Jonathan Bailey sat down for one of those actors-on-actors interviews in Variety. Who did he speak to? Naomi Watts. The odd-pairing had a lot in common when it came to two things: filming sex scenes and specifically filming gay sex scenes. Jonathan got down and dirty with the details, so let's see what he said.
Firstly, he was filming Fellow Travelers,Wicked, and Bridgerton all at the same time. That is a wild schedule. I imagine that it is also an emotional rollercoaster. He said he would film an emotional scene and then change into sweatpants and practice his choreography for Wicked on his lunch breaks. Then he was back at it with another scene to film.
That is an incredible schedule to manage. Jonathan Bailey might be the hardest-working actor at the moment! How does he do it? And how does he make it look so sexy?
Naomi Watts shifted gears to his work in the Amazon Prime series Fellow Travelers. She said that she was very moved by the story in Fellow Travelers. We were all moved by the story, Naomi. The story...and the, um, visual parts of that story. We love visual storytelling when it looks like this:
In all seriousness, she asked him about his knowledge of the Lavender Scare before filming the show. Since he is British, he admitted that there is a lot about the American gay experience throughout history that he didn't quite know. Learning about it was eye-opening for him and playing it was even more so. He told her: "So it’s catharsis. Because suddenly we’re there — four gay men, a predominantly gay creative team — and you think, 'I’m here today because of my ancestors or an industry which is changing.'”
That is so beautiful. I love that he acknowledges his gay ancestors and he brings that to the table when telling a story that goes through modern queer history in the late 20th century. It's beautiful! Thankfully, he added to that history with his intense and tender love scenes with his co-star Matt Bomer. The pair played lovers who united and separated over and over again over several decades. It's a gorgeous mini-series. If you haven't seen it, then do yourself a favor this Pride Month and take a watch.
Bailey added on the series," People have loved gay actors, whether they’ve been able to say they’re gay or not, for years. But to be there with those guys … and to then have the nuance of conversation — a lunch break which isn’t just about 'How delicious are the sweet potatoes.'" The sweet potatoes? Is that a euphemism? Sorry, my mind is in the gutter thinking about all of those Jonathan Bailey booty scenes.
He added, "It was amazing to have that space, and the opportunity of eight hours of TV to tell a quite brutal but brooding and lovely love story for gay men. It is new." It really is new. New and beautiful.
I love that and I love Jonathan Bailey. Here's to more beautiful gay stories and erotic scenes from one of our favorite actors!
