Boots: Kieron Moore dishes on Miles Heizer's drag and Max Parker relationship

In this two-part interview feature with Kieron Moore, the actor discusses his personal life, career, and breakout performances of 2025. Part I, below, centers the Netflix series Boots. In Part II, now live on Out.com, Moore examines his character in Elliot Tuttle's debut feature, Blue Film.

From playing a homophobic recruit at the U.S. Marine Corps on Boots to embodying a queer cam boy and sex worker in Blue Film, this is a breakthrough year for Kieron Moore. Born in Manchester, England, Moore spent 12 years in competitive boxing — influenced by his "hypermasculine" father — and only started acting at 21.

This year alone, Moore delivered two standout performances in queer-centric projects: First as Slovacek on Boots, a Netflix show inspired by Greg Cope White's memoir The Pink Marine; then as Aaron Eagle in Blue Film, a daring debut feature from filmmaker Elliot Tuttle. Both performances examine the fragility of masculinity through a queer lens, and it's endearing to hear Moore's deep awareness of such archetypes despite not being anything like either of those characters.

"I'm probably not a good reflection of straight men, that's something I've come to terms with," Moore tells Out. "I'm just so full of love. I just want to understand everyone."

Kieron MooreRussell Baer (@russell.baer)

Moore explains, "I use this example all the time: I love my straight friends, but if I go out with my straight friends, and we go dancing or whatever, it's not a dance. We get there, and it feels a bit tense, and weirdly volatile. It feels like a bit of animosity. And I'm like, 'Is there going to be a fight?' [Laughs.] I'm alert!"

"But then I go out with Max [Parker] and it's just like, 'Oh, I'm dancing.' And I love being able to do that," the actor notes. "A lot of people look at me and think a certain thing, but I'm actually quite delicate, and fun, and frivolous."

The five out actors on Boots — Miles Heizer (Cameron Cope), Max Parker (Sgt. Sullivan), Sachin Bhatt (Major Wilkinson), Angus O'Brien (Hicks), and Jack Cameron Kay (Jones) — were paired with an ensemble of straight actors who were just as playful, just as friendly, and without any hang-ups about bonding with their queer costars. For Moore, the layers were even deeper.

"Me and Max became friends from the moment we met. With Miles as well," Moore says. "Miles is an interesting one, because my mom's been obsessed with Miles since 13 Reasons Why. When I told her I was working with Miles, she was more happy that Miles was working than me. [Laughs.] I was like, 'You don't even know this person!'"

Kieron Moore and in-drag Miles Heizer on set while filming Boots.Instagram (@kieronmoore)

Speaking of Heizer! The Boots fandom has been losing its collective mind over certain pictures of the actor being in full drag. Even though the images seem to have been taken while filming the show, that moment never came up in any of the episodes. There also hasn't been any clear explanation for them. So, what's that all about?

"There was a moment in the original script where there was going to be a… It was more of a dream sequence," Moore says, being careful but also candid. "We were all in it. The scene was meant to be this old reality dream, I guess, and Slovacek was holding Cam. This was a moment for Cameron to weaken these other men; to make himself feel a sense of belonging."

Moore explains that the scene was ultimately cut once they came back from the SAG/WGA strike hiatus and the total number of episodes had been reduced from 10 to eight. Still, filming that moment "was one of the best days on set," Moore recalls. "The photo with me and Miles… I love that picture so much. And he looks so good!"

The actors, alongside an in-drag Miles Heizer, on set while filming Boots.Instagram (@kieronmoore)

Even though the scene was cut from the final edit, the memories are good enough. "The boys really bonded that day. I was very interested to see how all of the boys would come together, and it was this really beautiful thing," Moore reveals. "We all fell in love pretty quickly. It was just really special to watch the boys dance in the scene and be like, 'Yeah, this is a good group of boys.'"

"Hopefully, one day they'll just release the footage for BTS or something," he muses.

The actors, alongside an in-drag Miles Heizer, on set while filming Boots.Instagram (@kieronmoore)

Moore acknowledges how funny it is to see this social media investigation on the drag files of Miles Heizer. "I also have pictures of him in a different look," he teases. "I'm surprised that no one's noticed yet, but I guess it's because I haven't posted the other look."

