The only thing we like watching more than the sizzling on-screen chemistry between Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey on Fellow Travelers is the flirty bromance that’s blossomed between the two in real life.
Have you seen these two together? Oh, it’s just far too charming!
But, years before he and Bailey became besties, Bomer was paling around with another gay actor. As it turns out, in the 2000s, he split a one-bedroom New York City apartment with none other than Lee Pace.
Yes, that Lee Pace. The 6’5″ Thom Browne-sporting Internet Boyfriend whose every new Instagram post has the power to ruin our days (in a good way).
“I’ll tell you how long I’ve known Lee Pace,” Bomer tells GQ. “I’ve known him since he was shorter than me, when he was 14 and I was 15.”
Isn’t that sweet? These two A-List hunks have known each other since high school—Klein High School in the Houston suburb of Spring, TX, to be exact.
It warms our heart knowing that these guys found each other when they were just baby gays, and that they reconnected years later when their paths brought them both to NYC.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that apartment…
That’s just one of the many fun tidbits gleaned from Bomer and Bailey’s delightful cover story feature with GQ, which brought the Fellow Travelers co-stars together over drink’s in the historic West Village to discuss their sexy miniseries and more.
Something about being back in the longtime gay-borhood seems to have made Bomer extra nostalgic, because he waxes nostalgic about his career, which really took off in the late 2000s with White Collar, and became proof positive that openly gay actors could be leading men.
And while he admits it’s likely cost him work in the past, he has no regrets: “I choose just to never look back in anger about anything,” he shares. “Ultimately, my career is a lot richer because I decided to be open with who I am.”
Bailey certainly recognizes his co-star’s impact, and credits Bomer for paving the way for other gay men in Hollywood: “It’s a wave of progress that Matt’s been surfing and is at the front of. And it’s been a real honor to be able to get on my boogie board next to him.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Bomer reflects on the role that almost was: Playing the late, great, closeted screen idol, Montgomery Clift, in a biopic that was going to be directed by Ira Sachs (the man behind this year’s excellent love triangle drama, Passages).
Though he says that ship has sadly sailed, he still has hope he’ll get to pay tribute to the legendary actor somehow, remarking that he’s roughly the same age Clift was when he tragically passed.
“I always thought it’d be really interesting to do a play about the last night of his life,” Bomer says, “when he’s watching one of his old movies on TV. And he had this man who lived with him and took care of him for the last chapter of his life. There’s an interesting play in there somewhere…. Maybe Liz Taylor swings by.”
Related:
Closeted Hollywood legend Montgomery Clift starred in some of the gayest movies of the Hays Code era
Today marks what would be Monty’s 103rd birthday.
From there, the actors remark on the ways the industry has changed and become much more inclusive for LGBTQ+ stories, going off on tangents about the dream gay roles they’d love to play.
Bomer shares a pitch for a Murder, She Wrote sequel series where he plays Jessica Fletcher’s queer grandson returning to Cabot Cove, while Bailey notes he’d love to work with All of Us Strangers director Andrew Haigh, sharing that his previous film Weekend informed his approach to sex scenes in Fellow Travelers.
The interview wraps up in hilarious fashion as the two joke about rounding up all the queer actors in Hollywood—including Pace!—for a movie about the Sacred Band Of Thebes.
“[They’re] an army of 300 gay lovers in [ancient] Greece,” says Bailey. “They partnered in pairs, this gay army, and they overthrew a Spartan army… I want to do that as a comedy.”
“Oil us up and let’s go!” Bomer chimes in.
We’ve love to see that!
Related:
‘Fellow Travelers’ creator Ron Nyswaner on gay life in the ’60s & ’70s, why AIDS stories still matter & more
On World AIDS Day 2023, the ‘Philadelphia’ screenwriter reflects on his trailblazing film, 30 years later, and his full-circle moment with ‘Fellow Travelers.’
Kit McCollum
Obviously Matt never really watched Murder, She Wrote otherwise he would know he can never play her “grandson” because Jessica and Frank Fletcher NEVER had children. A great-nephew perhaps, not a grandson.
bachy
For someone who could easily skate by on looks alone, Bomer brings a lot of intelligence, wit and gravitas to his roles – and his vision of his career. He’s much more than just another “pretty” face.
Sheppard87
I know the idea of the Sacred Band Of Thebes was more a joke than anything. But could you imagine Bomer and Bailey with Zachary Quinto, Wentworth Miller, Cheyenne Jackson, Colton Haynes, Luke Evan, Murray Bartlett, Luke McFarland, Matt Dallas, etc all together for a gay war comedy set in Ancient Greece?
My heart beats a little fast just thinking about it, haha
Colorado Couple
I LOVE it! The only thing better than Matt & Jonathan together would be a gay war comedy set in ancient Athens with all of those gay heartthrobs!
monty clift
Excellent idea. I’d pay good money to see that.
theaterbloke
Having suffered through Meet The Spartans, no…just no.
nm4047
If only I knew (before now) who the hell Lee Pace was then maybe my imagination could have been running wild. Now that I know (or do I really) care who Lee Pace is, still not running wild.
dbmcvey
Yeah. Good looks and talent. Who needs that?
monty clift
Let’s face it, your imagination never ran in its life.
LumpyPillows
Lee Pace? Really? The Hobbit, Foundation, Guardians of the Galaxy? That Lee Pace?
dbmcvey
Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls, Soldier’s Girl. He’s an amazing actor.
AndyHumm
Actually, Jonathan Bailey could be great as Monty Clift.
dbmcvey
Both he and Bomer would be really good in that role.
strap2900
Bomer and Pace sharing a one bedroom apartment? You know there was some hot stuff going on behind those walls. Too bad Bomer is married, he and Bailey have great chemistry together.
Diplomat
It would seem unrealistic that Bomer is monogamous. But we will never know.
bigdandd
I’ve watched Fellow Travelers from the beginning and there have been good episodes and DULL episodes. I’ve never been a fan of flashbacks and with this series, one minute they are in like present time and then it’s like years ago! It’s really hard to figure out sometime just what time element they are in. I’m glad that there is a storyline from the Lavender Era, but this series is not all that great. Straights are probably watching this just to see what two men do sexually. For me, I have seen far better than some of the chopped up scenes this show has delivered. The latest episode that the characters are at Fire Island is a trainwreck. Will Skippy leave Hawk or will he stay and indulge? One of the worst episodes shown yet. I DVR the series and there have been episodes that I fast forward through. Not living up to the advance promos.
dbmcvey
I’ve loved it all. Last week’s episode is brilliant; heartbreaking and engrossing. Also, if you really watched the episode you would know whether he left or stayed.