A guide to the Boots actors, characters, and gay storylines

These BOOTS are made for SERVING.

Netflix's highly-anticipated Boots series is finally here. This new and very queer show is centered on a closeted gay man named Cameron Cope, played by Miles Heizer, who undergoes bootcamp at the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1990s. During his experience, Cameron must learn how to build alliances, forge bonds, keep his queerness out of sight, and resist an eye-candy or two… or three… or several, really.

The queer representation on Boots runs much deeper than just casting an out gay actor like Heizer (best known for Love, Simon, 13 Reasons Why) to play a gay character. There are several queer people attached to the project — in front of and behind the cameras — and the source material that inspired the Netflix series is as gay as it could be.

So buckle up, buttercup! Here's everything you need to know about the story, the characters, and the actors of Boots season 1, now streaming on Netflix.

Editor's note: This story contains spoilers for the first season of Boots on Netflix.

Is Netflix's Boots inspired by a true story?

Yes, Netflix's Boots is inspired by the real-life events from a memoir titled The Pink Marine: One Boy's Journey Through Boot Camp by Greg Cope White. In other words, the series's protagonist — Heizer's character, Cameron — is inspired by White's own experiences as a young, closeted, gay man in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Pink Marine has a series of wonderful endorsements from people like Jane Lynch, David Hyde Pierce, Christopher Atkins, Randy Gardner, Jim Beaver, and Dylan Brody, to name a few. The memoir also has a foreword by the late, great storyteller Norman Lear.

Miles Heizer plays Cameron Cope.

Miles Heizer plays the lead character of Boots, Cameron Cope, who’s based on the author of The Pink Marine. The out gay actor is best known for his performances on TV shows like Parenthood and 13 Reasons Why, and in films such as Love, Simon and Nerve.

Heizer detailed his coming-out story in an interview, recalling that he was 19 years old at the time. "I had a tragically typical [coming out]. I was scared for a long time, and it took me a while," the actor told L'Officiel. After doing so, "It was an amazing experience and feeling, because it was such a quick turn from being so closeted to so free and being myself…It was fun to be around people who I could actually relate to."

Heizer was featured as the November/December cover star of The Advocate, where he discussed starring as the main character of the show, and forming a brotherhood with his costars, among other topics.

Instagram: @younggoth

Max Parker plays Sgt. Sullivan.

British actor Max Parker is another standout cast member on Boots in the role of Sgt. Sullivan. Given that Parker's coming-out journey wasn't exactly ideal due to being exposed by U.K. tabloids, this challenge served as an advantage for the out gay actor to fully embody a character like Sullivan.

"I assume most queer people go through a phase of hiding, or a phase of exploring and feeling shame, just because of the way the world is," Parker told Out in an interview ahead of Boots. "I think pulling from my emotions from stuff that I've gone through made it easy in a way to tap into all of those feelings. But then you put it back in the 1990s, and how much more heightened it all was."

Parker added that Sullivan's experience was extremely hard. At the starting point of Boots, Parker has fully "run away from his family" and is "essentially surrounded by people who don't know who he is" throughout the season.

Best known for his performance on Emmerdale Farm, Parker started dating his then-costar Kris Mochrie over the years. Given that Parker's character, Luke Posner, was the older brother of Mochrie's character, Lee Posner, it didn't take long for U.K. tabloids to pounce at the opportunity to terrorize the actors — an experience that Parker discussed with Attitude in 2020.

"There was literally a page of Kylie Minogue, Kim Kardashian, and me and Kris on the same page," Parker told the publication at the time. "I don't know what newspaper it was, but I knew my grandparents read it, so I was like, 'I'm gonna to have to tell them.'"

To whom it may concern: Parker and Mochrie got engaged in 2022, and got married as recently as August 2025.

So, congratulations to the newlyweds!

Instagram: @maxparker____

Sachin Bhatt plays Major Wilkinson.

Sachin Bhatt plays Major Wilkinson on Boots — a character that doesn't officially come into the picture for a few episodes.

Without spoiling too many details and storylines for fans who are still watching the Netflix series, let's just say that Wilkinson is a pretty significant character within this ensemble. Besides his good looks, Bhatt brings a very warm and caring energy to Wilkinson, which is ultimately very appealing to a closeted gay man like Sullivan, who surely feels very tense 24/7 about being found out or exposed.

Prior to Boots, Bhatt had starred on other recent shows like Queer As Folk, Grace and Frankie, The Company You Keep, and No Good Deed.

Instagram: @sachinbhatt

Jack Cameron Kay plays Jones.

Who is the drama? Jones is the drama!

