“Bridgerton” leading man Jonathan Bailey has signed on for a lead role in the Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers,” Variety has learned.
Bailey joins previously announced cast members Matt Bomer and Allison Williams in the show, which is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon. It was ordered to series at Showtime in April after Variety exclusively reported it was in the works in September 2021.
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In the show, the handsome and charismatic Hawkins Fuller (Bomer) avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a young man brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades, Hawk and Tim cross paths through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves.
Laughlin is further described as a young Fordham University graduate, earnest about his political and religious convictions and filled with optimism about the post-WWII future.
Bailey is best known to American audiences for his role as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix period drama “Bridgerton.” Season 2 of the show debuted in March, with Seasons 3 and 4 already ordered. Onscreen, he is also known for his roles in shows like “Broadchurch,” “Leonardo,” “W1A,” and “Crashing.” He is also an accomplished stage actor, having won the Olivier Award for best supporting actor in a musical for his role in the 2019 West End production of “Company.”
He is repped by Conway Van Gelder Grant, CAA, and Anonymous Content.
“Fellow Travelers” will consist of eight episodes. “Philadelphia” writer and Oscar nominee Ron Nyswaner is adapting the book for the screen and will also executive produce. Daniel Minahan, who recently directed “Halston” for Netflix, will direct the first two episodes and executive produce. Bomer executive produces in addition to starring, with Robbie Rogers also executive producing. Fremantle and Showtime will co-produce. The series will go into production in Toronto later this month.
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