Looking actor Jonathan Groff discusses his character Patrick in an all new picture book celebrating the HBO series.

In it, Groff says playing Patrick "hit so close to the bone," and insinuates the role was almost therapeutic to play because the character was somewhat modeled after him and his real-life relationships.

"This job has changed my life in so many ways," he said. "I’ve never played a character that hit so close to the bone. It felt like an extension of myself taking place in the present. Trying to figure out what it means to be gay. Patrick and I are from the same generation of gay men so it has been so real for me."

Groff also revealed that series writer Andrew Haigh had written the Kevin (Russell Tovey) storyline after hearing about Groff's ex, whom he broke up with before the show.

"I had told Andrew of a break up I had where the other guy wanted to be in an open relationship – so he wrote that situation for Patrick and Kevin," he said.

Groff reflected on the relationship further in another passage:

"The thing that broke my heart about him in Season 2 was when he got back together with Kevin, but you could see the writing on the wall that Kevin was not right for him. Everyone that cares about you can see it, but you have to experience it. With Richie, it was real and intimate, unadulterated and beautiful, but Patrick wasn’t ready for that. So he has this thing with Kevin almost as some kind of checklist situation, there was love there, but it was never going to end well. It was hard to watch him go through that, but he had to."

The book, a welcome treat for fans after July's feature length series finale, documents both seasons of the series as well as the film. It also features interviews with cast members, biographies, reflections, and a deep-dive into set design.

The Looking book hits bookstores on October 17.

h/t Towleroad