In truth, actor Jack Cameron Kay brings a mischievous — but entertaining — sense of danger that throws off anyone on his sight. That is particularly real to characters who are still getting used to being gay and are still pretty much learning how to hide those impulses and desires given that being gay was not something you could be in the early 1990s at the U.S. Marine Corps. Well, at least not out gay.

Jones, as a character, is reminiscent of Patrick (played by Manu Ríos) on Élite. Is he actually somewhat low-key? Yes. Is he also extremely chaotic? Yup.

Instagram: @jackcameronkay

Angus O'Brien plays Hicks.

Prior to being cast as Hicks on Netflix's Boots, Angus O'Brien was known for starring in projects like The Path, Rise, Hightown, and The Kitchen. In 2018, the actor wrote an essay for Teen Vogue discussing his experiences playing a transphobic bully — as a queer person himself — on NBC's Rise.

"This was my third time on a professional set and I had a very clear goal for myself: To believe that I belong there," O'Brien wrote in the essay. "That my career wasn’t a fluke anymore, and that my hard work and training as an openly queer actor was finally paying off."

Instagram: @angusobrien_

Dominic Goodman plays Isaiah Nash.

At first, viewers are led to believe that Cameron's (Heizer) love interest on the show is Isaiah Nash (played by Dominic Goodman). In fact, the so-called "Nash and Cope" ship/showmance was already set in motion just one day after Boots premiered on Netflix. As we keep trying to avoid spoiling the entire show for people who may not have seen it yet, we can say that Nash is a very endearing character who develops a pretty deep connection with Cameron.

Goodmans' best-known role prior to Boots was as Apollo on First Kill — a sapphic vampire TV series on Netflix that, unfortunately, didn't make it past its first season. Over the years, the actor also appeared on shows like Euphoria, Animal Kingdom, and Young Rock, to name a few.

Instagram: @dominicdgoodman

Kieron Moore plays Nicholas Slovacek.

Kieron Moore is another incredibly talented British actor in the Boots cast. His past roles include Dimitri Belikov on Vampire Academy, Liam Barlow in Code of Silence, and Cliff Starkey on Masters of the Air.

Besides Boots, Moore is currently promoting his performance in Blue Film, a queer film by writer/director Elliot Tuttle that’s been described as an “unabashed provocation” by Variety, “too tough for mainstream consideration” by Deadline, and a “fascinating commentary” by Next Best Picture.

Instagram: @kieronmoore

Liam Oh plays Ray McAffey.

Liam Oh plays Ray McAffey, a young man who comes from a family with a military background, and who also happens to be Cameron’s longtime best friend. This Boots character — much like the real person who inspired him — is straight, and their dynamic shows the importance of allies during times when queer people can’t fight for themselves without facing life-ruining consequences.

On the same day that Boots got its official release date, The Pink Marine author (Greg Cope White) wrote an emotional Instagram post about his best friend Dale — who, again, is named Ray on the Netflix series — to telling this story of growing up, embracing yourself, and surviving.

"When I was 18, it was illegal for me to enlist in the Marine Corps. Dale put everything on the line to make it happen. He changed the course of my life, he helped me find my courage and write my memoir The Pink Marine … Decades later, when we filmed the books adaptation for Netflix, Dale stood beside me again. On set. This series exists because of his belief in me. The Marines taught us 'Semper Fidelis' — always faithful. Dale has lived that for me every single day for the past 52 years. That friendship is the heart of my book and the heart of our show."

Oh, who had previously starred in the 2020 queer film The Thing About Harry, discussed his experience filming Boots in an interview with Timid Magazine.

"We did not actually have to sleep in barracks and poop next to another kid without a stall," Oh explained. "I was 23 going through this, not 18. It really is a crucible. It made me respect the thought process and journey that all of them go through, mostly 18-year-old kids away from home for the first time. I felt homesick because I hadn't really lived outside of Chicago before this show. I have a lot of respect for the military."

Instagram: @liam__oh

Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson plays Alice.

Over the course of the season, it becomes clear that Ray's storyline won't be limited to just being a great friend and a great son. He also gets to meet a young woman named Alice (played by Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson) along the way, and every scene featuring these two flirting with each other is freaking adorable.

Our only complaint about Alice is that we don't get enough of her on the show, so our fingers are crossed that Boots will be renewed for season 2 and we'll get to spend more time with Alice and Ray being an adorable duo every time that they’re together.

Instagram: @troyleighanne

Johnathan Nieves plays Eduardo Ochoa.

Johnathan Nieves has been on our screens for quite a while now. You might recognize the actor from his performances as Richie Valdovinos on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Mateo Vega on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, or cameos on shows like ABC's Grey's Anatomy, NBC's Chicago Fire, Showtime's Shameless, AMC's Better Call Saul, and NBC's New Amsterdam.