"It's Wilson Phillips. I've got a different one where he's eating his lunch, and I think if I posted that one, people would clock like, 'Oh, he's in drag as Wilson Phillips!' That was going to be… It was all three of them, and Cope has this moment. He looked so good."

Chynna Phillips in the music video for 'Hold On' by Wilson Phillips; Miles Heizer dressed as Chynna Phillips on set while filming Boots.YouTube (@WilsonPhillipsVEVO)/SBK Records; Netflix

This bond between the straight-identifying actors and the out queer actors has drawn some criticism and questioning from fans, too, which isn't that surprising.

Moore reflects, "Everyone's been super nice. I mean, I have seen some comments from people who just can't comprehend that I'm a straight man being that close to the fold, and it makes me a bit sad. How lucky am I that I get to have friends from different walks of life, that I love with all of my heart?"

"I'm always going to be that friend. I actually have more gay friends than straight friends," the actor says. "Coming from my volatile boxing background, and where I lived, it's such a toxic masculine place. I'm more myself in queer spaces, and my friends have been so welcoming."

Moore explains that Parker is one of his best friends, and so is Parker's husband — fellow actor Kris Mochrie. "I have this running theme where I call them my dads," Moore teases.

Max Parker, Kieron Moore, and Kris Mochrie via Instagram.Instagram (@krismoc)

"Max is quite a fascinating human being," Moore says, reflecting on their friendship. "I know a lot of hypermasculine, overt, alpha straight men who are quite taken aback by Max. It's this thing, like… They don't understand it! [Laughs.] Max is one of my best friends, so it's one of my favorite things to see in the flesh. I love watching other people meet Max. Their brains go like, 'What?!'"

Moore and Parker became friends as costars on Peacock's Vampire Academy. Since the Boots phenomenon, pictures and videos of the two actors spending time together have resurfaced and gone viral.

Moore, who admits that he's "chronically online at the moment," has had a lot of fun with the memes and jokes. However, the actor wishes fans could see the full picture, and not just what is being projected onto them.

"We've got some people that knew our friendship from Vampire Academy, and it's been nice to see some of them weigh in. I've got so many memories with Max, but obviously Kris [Mochrie] is dear to me, too," Moore adds. "I mean, I read a poem at their wedding! I love them both. People are like, 'Oh, I hope Kris doesn't see the comments.' And I'm like, 'Kris!' [Motions to look at his phone.] I literally stay at their house on the weekends sometimes, you know what I mean?"

Kieron Moore and Max Parker on set filming Boots.Elaine Siemek (@elameeeee)/Netflix

"It's that sort of thing: Fantasy and projection. Luckily, we have such a strong friendship that we get to laugh at it. But it could've been a very volatile space, you know what I mean?" Moore reflects. "Yet I'm his friend, and it's been one of them things where I got to watch him wait for this opportunity. I got to watch him book the role. I got to call him when he booked it. I've read with him on auditions. We've both not got jobs [in the past], and we've both been there for each other."

Though they met for the first time as costars in Vampire Academy, Moore says that his "acting coach knew Kris, who is Max's love." He adds, "So there was always a link there. We jelled immediately. I didn't know how close we would get, but he really became my family. Since Vampire Academy, we got really close."

Moore recalls, "There was this silly little moment where I bought him [Parker] a watch when he left [Vampire Academy]. And I was like, 'Whatever. I'm thankful for this time. I hope, whatever happens with your career, we'll stay friends.' And then Vampire Academy finished and we just hung out all the time anyway. We just became really close. We've all seen the ups and downs of our lives and careers."

"I'm super proud of getting to be able to play Slovacek. But, for me, the biggest win of this is getting to watch the world celebrate my best mate. I've seen how much he's waited for this, and the time it's taken, and the work that's gone into making it happen. That's a huge win," Moore declares.

Part II of this interview feature with Kieron Moore, in which the actor discusses Blue Film, is now available on Out.com. Stay tuned with the latest by signing up for the Out newsletter.

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Boots is now streaming on Netflix.