Stars Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey set TV screens ablaze in the romantic period drama “Fellow Travelers.” The Showtime miniseries follows two men whose love is intertwined across several decades, spanning wars and political events. Since its debut in October, it has received widespread acclaim.
Revealed exclusively to Variety, the series has been submitted for 23 potential Primetime Emmy nominations across multiple categories. In addition to outstanding limited or anthology series, the pilot episode, penned by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Daniel Minahan, will serve as the official submission in their respective categories.
For his role as Hawk Fuller, a closeted World War II veteran, Bomer is campaigning in the lead actor (limited) category, competing against heavyweights such as Jon Hamm (“Fargo”), Richard Gadd (“Baby Reindeer”) and Andrew Scott (“Ripley”). He was a previous Emmy nominee for playing Felix Turner in the 2014 television movie “The Normal Heart, where he was heavily favored before losing the prize to Martin Freeman for “Sherlock: His Last Vow.” Nonetheless, Bomer could receive his long overdue second nom (and a potential third). He’s also one of the miniseries’ producers, along with Nyswaner and Minahan; he would be among the official nominees if the show picks up one of the five highly competitive slots for limited series. Bomer has received acting nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards for his role, increasing his chances of landing double bids.
Ben Mark Holzberg/SHOWTIME
As Tim, the young, idealistic congressional staffer, Bailey has garnered best-in-show notices for his heartfelt portrayal. He’s currently topping the charts for supporting actor (limited) in Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmy predictions, followed by Robert Downey Jr. (“The Sympathizer”) and Lewis Pullman (“Lessons in Chemistry”). Also submitted alongside Bailey in supporting are Jelani Alladin (as Marcus Gaines), Linus Roache (as Senator Wesley Smith) and Noah J. Ricketts (as Frankie Hines). Former “Girls” star Allison Williams, hoping for her first career nod, will be the sole supporting actress entry as Lucy Smith, Hawk’s childhood friend.
The 36-year-old England-born Bailey has been on fire after breaking out as the oldest brother in Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” which recently premiered its third season (but is not eligible for this year’s Emmys). This year will be even busier with his anticipated role as the charming Fiyero in the movie musical adaptation of “Wicked” and landing the lead role in the upcoming “Jurassic World” sequel, which is currently in pre-production.
Bailey has been wonderfully complimentary of his co-star Bomer while on the circuit. In an upcoming interview with Variety, Bailey praised him, calling him “the flag in the sand of ‘Fellow Travelers.’ He made it the most exciting and enjoyable. It’s a happy friendship and working relationship, and I look forward to doing something with him again.”
Bailey won the Critics Choice Award for supporting actor (limited) in January and dedicated his award to the LGBTQ community, saying during his speech: “For many, it’s an education. But for us, it’s a vital truth. This series is a much-needed reminder that LGBTQ+ people have always existed – mostly hidden.”
Nyswaner and Minahan have long been respected in the Hollywood community, garnering multiple achievements for their previous efforts. Nyswaner, who’s also a previous Academy Award nominee for writing the Tom Hanks Oscar-winning film “Philadelphia” (1993), is also an Emmy nominee for producing the second season of Showtime’s drama “Homeland.” Minahan is an Emmy winner as one of the producers for the limited series “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” in 2018 and has two other nominations for producing “House of Cards” in 2017 and “Deadwood: The Movie” in 2019.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
The eight-episode miniseries is streaming on Paramount+. The full list of submissions for “Fellow Travelers” is below.
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series — Ron Nyswaner, Robbie Rogers, Daniel Minahan, Matt Bomer, Dee Johnson (executive producers), Sean Ryerson (co-executive producer), Anya Leta (producer)
- Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “You’re Wonderful” by Ron Nyswaner
- Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Daniel Minahan, 101: “You’re Wonderful”
- Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 102: “Bulletproof” (Simon Dennis)
- Lead Actor for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Matt Bomer
- Supporting Actor for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Jonathan Bailey, Jelani Alladin, Linus Roache, Noah J. Ricketts
- Supporting Actress for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Allison Williams
- Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — Avy Kaufman (casting by), Robin D. Cook (location casting)
- Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 101: “You’re Wonderful” (Christopher Donaldson); 105: “Promise You Won’t Write (Wendy Hallam Martin)
- Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) — 108: “Make It Easy” (Paul Leonard-Morgan)
- Main Title Theme Music — Paul Leonard-Morgan
- Main Title Design — Ron Gervais (director, designer, animator), Dave Penn (designer), Josh Vermeulen (designer, animator), Nicole Labbe (animation producer)
- Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special — 107: “White Nights” — Danielle McBride (supervising sound editor), Ed Douglas (supervising sound designer), Éve Corrêa-Guedes (dialogue editor), Craig MacLellan (sound effects editor), Chelsea Body (foley editor), Scott Hitchon (first assistant sound editor), Joe Mancuso (music editor), Steve Hammond (foley artist)
- Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — 104: “Your Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire” — Shawn Kirkby (production sound mixer), Scott Shepherd, Joe Morrow (re-recording mixers)
- Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) — 101: “You’re Wonderful” — Anastasia Masaro (production designer), Naomi Allen (set decorator)
- Music Supervision — 107: “White Nights” — Michael A. Perlmutter (music supervisor)
- Period Costumes — 101: “You’re Wonderful” — Joseph La Corte (costume designer), Jennifer Lantz (assistant costume designer), Camil Rochon, Bethana Briffett (costume supervisor)
- Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling — 103: “Hit Me” — Michelle Côté (hair department head), Antoinette Julien, Lukas Press (key hairstylist), Ashley Crowe (hairstylist)
- Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) — 108: “Make It Easy” — Jordan Samuel (makeup department head), Oriana Rossi, Patricia Keighran (key makeup artist), Talia Reingold (makeup artist)
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