Nieves plays Eduardo Ochoa on Boots, who goes through quite a rollercoaster ride during this season. Viewers watch Ochoa trying to follow the rules of this bootcamp and searching for his place within this "brotherhood" at the U.S. Marine Corps. Without spoiling how this story ultimately ends for Ochoa, it's still worth praising this lovable character who clings to his hopes and dreams as much as humanly possible.

As of this writing, Johnathan Nieves doesn't have a public-facing Instagram profile.

Rico Paris plays Santos.

Rico Paris came into Boots already having a pretty long career in acting. Between Zola, Better Call Saul, The Resident, Crush, Fatal Attraction (2019 TV series), and Parachute, this booked-and-blessed actor is one to watch.

On this Netflix show, Paris plays a late-arriving recruit named Santos that viewers are quick to embrace, enjoy, and root for.

One of the highlights of Santos on Boots — a scene that was even shared by Netflix's official Latino-focused hub Con Todo — shows the character just assuming that he can speak Spanish with Ochoa. Except that Ochoa doesn’t really speak Spanish.

"My parents never really taught us," Ochoa says.

Santos then turns to Ray and refers to him as "chino," and gets immediately corrected. Santos goes on, "What kind of chino are you anyway, bro?"

Ray dismisses him again: "An American one."

"Oh, well, I'm American too," Santos muses. "But, like, Dominican."

Instagram: @nothingsuave

Blake Burt plays John Bowman.

Blake Burt plays one of the Boots twins, John Bowman, introduced as someone who's struggled with weight his entire life. Both in flashback scenes of his childhood and even at the actual U.S. Marine Corps, John is constantly turned into a joke and put down by his own twin brother.

Fans may recognize Burt from past projects like Pitch Perfect 2, Unhuman, or even the TV series Pop Music High.

Instagram: @burt.blake1

Brandon Tyler Moore plays Cody Bowman.

The other twin, Cody Bowman, is played by Brandon Tyler Moore. Even though Cody seems to have everything that John wants and/or needs, the trajectory of this show is pretty interesting when it comes to these brothers. This can be a frustrating duo to follow given how much bullying and bickering goes on between them, but their story arc does make it worth the ride.

Besides Boots, Moore has been on TV shows like Law & Order, Mayor of Kingstown, English Teacher, and Dead Silent, to name a few.

Instagram: @brandontylermoore

Cedrick Cooper plays Staff Sgt. McKinnon.

Most of the promotional material for Boots showed Staff Sgt. McKinnon (played by Cedrick Cooper) as a very serious and very rigid character. As the season unfolds, though, McKinnon is seen doing random acts of kindness several times to the recruits, showing that he is actually watching out for them.

Particularly in comparison to how Sullivan and Hewitt treat the recruits, McKinnon is by far the best of them, and it's not even close. A tough, but compassionate, and also thoughtful overseer — which is honestly everything these young men need to succeed. Oh, and did we mention that the character is low-key an LGBTQ+ ally, too? Upon learning that ongoing investigations are happening and that they're mainly focused on whether or not a person is gay, McKinnon thinks that it's a really dumb waste of time… And we know that's right.

Instagram: @cedrick_cooper

​Ana Ayora plays Capt. Denise Fajardo.

Ana Ayora doesn't just play Capt. Denise Fajardo on Boots — she embodies the role, and the title, and the real-life story that comes with bringing this person to life. It is established in the world of Boots that Captain Fajardo is the first woman to lead a male-dominated base of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Unsurprisingly, this great achievement and sign of progress is met with a superficial level of respectability, but with clear signs of misogyny for being a woman who's in charge of a bunch of men. At different points on the show, even Fajardo's subordinates start treating her in a way that they certainly wouldn't do to a male boss, thus causing friction and tension between them.

As a side note, one would be remiss not to mention that two days after the premiere of Boots on Netflix, the world received the news that actress Diane Keaton tragically passed away. In 2013, Ayora and Keaton developed a bond while working on the feature film The Big Wedding, in which their characters shared various scenes together. Over the weekend, Ayora both celebrated the premiere and success of Boots while still mourning Keaton's loss and sharing good memories that she had of the late, great actress.

Instagram: @iamanaayora

​Nicholas Logan plays Sgt. Howitt.

Nicholas Logan played Alexi Ignatyev in I Care A Lot, Walt on Dopesick, Travis in The Last Stop in Yuma County, and Wyatt on Parish — presenting himself as a completely different person in each of those roles, and doing it again on Boots.

