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\nMiles Heizer opens up to PEOPLE exclusively about how working on his new dramedy series Boots was an “enlightening” experience for him after he “never really connected heavily with manhood growing up””Everyone was always there, so we just spent so much time together and created really, really\u00a0close bonds and connections,” he shares of his costarsBoots is now streaming on Netflix<\/p>\n
Working on Boots proved to be a game-changing experience for Miles Heizer<\/a> in more ways than one.\n<\/p>\n The new Netflix dramedy series, created by Andy Parker and based on Greg Cope White’s 2015 memoir The Pink Marine<\/a>, follows closeted American teen Cameron Cope (Heizer) as he opts to join the US Marine Corps in the 1990s alongside his straight best friend Ray McAffey (Liam Oh<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n Heizer’s Cameron struggles to find his place in the world before enlisting in the Marines straight out of high school. His boot camp experience serves as a coming-of-age journey for the character as his perspective on manhood changes.\n<\/p>\n Working on the series also shifted Heizer’s own point of view.\n<\/p>\n Miles Heizer attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations – “Boots” screening and conversation at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center on October 6, 2025 in New York City.<\/p>\n Dominik Bindl\/Getty<\/p>\n “To be honest, I never really connected heavily with manhood growing up,” the Parenthood<\/a> alum, 31, says to PEOPLE exclusively.\n<\/p>\n “I was raised by\u00a0women. I had predominantly female friends. I was aware I was gay from a very young age<\/a>,” he continues. “I think that I\u00a0sort of held myself back from developing friendships with men, especially straight men because I think I\u00a0was afraid of not being accepted or not belonging, not fitting in.”\n<\/p>\n Heizer notes that it “was such an incredible\u00a0experience for me to be put in this situation with these boys” on Boots.\n<\/p>\n “We so genuinely come from different\u00a0backgrounds, different states\u00a0[and countries],” he says of his castmates. “To have built these super-strong connections with these people is something that I\u00a0probably would never have put myself in a position to do, and it was very enlightening for me in that\u00a0regard as well.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The show also stars Max Parker<\/a>, Vera Farmiga<\/a>, Cedrick Cooper<\/a>, Ana Ayora<\/a>, Angus O’Brien<\/a>, Dominic Goodman<\/a>, Kieron Moore<\/a>, Nicholas Logan<\/a>, Blake Burt<\/a> and Rico Paris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Liam Oh as Ray McAffey and Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope in ‘Boots’.<\/p>\n Alfonso “Pompo” Bresciani\/Netflix<\/p>\n To play Marine recruits in bootcamp, the cast really did feel like they were in training together.\n<\/p>\n “We ended up having this sort of phantom boot camp\u00a0experience where we really did [bond],” Heizer shares. “I think part of boot camp is sort of stripping away your individuality and creating this group mindset. And in some weird way, I feel like we really had that because we\u00a0shot over almost a two-year span of time of the writers’ strike and actors’ strike.”\n<\/p>\n “So, over this time\u00a0period, it’s like we only saw each other like bald in about three outfits.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a>\n<\/p>\n Elaborating on what he calls a “very abnormal shooting schedule where everyone is in every scene no matter\u00a0what,” Heizer says, “We’re confined to these sets, so you’re always in the background somewhere. So no one ever had a\u00a0day off.”\n<\/p>\n “Everyone was always there, so we just spent so much time together and created really, really\u00a0close bonds and connections,” the 13 Reasons Why<\/a> alum continues. “There’s all this physical activity and these things that sort of end up bonding you, because you’re in the New Orleans heat and you’re miserable, but you’re also kind of\u00a0having the best time of your life.”\n<\/p>\n