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“Extra” sat down with Miles Heizer, Max Parker, and Liam Oh to talk about their new comedic drama “Boots.”
Set in the world of the 1990s U.S. Marine Corps, when being gay in the military was still illegal, the series follows closeted Cameron Cope (Heizer) and his best friend Ray McAffey (Oh), the son of a decorated Marine, as they join a diverse group of recruits.
Max plays Sergeant Robert “Bobby” Sullivan, who is very hard on Cameron, but who we learn is struggling with his own identity issues.
The guys talked about their characters, with Miles explaining, “I play… a gay teenager who decides to join the Marines sort of on a whim. I think that for Cameron, he has this family that doesn’t necessarily support and uplift him in a way that he needs and especially in a way that a queer kid needs, but he has that in his best friend.”
Ultimately, he decides to follow his friend Ray. Miles said, “A bit of chaos ensues, but simultaneously all this incredible growth and self-realization.”
He went on, “That’s sort of how the show enters, but ultimately it’s about everyone from different places and backgrounds who are all carrying something coming to this place where that’s sort of forced out of the way and you’re taught that you only have each other to succeed. And I think that’s sort of what the show encompasses.”
The story was adapted from Greg Cope White’s memoir “The Pink Marine,” a book Heizer called “a valuable tool to have to be able to ask questions and get actual insight from the people.”
Liam, who plays Ray, shared, “Ray comes from a military family. His father was a decorated war vet from the Vietnam War and his mother is an immigrant from Korea. So he kind of lives these dual lives of incredibly high expectations… and so Ray joins the Marines to follow in his father’s footsteps and he drags Cameron along with him.”
Max revealed, “I play Sergeant Sullivan. He first comes in at the end of episode one as this sort of closed-book, mysterious sort of monster who sort of really seems to pick on Cameron… As the show goes on, you see sort of like all the things that made him this way is that he’s sort of running away from basically being gay… He’s basically sold out the person that he was with and he could lose everything. He could lose his job, his honor, and he’s essentially this recon perfect marine that has only become a drill instructor to run away from his past.”
As for what the show is about, Parker said, “The show is essentially very funny and fun, but just the whole undertone of the show sort of is about connection.”
Liam added, “I’d say that strength comes from the most unexpected places that you shouldn’t underestimate people.”
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Miles agreed, “Very much in the same vein, I think that putting aside sort of preconceived notions about each other allows for this incredible connection and human connection. I think the show does a really good job of showing that… There’s, like, these sort of deep themes within the show, but they’re sort of portrayed in this very fun, watchable way.”
The guys filmed the show in New Orleans, which Max said is “notorious for its incredible food and music, but also the heat and in that sort of environment where all your costumes are just like backpacks and you’re doing pull-ups and you’re doing all these in the heat of Louisiana — that was tough.”
As for the culinary temptations in the city, he said, “Your body is a temple, essentially, but also the food is so delicious.”
“Boots” is streaming now on Netflix.
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