Howitt is a hard-ass sergeant, but Logan's over-the-top acting choices really underscore how this toxic and violent this man is. On the one hand, there's something almost laughable about Sgt. Howitt's eye-popping facial expressions, and the ease with which he turns bright red like he's the personification of Anger from Pixar's Inside Out, and how saliva just oozes out of his mouth as he yells. On the other hand, this sergeant is committed to breaking down the recruits from inside out, stripping them away from dreams, hopes, goals, and just natural human emotions.

Instagram: @nicholaslogan__

Vera Farmiga plays Barbara Cope.

A few early descriptions of the characters from Boots suggested that Barbara Cope — yes, Cameron Cope's mother — is a narcissist. Now that we've all dipped our toes into watching the show, or have even seen the series in its entirety twice, we can confirm that yes… That, she is.

Vera Farmiga isn't new to this, as the actress has played some pretty terrorizing characters throughout her career. Norma Louise Bates on Bates Motel, for instance. She also played Kate on 2009's Orphan, which still gives us the chills. And how can we not mention Farmiga's performance as paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring cinematic franchise, starting with the first film in 2013?

If we're being honest, Farmiga's role on the show is a bit confusing given that before she was even physically distant from her son, she already seemed to be checked-out of that relationship anyway. But we do appreciate every time she shows up on our screens to deliver some campy one-liners and meme-able moments. That's mother.

Instagram: @verafarmiga

Brett Dalton plays Sgt. Pitowski.

Brett Dalton, best known for playing characters like Grant Ward on the MCU's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mark Trent on Found, and Lt. Jason Pelham on Chicago Fire, makes a few cameos on Boots hooking up with Farmiga.

Dalton's character, Sgt. Pitowski, first meets Barb Cope barges into an office for the U.S. Marine Corps and demands that they bring her son, Cameron, back home. They politely tell her that things don't work that way, and it turns out that Barb stays in touch with Pitowski for hookups. For a mom exclaiming her concerns about her son potentially dying in bootcamp, Barb is a seasoned master at the art of "thank u, next."

Instagram: @imbrettdalton

Beau Mirchoff plays Sgt. Maitra.

Picture it: It's 2019, and Starz drops a new series titled Now Apocalypse with Avan Jogia, Tyler Posey, Roxane Mesquida, and Kelli Berglund. But it is a frat bro character named Ford Halstead (played by Beau Mirchoff) that has the gays losing their minds every time he showed up on screen and left very little to the imagination.

Mirchoff plays Sgt. Maitra on Boots, and he's mostly contained to the flashback scenes of the show. It makes perfect sense for Maitra to be played by Mirchoff — even though we really don't like the things that this character is doing and saying, the gays have a soft spot for Mirchoff, and it's hard to completely dismiss him.

Instagram: @beau_mirchoff

Other cast members featured on Netflix’s Boots.

The cast of Boots also included actors like Anthony Marble (Harlan), Joy Osmanski (Setsuko), Ivan Hoey Jr. (Benjy), Mo Mason (Logan Gould), Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson (Alice), and Brett Dalton (Sgt. Pitowski).

What are the differences between Boots (the Netflix series) and The Pink Marine (memoir)?

Like any other adaptation of a memoir into a live-action project, there are many differences between Netflix's Boots TV show and The Pink Marine memoir. A lot of them would be spoilers, but there is one significant change worth noting to fans who dive into this story: The decades that each of them took place in.

The memoir (The Pink Marine) recounts White's experiences at the U.S. Marine Corps leading up to his graduation in 1979. Meanwhile, this TV show adaptation (Boots) kicks off its story in 1990.

Even though there's a full decade between the timelines of the two projects, both stories take place prior to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy introduced in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. In other words, the closeted gay character at the center of Boots — Cameron (Heizer) — risks just as much as the author of the memoir — White — as they undergo this bootcamp experience as closeted gay men.

Not only was it illegal to be gay in the U.S. armed forces, but LGBTQ+ servicemembers could also be asked about their sexualities and/or gender identities at any given time. Ultimately, being exposed for being queer could literally, legally, get a person discharged from the military.

Here's why fans had to wait so long for Netflix's Boots (F.K.A. The Corps).

Netflix's Boots — originally under the working title The Corps — was greenlit in May 2023 with a cast that already included actors like Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga. At the time, Deadline also reported that Andy Parker (Tales of the City, Pantheon) and Norman Lear (All in the Family, Good Times) were attached, and that the series was inspired by Greg Cope White's memoir The Pink Marine: One Boy's Journey Through Boot Camp to Manhood.

But here's the tea: Boots reportedly started pre-production on June 7, 2023, and was swiftly impacted by the months-long Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes of 2023 that started just a few weeks later. By the end of that year, Boots executive producer Norman Lear — a legendary figure in Hollywood — passed away at 101 years old.

Boots is now streaming on Netflix.