Variety has learned that Jonathan Bailey, who played the lead in “Bridgerton,” has agreed to play the lead in the Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers.”
Bailey joins Matt Bomer and Allison Williams, who was already cast in the show, which is based on the same-named book by Thomas Mallon. It was ordered to be made into a series by Showtime in April after Variety said it would be made in September 2021.
In the show, the handsome and charming Hawkins Fuller (Bomer) stays away from relationships until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), an idealistic and religious young man. They start dating at the same time that Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants.” This starts at one of the worst times in American history in the 20th century. Over the course of 40 years, Hawk and Tim run into each other during protests against the Vietnam War in the 1960s, drug-fueled disco hedonism in the 1970s, and the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. During this time, they face problems in the world and in themselves.
Laughlin is also said to be a young Fordham University graduate who is serious about his political and religious beliefs and hopeful about the future after World War II.
Bailey is best known to people in the United States for playing Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix show “Bridgerton.” The show’s second season came out in March, and Seasons 3 and 4 have already been ordered. He is also known for his roles in TV shows like “Broadchurch,” “Leonardo,” “W1A,” and “Crashing.” He is also a good stage actor. In 2019, for his role in the West End production of “Company,” he won the Olivier Award for best supporting actor in a musical.
Conway Van Gelder Grant, CAA, and Anonymous Content all represent him.
There will be eight episodes of “Fellow Travelers.” Ron Nyswaner, who wrote “Philadelphia” and was nominated for an Oscar, is adapting the book for the big screen and will also serve as an executive producer. Daniel Minahan, who recently directed “Halston” for Netflix, will direct the first two episodes and be an executive producer. In addition to being a star, Bomer is also an executive producer, and Robbie Rogers is also an executive producer. It will be made by both Fremantle and Showtime. The show will start filming in Toronto at the end of this month.
