Netflix’s gay Marine show, Boots, is led by Miles Heizer and packed with both established and up-and-coming actors who help make this one of the best dramedies from the streamer. Based on the book The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, Boots delves into the experience of a gay teenager who is forced to hide his sexuality within the pressure-cooker environment of the Marines’ boot camp.
Between its soundtrack – which is a love letter to queer pop of the ’80s – and its strong writing, Boots deserves so much praise. It offers a fresh perspective on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people of the past, honing in on a subgroup that’s often overlooked due to the hyperconservatism of the military.
However, the Netflix original comedy-drama wouldn’t have the same impact if it weren’t for the incredible acting by actor Miles Heizer, of 13 Reasons Why and Parenthood fame. He’s the anchor for this story, and luckily, he’s surrounded by actors who are just as capable of creating interesting and compelling characters.
Actor
Character
Miles Heizer
Cameron Cope
Liam Oh
Ray McAffey
Max Parker
Sgt. Sullivan
Ana Ayora
Captain Fajardo
Vera Farmiga
Barbara Cope
Blake Burt
John Bowman
Dominic Goodman
Nash
Kieron Moore
Slovacek
Angus O’Brein
Hicks
Rico Paris
Santos
Brandon Tyler Moore
Cody Bowman
Johnathan Nieves
Ochoa
Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson
Alice
Logan Gould
Mo Mason
Jack Cameron Kay
Jones
Cedrick Cooper
Sgt. McKinnon
Nicholas Logan
Sgt. Howitt
Brett Dalton
Sgt. Pitowski
Beau Mirchoff
Sgt. Maitra
Zach Roerig
Sgt. Knox
Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope
Date of Birth: May 16, 1994
Cam looks to the side worried in Boots episode 2Alfonso “Pompo” Bresciani/Netflix
Actor: Miles Heizer was born in Greenville, Kentucky, and he got his big break as an actor when he was cast as Drew Holt in the cast of Parenthood. However, his popularity as an actor boomed because of his emotional performance as Alex Standall in the Netflix adaptation of 13 Reasons Why.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Title
Character
Year
Parenthood
Drew Holt
2010-2015
Nerve
Tommy
2016
13 Reasons Why
Alex Standall
2017-2020
Love, Simon
Cal
2018
Ex-Husbands
Mickey Pearce
2023
Character: In Boots, Miles Heizer plays Cameron “Cam” Cope, a gay teen who joins the Marines in 1990, knowing he will have to stay closeted. He joins alongside his best friend, Ray McAffey, using the buddy system so they’ll be in the same platoon.
Liam Oh as Ray McAffey
Date of Birth: Unknown
Sgt. Howitt and Sgt. Knox screams at Ray in Boots episode 1Courtesy of Netflix
Actor: Liam Oh is a very new actor who only has two credits to his name (one of which is uncredited) prior to taking on a leading role in Boots. However, his performance in the show proves him capable of building a great career as an actor.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Title
Character
Year
The Thing About Harry
Sexy Guy
2020
Character: In Boots, Liam Oh plays the role of Ray McAffey, a military brat who is determined to follow in the footsteps of his father. He initially joined the Air Force Academy, but was kicked out. As such, Ray and Cam decide to enlist in the Marines together
Max Parker as Sgt. Sullivan
Date of Birth: February 7, 1992
Sgt. Sullivan stands in a doorway in Boots episode 2Courtesy of Netflix
Active Since: 2016
Actor: British actor Max Parker was born in Manchester, England. Although he had many prominent roles beforehand, Max Parker got his big break when he played Mikhail Tann in Peacock’s Vampire Academy TV show. He also has a guest role in Doctor Who season 15’s debut episode.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Title
Character
Year
Emmerdale Farm
Luke Posner
2019-2021
Vampire Academy
Mikhail Tanner
2022
Strictly Confidential
Will
2024
Doctor Who
Manny
2025
Character: In Boots, Max Parker plays Sgt. Sullivan, a decorated Marine who transfers to Parris Island from Guam and takes on the role of a drill instructor. He’s extremely strict and hard on his recruits. However, he is especially hard on Cam.
Ana Ayora as Captain Fajardo
Date of Birth: July 8
Captain Fajaro looks to the side in Season 1 Episode 4 of BootsPatti Perret/Netflix
Actor: Ana Ayora was born in Miami, Florida, and she got her big break as an actor when she was cast as Nuria in the 2013 film The Big Wedding. Since then, she has appeared in both actions and dramas, making her perfect for Netflix’s Marine dramedy.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
Title
Character
Year
The Big Wedding
Nuria
2013
Banshee
Deputy Nina Cruz
2013-2016
Major Crimes
Sofia Luna
2017
Captain Marvel
Agent Whitcher
2019
In The Dark
Sarah Barnes
2019-2022
Truth Be Told
Alicia
2023
Character: In Boots, Ana Ayora plays Captain Fajardo, the leader of the training at Parris Island. She’s the first woman captain.
