Matt Bomer has been with intrepid “Fellow Travelers” for years

Golden Globe-winning actor Matt Bomer has been attached to play Washington, DC politician Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller in a limited series adaptation of Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel Fellow Travelers during several years to Bomer, screenwriter Ron Nyswaner (“Philadelphia”). ”) and producer Robbie Rogers finally found a home for the epic gay love story on Showtime.

Their patience and belief in the deep and sexually daring project paid off big. The show, acclaimed for its authentic and heartbreaking look at the complexities of gay life, from the homophobic Joseph McCarthy-led Lavender Scare of the 1950s to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, went on to garner nominations and/or wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards . GLAAD Media Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and People’s Choice Awards, among others.

More recently, the series earned three Emmy nominations, including nominations for lead actor Bomer; supporting actor Jonathan Bailey, who poignantly portrays Hawk’s longtime love, Tim Laughlin; and creator-showrunner Nyswaner, for writing the pilot episode, “You’re Awesome.”

Earlier this month, The Envelope took a casual trip with Bomer to LA’s Bronson Canyon, where the warm, laid-back movie and TV star (“White Collar,” the “Magic Mike” movies, “Maestro”) talked about his engagement deep to “Fellow Travelers”, the journey to see it done and the candor of its sexual content.

You committed to this project from the beginning, long before there was even an agreement. What drew you to such a large swing?

I finished (the book) in a few days and just fell in love with the characters and the world of the play. It was just a book at the time, but Ron kind of gave me pointers on what he was planning to do with the show. I’ve always been a fan of his writing. He really understands the size and the lights and shadows of the characters, which is kind of essential for episodic (TV) these days. It was one of those novels where I got an education without feeling like I was getting an education.

Jonathan Bailey, left, and Matt Bomer deal with societal rejection in “Fellow Travelers.”

(Ben Mark Holzberg/Showtime)

Why do you think the series was finally greenlit by Showtime?

It was indeed Ron’s writing. It was so strong and so undeniable that I think they knew they had something that could be really special.

We were so grateful to partner with Showtime and Fremantle. These principals were giving the brightest marks. Normally these notes try to reduce or make something smaller. But they were saying, “No, push on, go all the way and then we’ll see if you have to come back.” This is just a dream scenario as a creative.

Were you worried that Hawk, who is an often selfish and deceitful character, would come across as too callous?

Not. I was so excited that it was a non-complimentary gay character in the lead. For years I had watched my fellow actors, whom I love and admire, play these hyper-nuanced, seemingly unlikeable main characters, and it was so nice to see an LGBTQIA+ character written in this way. But I think you’re always your character’s advocate.

How did you approach playing such a complicated and dualistic guy?

It’s impossible to be objective about it, even now. I always saw him as a survivor. The game he’s playing has the highest possible stakes, and if anything compromises that, he’ll make an executive decision that may not be the most pleasant, but it’s what he has to do to survive (in his world, at that moment). You have to remember that he is someone who lived through a war and saw his entire platoon die. He understands life and death and also living on the edge in a way that most of us can’t even fathom.

Much has been made of the show’s frank and graphic sex scenes. Were there ever times when you – or maybe you and Jonathan Bailey – felt that maybe there wasn’t a need for so much “viciousness”? Or maybe even more?

Honestly, I just tried to be in the moment and not dissociate, which I’ve done in the past in scenes like that. But because the scenes were so acting-centric and because Jonny and I had a comfort and trust with each other and knew each other’s boundaries, I feel like we were able to play in the moment and I could be present in my body.

However, there was a distinct purpose, an arc if you will, to the sex scenes.

The characters (Hawk and Tim) were never the same after those scenes as they were before, and I think that’s the sign to know when a scene like this is integral to the story. In fact, it was the only time in their lives when they could feel truly liberated, because of the different way they (each) responded to their social conditioning. They managed to find a kind of therapeutic common way of relating to each other in the bedroom that, in a strange way, allowed them both their moments of greatest freedom.

Do you think the series is even more relevant today than when you first read the source material?

Yes. I am so thankful that a show like this can exist in our world. It is so easy now to look around and see how fragile our democracy is and how quickly the rights we have are taken for granted – and can be taken away.