The Boys hasn’t had to do much to announce itself as the dirty, profane, narcissistic, misogynistic, black sheep of the comic book world…but it doesn’t mean it won’t keep on trying.
Following its three-episode premiere on Prime Video on June 3rd, cast members Jack Quaid (Hughie), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), and Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman) dolled up and faced the cold at an exclusive fan event at Sydney’s Hoyts Entertainment Quarter to preview the anticipated fourth episode.
Ahead of the screening, our own Peter Gray spoke to the cast on the black carpet, doing his best to not spoil any season secrets, talking on how messed up these current episodes are, incorporating real social issues into the script, and how fun it is to do terrible, terrible things when playing these characters.
Jack, I spoke to you earlier in the year for the Scream junket…
Jack Quaid: Oh yeah! How are you?
I’m great, and I just have to say how incredible you were in that film. And I wasn’t really allowed to say anything…
Jack Quaid: Oh, thank you. Yeah, no one was allowed to say anything. I couldn’t even say anything.
But things that you can hopefully talk about is this season of The Boys. This season is messed up…
Jack Quaid: It’s really messed up.
What’s your reaction when you read these pages? Do you ever wonder how far they’re going to go?
Jack Quaid: Yeah. I love reading these little moments in the script and when we’re shooting I always think how exciting it will be for people to see it, but I think what’s really great about (The Boys), and what will really add to the longevity going forward, is the characters. Each character is so deep, and we really get to see the depths of all these characters this season. (Showrunner) Erick Kripke says that the show is like a cereal box. On the box is all the gore and, you know, driving a speedboat into a whale, but inside are the characters’ relationships. It’s great how we’re really able to wrap this great story up in such a gory package. I never thought I’d be on a show like this, so I’m just so happy.
Karen, I just have to say your musical number is incredible. I don’t want to say too much, but when you see that in the script, how do you feel knowing this whole other side of Kimiko will be explored?
Karen Fukuhara: When I read the script I was so, so honoured to be doing this, especially for something like The Boys. I think last season, Erick Kripke, our showrunner, he wanted to incorporate a musical sequence. He just didn’t know who was going to do it. So I feel honoured that I’m the one character that gets to do that. The rehearsals were extensive, because I find dance choreography to be way harder than stunt choreography. At least for me, because I have a martial arts background, I knew I could do it in the end working with our stunt team, but I’ve never done a dance number before, so it was a challenge.
Jessie, I’ve been fortunate enough to see the majority of this season, and your performance is stellar…
Jessie T. Usher: Oh, thank you so much, man.
And we see that the Black Lives Matter movement becomes quite incorporated into A-Train’s narrative. Was that something the writers discussed with you in bringing that into the show? How did you feel about it?
Jessie T. Usher: I think it just made sense. It was just one of those things. The show is very reflective of the world around us in a lot of ways, and we can’t shy away from these social issues. We can’t do it. This show, that character, that time… it was a clear choice of where that arc should go for A-Train.
Is there anything you’re allowed to say regarding A-Train and Hughie’s dynamic? That tension is still lingering there…
Jessie T. Usher: You know, me and Jack actually were talking about this. There’s some little implications, but I think we gotta get past that point. I don’t know what that means or where it’s going to go eventually, but I do know that that same conversation of “You killed my girlfriend – It wasn’t my fault”, we gotta get past that! We need to get to whatever is after that. So, we’ll see.
Claudia, obviously towards the end of last season we saw what Victoria was capable of. Did you know that was where your character was going to go?
Claudia Doumit: I had no idea! I did not know until I got the script, and it was the second-to-last episode of the season. All throughout the season the writers were coming up to me, and Eric, our creator, was coming up saying “We’re so excited about Neuman, we’re so excited about this character, big stuff, big stuff!”, and I’d get the script for an episode and read she was at a rally… and I’d think, well I guess this is interesting? (laughs) Then I got the script for that episode and I realised “Oh, BIG stuff!”
I’m one of those people that probably is a little bit too happy when a femme fatale shines through. Like, Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl? Love that shit!
Claudia Doumit: Oh my God! I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
So I’m watching it feeling quite gleeful watching you do these terrible things…
Claudia Doumit: These horrific things!
It must be so much fun to just tap into that. I feel like the nicer you are…
Claudia Doumit: The more evil a character you play (laughs)
Which means you must be the nicest person!
Claudia Doumit: (Laughs) Oh, thank you, first of all. Yeah, she’s endlessly fascinating to explore and play with as a character. She’s so duplicitous and she has her own agenda, and it’s just so much fun to see how she acts based on who she’s talking to. She changes each time. It’s great.
Chace, your character has probably had one of the biggest changes in terms of his personality and how he’s interacting with The Seven, and, of course, his wife just pulling those strings. Without giving too much away, will we see a return of The Deep to his original ways?
Chace Crawford: You know, I’m always pushing for that. Let’s see him have another breakdown. There’s definitely some loyalty tests that keep coming around, especially with Homelander. The Deep is obviously desperate to maintain his status now that he’s back in The Seven. There’s definitely some stuff going on. I mean, episode 6 is wild!
Are you able to look at an octopus the same way now?
Chace Crawford: (Laughs) No? It’s fiction, it’s science, it’s not really feasibly possible…
Oh good! Now that I know it’s not possible…
Chace Crawford: (Laughs) Yeah, Kripke just told me to say “It’s science!”
The first three episodes of The Boys Season 3 are currently available to stream on Prime Video. Episode 4 will be available Friday June 10th, 2022. The remaining episodes will air each subsequent Friday, before the epic season finale on July 8th, 2022.
