Jelani Alladin & Noah J. Ricketts reflect on the journey of ’Fellow Travelers’
It's been an incredible trip, but now 'Fellow Travelers' has reached its final destination.
In adapting Thomas Mallon's 2017 novel of the same name, the acclaimed Showtime drama expanded the narrative's scope, checking in on the central romance between Hawk Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) at different moments in history, while also highlighting alternate perspectives on the gay experience through the decades.
The latter point was achieved through the emotional love story of writer-turned-teacher Marcus Hooks and drag artist-turned-social worker Frankie Hines, played beautifully by Broadway veterans Jelani Alladin and Noah J. Ricketts, respectively.
Running parallel to Hawk and Tim's years-long affair, Marcus and Frankie's journey together had its fair share of ups and downs, too, while providing an honest look at what's it's meant to be both Black and queer in America.
For Alladin and Ricketts, this was not a responsibility they took lightly, diving headfirst into historical research to bring themselves closer to the lives of the people whose stories they hoped to pay tribute to on screen.
With the 'Fellow Travelers' finale airing this week, Queerty caught up with the actors to discuss the impact the series has had on their lives, and what they've been surprised to learn about LGBTQ+ history. Plus, Alladin and Hines reflect on their shared Broadway role (they both played Kristoff in Disney's 'Frozen' stage musical!) and how that helped them bring crackling chemistry to the series—especially when it came to their more intimate scenes!
Video edited by Zachery Lee Ramey.
In adapting Thomas Mallon's 2017 novel of the same name, the acclaimed Showtime drama expanded the narrative's scope, checking in on the central romance between Hawk Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) at different moments in history, while also highlighting alternate perspectives on the gay experience through the decades.
The latter point was achieved through the emotional love story of writer-turned-teacher Marcus Hooks and drag artist-turned-social worker Frankie Hines, played beautifully by Broadway veterans Jelani Alladin and Noah J. Ricketts, respectively.
Running parallel to Hawk and Tim's years-long affair, Marcus and Frankie's journey together had its fair share of ups and downs, too, while providing an honest look at what's it's meant to be both Black and queer in America.
For Alladin and Ricketts, this was not a responsibility they took lightly, diving headfirst into historical research to bring themselves closer to the lives of the people whose stories they hoped to pay tribute to on screen.
With the 'Fellow Travelers' finale airing this week, Queerty caught up with the actors to discuss the impact the series has had on their lives, and what they've been surprised to learn about LGBTQ+ history. Plus, Alladin and Hines reflect on their shared Broadway role (they both played Kristoff in Disney's 'Frozen' stage musical!) and how that helped them bring crackling chemistry to the series—especially when it came to their more intimate scenes!
Video edited by Zachery Lee Ramey.
