, her ex Taylor Lautner and an unlikely, eye-catching friendship
Ranking
- Immigration issues sorted, Guatemala runner Luis Grijalva can now focus solely on sports
- New Federal Report Details More of 2023’s Extreme Climate Conditions
- A 2nd ex-Memphis officer accused in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols is changing his plea
- Atlantic City casino earnings declined by 1.3% in 2nd quarter of 2024
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- 'Pommel horse guy' Stephen Nedoroscik joins 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 33
- Tropical storm forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Hawaii this weekend
- Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck are getting divorced. Why you can't look away.
Recommendation
RFK Jr. grilled again about moving to California while listing New York address on ballot petition
Report clears nearly a dozen officers involved in fatal shooting of Rhode Island man
Last Chance to Save Up to 90% Off at Nordstrom Rack's Back-to-School Sale: $16 Jackets, $20 Shoes & More
How Nevada colleges and universities are encouraging students to vote
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
How Nevada colleges and universities are encouraging students to vote
Sicily Yacht Company CEO Shares Endless Errors That May Have Led to Fatal Sinking Tragedy
Gabourey Sidibe’s 4-Month-Old Twin Babies Are Closer Than Ever in Cute Video