Why Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer are the hottest LGBT icons in Hollywood in 2023: they star in Showtime’s new limited series Fellow Travelers – and rock Ralph Lauren, Versace, Omega and Tom Ford
Our screens are about to get sizzling hot as two hunks have joined forces to star in one of this year’s most anticipated TV series – Fellow Travelers, released on October 27.
In case you haven’t heard already, Matt Bomer (White Collar) and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) are starring in Showtime’s limited series inspired by Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel of the same name. The cast list also features Jelani Alladin, Noah Ricketts and Allison Williams.
The narrative follows the lives of two men who become star-crossed lovers after meeting in the early 1950s, and their challenging encounters with purges, wars, protests and plagues, as described in the series’ IMDB page.
As openly gay men in Hollywood, Bomer and Bailey have long been hailed as icons in the LGBTQ+ community, and uniting them for this series seemed like a match made in heaven for many fans.
Here’s a look into their astronomical rise to fame and influence.
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Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey’s rise to fame
Meanwhile, Missouri-born Bomer, 46, has been in the biz for longer, having acted in films like Magic Mike, In Time and as the lead character in TV series White Collar.
Fashion fixtures
Bomer has a more colourful and vibrant side to him, rocking purple suits from Versace and stripy tuxes from Tom Ford on red carpets.
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What about their love lives?
Bomer has been married for over a decade to 59-year-old publicist Simon Halls since tying the knot in 2011. Per Popsugar, the couple share three sons together, conceived through surrogacy.
Bailey has been much more private about his love life. Although he’s never officially confirmed a relationship, he was spotted kissing an actor called James Ellis in 2019, states the same source.
LGBT advocates
Growing up in the cutthroat industry of showbiz wasn’t all smooth sailing for Bailey and Bomer.
In 2022, Bailey opened up to GQ about some of the struggles he faced in his early days, stating that one of his friends shared the following advice: “At the time he was told, ‘There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.’ All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through … So, yeah, of course I thought that. Of course, I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”
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He continued, “I reached a point where I thought, ‘F*** this,’ I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that, than get a part.”
Bomer, who was raised in a conservative Christian home, told Out Magazine that his parents gave him “radio silence for a long, long time, at least six months” after he came out as gay to them, but he has since mended the relationship.
In 2012, Bomer received the New Generation Arts and Activism Award for his activism in the fight against HIV/Aids at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, per People.
- Both openly gay actors star in Showtime’s new limited series Fellow Travelers, following the story of two star-crossed lovers who meet in the 50s, based on Thomas Mallon’s book of the same name
- Bailey rose to fame with Netflix’s Bridgerton, while Bomer starred in Magic Mike, White Collar and In Time – and is married to publicist Simon Halls, with three kids conceived through surrogacy