Jeff Hiller & Tim Bagley Find Each Other (and Happiness) on 'Somebody, Somewhere'

EDGE: Being queer and religious usually rarely mixes. Both of your characters are very spiritual. Are you spiritual in real life, and what is the message to the queer viewers you are trying to share?

Jeff Hiller: I grew up very religious. I went to church every Sunday until I was about 31 years old, and that's only because I fell in love with a guy who is Jewish, and now, I spend time with him on Sundays. First of all, I know that there are some not-nice churches out there, especially for queer folks. I wouldn't ever say you need to get into church. I'm not one for proselytizing, but I do know so many queer folks who have found their community in the church. I went to Texas Lutheran University, and I had multiple professors who were LGBTQ+ and wanted to find a community in church. In my community growing up in Texas, because the government is so conservative, the only people doing any social justice were lefty church organizations. They were the people you went to if you had food insecurity, the people fighting for migrants, and the ones who were making sure that there was shelter in a rural community. I'm like my character, Joel, in that I don't think of the church as an oppressive place. I think of it as a safe place.

Tim Bagley: I also grew up religious, and it was tricky for me because, at the time, churches were not welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. There wasn't even the term LGBTQ. I had to figure out that path on my own. I remember deciding that I wouldn't let the church, which man created, stop my relationship with God, so I figured out how to do it on my own. I think there are young LGBTQ+ people out there that love God and have a relationship. I want them to know that there is a place and that God loves us. It is personal for me to imagine that there are people out there who should know that they don't have to cut off their church and God.

EDGE: I am not ready to say goodbye to "Somebody Somewhere"; if we were gifted more seasons, where would you have liked to see Joel and Brad's storyline go?

Jeff Hiller: I would love to continue exploring the intense and very platonic relationship that Joel has with Sam now that he's finding this romantic love with Brad. We touched the surface of what it's like to mix those two relationships together. I would love to see where that continues, specifically the mixing of those two soulmates that Joel has found and is lucky to have. In another interview, Tim said that Joel talks about giving up on the dream of having kids. Tim, I'm stealing your answer here: you never know what life will be and what it will bring. That excited me because what if they did adopt a teen, or what if they adopted Sam? These characters are so real that they are going to continue. They're not ending. I know that they're going to continue, even if they're not going to be airing on HBO. I love imagining the lives that they'll continue living.

Tim Bagley: I think that he answered perfectly.

EDGE: Representation matters, and this show does a fantastic job. As gay men and actors, what has it meant to be a part of a show that does this so well?

Tim Bagley: I can say it means everything to me. It is personal, and I am so grateful to be a part of it because it's a show I would've liked to have watched growing up. I would like to have known that there were people like this and me out there. It meant everything to me to be in this show.

Jeff Hiller: Me Too. So Proud. I was at a film festival when a kid approached me, and he's probably 30. He approached me and said, "It means so much to me to see someone on screen, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, who is not hot." I did take it the wrong way, but after I licked my wounds, I understood what he meant and I loved hearing it. I watched every episode of "Queer as Folk," but it wasn't mirroring my life. There is something really special about seeing someone who mirrors your life, and that's important and makes me proud to be a part of it.

EDGE: The series ended on hope. I believe the viewers will walk away feeling satisfied. What do the both of you walk away with?

Tim Bagley: Bitterness and contempt.

Jeff Hiller: I think Tim answered that perfectly.

Tim Bagley: I think sadness that it is not continuing, but I also hope that Sam continues on her journey and that each one of these characters continues on their journey. I don't know where the show would've gone, but I know that in real life, Bridget moved to New York, became a cabaret singer, and has lived this incredible life. I like the idea that these characters continue on, and I feel hopeful at the end for all of them.

Jeff Hiller: I love that you felt the show ended on hope because that's exactly where I wanted it to end, too. I think this show represents hope, and it especially says there's hope, even if you committed the mortal sin of aging. I appreciate the show for that.

"Somebody, Somewhere" airs on HBO on Sundays at 10:30pm. Episodes available to stream on MAX. For more on the show, click here.