Boots Supporting Cast & Characters
Cam stands at attention with his fellow recruits in Boots episode 1Alfonso “Pompo” Bresciani/Netflix
Vera Farmiga as Barbara Cope: Barbara Cope, played by Vera Farmiga, is the neglectful mother of Cam Cope in Boots. Farmiga is best known for playing Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring Universe movies. Additionally, she has played Eleanor Bishop in Hawkeye, Norma Louise Bates in Bates Motel, and Kate in Orphan.
Blake Burt as John Bowman: Played by Blake Burt, Marine recruit John Bowman, brother to his twin Cody, becomes quick friends with Cam. Burt has about two dozen acting credits to his name before Boots. His best-known roles are Morgan in The World We Make and Jimmy in The Reliant.
Dominic Goodman as Nash: Played by Dominic Goodman, Nash is another Marine recruit in Cam’s platoon in Boots. He is a relatively new actor, and his biggest role is Apollo in the 2022 vampire drama First Kill.
Kieron Moore as Slovacek: Marine recruit Slovacek, played by Kieron Moore, is a bully within Cam’s platoon. Although he hasn’t had very many roles, many of them have been noteworthy. He played Dimitri Belikov in Vampire Academy, Cliff Starkey in the cast of Masters of the Air, and Liam Barlow in Code of Silence.
Angus O’Brien as Hicks: Played by Angus O’Brien, Hicks is a man who enlists in the Marines to get out of going to prison. O’Brien only has a dozen acting credits under his belt, and he hasn’t had a big break yet. His most prominent roles are Ethan in Hightown and Michael in Night Sky.
Rico Paris as Santos: Santos Santos, played by Rico Paris, is a man who joins Cam’s platoon. Paris got his big break playing Schnipper in Netflix’s Tall Girl and Tall Girl 2. However, he’s best known for playing Also Juan in Zola and Hunter in Parachute.
Brandon Tyler Moore as Cody Bowman: Played by Brandon Tyler Moore, Cody Bowman is the twin brother of John Bowman, who wants to be seen as the strongest person in the platoon. With just 12 acting credits under his belt, Moore has not made his big break yet. His biggest role to date is Seth in English Teacher.
Johnathan Nieves as Ochoa: Ochoa, played by Johnathan Nieves, is a Marine recruit who is very in love with his wife. Although he doesn’t have many acting credits, Nieves played the significant roles of Mateo Vega in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and Richie Valdovinos in the cast of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson as Alice: The mysterious female Marine recruit, Alice, played by Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, has multiple run-ins with Ray in the med bay. Johnson made her big break playing Kendra in the hit Netflix show On My Block. Additionally, her notable roles include Cheerleader Nikki in Sex Appeal, Marta in The Rookie, and Teen Lauren Creston in Totally Killer:
Logan Gould as Mo Mason: Played by Logan Gould, Mo Mason is one of the most promising Marine recruits in Cam’s platoon in Boots. Gould is a relatively new actor. However, he played Lonny Byers in Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Broadway and Solomon in Days of August.
Jack Cameron Kay as Jones: Jack Cameron Kay’s Jones is a recruit who bunks with Cam in Boots. Kay only has one credit to his name before Boots, acting in the short film Bird in Hand.
Cedrick Cooper as Sgt. McKinnon: Sgt. McKinnon, played by Cedrick Cooper, is the head drill sergeant for Cam’s platoon. Like many other actors in Boots, Cooper has less than a dozen credits to his name before the Netflix original show. His most notable role is Officer Wirth in the detective show Will Trent.
Nicholas Logan as Sgt. Howitt: Sgt. Howitt, played by Nicholas Logan, is one of the drill sergeants assisting McKinnon. Logan’s big break came when he played Walt in Dopesick. Other notable roles include Tyler Simons in Class of ’09, Colton Wolf in Dark Winds, and Travis in The Last Stop in Yuma County.
Brett Dalton as Sgt. Pitowski: Sgt. Pitowski is a sergeant in Boots. Dalton biggest role to date is Grant Ward/Hive in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which he played from 2013 to 2017. His other notable roles include Lieutenant Jason Pelham in Chicago Fire, Carter Griffin in The Equalizer, and Mark Trent in Found.
Beau Mirchoff as Sgt. Maitra: Played by Beau Mirchoff, Sgt. Maitra is a Marine who was friends with Sgt. Sullivan in Boots. Mirchoff’s big break came when he played Matty McKibben, the love interest of Jenna Hamilton, in the TV series Awkward. His other notable roles include Ford Halstead in Now Apocalypse, Steve Sheridan in Narcos: Mexico, Rhodes in the Detective Night movies, and Jamie Hunter in Good Trouble.
Zach Roerig as Sgt. Knox: Sgt. Knox, played by Zach Roerig, is a racist drill sergeant in Boots. Roerig got his big break for playing Matt Donovan in The Vampire Diaries. His other notable roles include Cash in Friday Night Lights, Casey Hughes in As the World Turns, and Sarge Will Mosley in Dare Me.