Fellow Travelers is a political thriller on Paramount Plus in the UK but it's also an epic love story that spans decades and starts during of the darkest times in American history.
Created by Ron Nyswamer — the man behind the Tom Hanks' movie Philadelphia and spy thriller Homeland — and based on the novel Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon, the story follows a clandestine romance between the charismatic Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer), who works in politics, and young idealist Tim Laughlin (Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey). The pair meet just as US Senator Joseph McCarthy and his chief counsel Roy Cohn declare that homosexuality is sexual deviancy, and the series follows the pair against the backdrop of the 1960s protests against the Vietnam War, the drug-fuelled hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Paramount Plus series Fellow Travelers…
Fellow Travelers release date
Fellow Travelers is an eight-part series will premiere on Paramount Plus in autumn 2023. We will update with the official air date once we hear, so do check back.
* Paramount Plus price: cost, deals and content for the streaming service.
* Sign up for Paramount Plus here.
Is there a trailer for Fellow Travelers?
Yes a teaser trailer for Fellow Travelers has been released by Paramount which shows a very tense drama. We see Hawkins and Tim walk past one another in the corridors of power, with flashbacks to their secret and potentially explosive romance. Take a look below.
Fellow Travelers plot
Fellow Travelers follows a secret romance between two very different men – the rich Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer) and the young Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) who is brimming with idealism and religious faith. They start a romance, but Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn have just declared war on ‘subversives and sexual deviants’ so their love could cost them everything. We follow them, alongside three other characters – Marcus (Jelani Alladin), Lucy (Allison Williams) and Frankie (Noah J. Ricketts) - as they cross paths over the next four decades.
Follow Travelers cast — Matt Bomer as Hawkins Fuller
Matt Bomer plays Hawkins Fuller, who has made a career for himself behind the scenes in politics. Matt has previously starred in Magic Mike, In Time, White Collar, Will & Grace, The Normal Heart, Tru Calling, American Horror Story: Hotel, The Magnificent Seven and The Sinner.
Jonathan Bailey as Tim Laughlin
Jonathan Bailey is playing Hawkins Fuller's secret lover Tim Laughlin.
Jonathan Bailey is best known for playing Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton and has also starred in W1A, Hooten and The Lady, Crashing, Broadchurch, Leonardo and Baddiel’s Syndrome. He will star in the upcoming movie Wicked, playing Fiyero.
Who else is starring in Fellow Travelers?
There's a great remaining cast for Fellow Travellers which includes Jelani Alladin (Tick, tick.. BOOM!, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) who plays Marcus Hooks, while Allison Williams (Get Out, Girls) is Lucy Smith and Noah J. Ricketts (American Gods) plays Frankie Hines. Linus Roache will play Senator Wesley Smith while Chris Bauer is Senator Joe McCarthy and Will Brill is Roy Cohn.
Behind the scenes and more on Fellow Travelers
Matt Bomer and Nyswaner executive produce Fellow Travelers with Robbie Rogers (All American, My Policeman) and Dee Johnson. Daniel Minahan (Halston, American Crime Story: Versace) executive produces and direct the first two episodes. The series is co-produced by Fremantle and Paramount+.
