Inspired by a memoir, Netflix's new show "Boots" tells the story of a gay man going through the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp in the early 1990s.

The Gist: Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer) has been bullied for years, whether it’s because he’s gay or just because he might march to a different beat than his classmates do. His mother Barbara (Vera Farmiga) and brother Benjy (Ivan Hoey Jr.) are less than supportive, and tell him to be more “masculine.”

The resilient, talented, and charismatic actor tells Out how he brought Sgt. Sullivan to life — and recalls his own experiences waiting for Boots to get an official release date.

The year is 1990, and Cope, played by Miles Heizer (“Parenthood,” “13 Reasons Why”), is a young gay man terrified of being outed in this aggressively homophobic environment. That’s the setup for this sensitively crafted military dramedy based on the memoir “The Pink Marine” by Greg Cope White, who is also a writer of this adaptation.

Starring Miles Heizer as a closeted gay teenager who joins the Marines alongside his best friend, this Netflix miniseries shows military life in a pre-Don't Ask, Don't Tell world.