Hate crimes, on-set deaths, and devastating family tragedies – "The Boys" gets into some
pretty bleak stuff, but off-screen, the cast has faced a lot of real-life darkness too.
Keep watching as we take you through the true, tragic details about the cast of "The Boys."
Newcomer Jack Quaid is adept at playing the bereaved Hughie on "The Boys." Much like the
vengeance-seeking antihero he depicts, Quaid has endured his share of hardship.
The son of Hollywood A-listers Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Jack was just eight when his
parents called it quits, leading to a toxic media frenzy around the couple's separation.
The divorce was hard on Jack, but being subjected to the less-than-savory tabloid
headlines made the experience all the more painful. He shared on the "Allegedly" podcast,
"It's kind of hard to ignore when you're at a grocery store and you're like,
checking out and, you know, those People and In Touch magazines on the side. And you look
at them and there's a photo of them with a little paper rip thing ... It's a hard deal."
His parents' divorce was exacerbated by gossip that his mom was having an affair with Russell
Crowe. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey, Ryan admitted to the dalliance, but said that her marriage to
Dennis was, quote, "very unhealthy" and should have ended years earlier anyway.
"It was never about another
man. It was only about what our... my and Dennis' relationship just couldn't sustain."
In addition to his difficulties dealing with the public aftermath of his parents' split,
Jack has also opened up about his struggles with anxiety. He told Project UROK,
"I've always been slightly more anxious than your average Joe. I
remember freshman year of college I started having panic attacks."
He said that having someone to talk to was paramount in coping with his anxiety disorder.
New Zealand actor Antony Starr portrays the seemingly innocuous and upstanding Homelander
on "The Boys." However, Homelander is skilled at hiding his diabolical
persona from those around him. Secretly, he engages in the most nefarious villainy.
Starr plays Homelander with aplomb, perhaps because he's found himself
on the wrong side of the law, much like the duplicitous antagonist he embodies.
In 2022, Starr was filming a movie in Spain when he was arrested by authorities. According to
Variety, he was handed a suspended sentence of 12 months and fined a whopping five grand. According
to The New Zealand Herald, a drunken Starr got into a scuffle with a 21-year-year old chef. The
actor threw punches at the young chef and broke a glass in his face, leaving him with bloody
injuries. Subsequently, the victim had to be taken to hospital where he was given four stitches.
"And yet, I turned out great."
Looking back on the horrific incident, Starr told The New York Times that he
had made a terrible mistake, which he has since learned from. He said,
"I got myself into a situation that was negative and I reacted poorly,
and the way forward from that was very clear."
The actor also hinted at having a drinking problem. When asked
whether he would quit drinking, he replied,
"I wish it was that simple. I don't know anyone that hasn't,
on a personal level, got things that they want to work on."
Karen Fukuhara plays the lone girl, known as The Female, in the superhero ensemble group of "The
Boys." A profile in The Last Magazine highlights that Fukuhara's casting in the Amazon series is
pivotal to countering the racially insensitive and sexist stereotypes present in the original
book series. She told the outlet regarding Hollywood's history of offensive casting tropes,
"There are Asian female leads and we're not just an assistant,
a doctor, the sidekick, or the friend. I think our stories are finally getting told."
Tragically, Fukuhara has been on the receiving end of anti-Asian hate.
In 2022, she was assaulted by a man in a racially-motivated hate crime.
Recalling the horrific incident on Instagram, she said that she was minding her own business
in a café when a man struck her head entirely out of the blue. She wrote,
"What satisfaction are these perpetrators getting from hitting women, Asians,
the elderly?" They need to be held accountable."
Her "The Boys" co-stars sent their love and support.
The attack occurred at a time when the Stop Asian Hate initiative was gaining momentum.
Speaking with InStyle following the assault, Fukuhara said that she felt a duty to share her
story. After reading about various anti-Asian attacks having occurred in cities all over the
country — in places where she had always felt safe as an Asian woman — she was left shaken, saying,
"When that happened, it was almost a cry for help."
Acting vet Karl Urban is another Kiwi star who's lent his name to the impressive,
ever expanding cast of "The Boys." Playing Billy Butcher,
Urban has an undeniable magnetism with that devilish beard and
infamous mischievous grin — even when, as his moniker suggests, he's butchering his enemies.
Aside from "The Boys," Urban is synonymous with the rebooted "Star Trek" movies. Sadly,
his co-star and friend, Anton Yelchin , died in 2016, aged just 27. Per the Los Angeles Times,
Yelchin was killed in a freak accident when he was crushed by his own car. The incident
devastated Urban, who tweeted his shock when he heard the terrible news, declaring that he was,
quote, "hurting bad." In the aftermath of the young actor's passing, Urban spoke to
Entertainment Weekly and expressed his disbelief that Yelchin could be taken so soon. He said,
"He was a huge loss to our family, and I think we're all still reeling in shock.
It's just still very fresh, this only happened a matter of weeks ago.
We're a little floored. It's tough. We miss him terribly. He should be here."
During an appearance on Today, he reflected on Yelchin's untimely death.
"Such a beautiful man. It's so difficult to, you know, think about him in the past."
A month after Yelchin's death, Urban and the rest of the "Star Trek" cast
honored their fallen star at Comic Con by wearing black pins.
The heartthrob of every 2010s teen, Jensen Ackles wooed audiences on "Supernatural."
Now, he's playing a decidedly different role,
as troubled all-American hero Soldier Boy on "The Boys." In addition to his television work,
Ackles has starred in a number of films, one of which would end in tragedy.
In 2021, it was announced by Deadline that Ackles had been cast in the western
"Rust." In a tragedy that rocked Hollywood, cinematographer Halyna
Hutchins was killed on set when Alec Baldwin's prop gun accidentally went off.
As Ackles told USA Today, the tragic shooting happened right in front of his eyes. Eerily,
he was filmed at a convention just days before the fatal accident,
explaining how the "Rust" filmmakers had taught the cast about gun safety. In an Instagram post,
he revealed that he had spoken to Hutchins to praise her work shortly before she died. He wrote,
"Earlier last week I felt compelled to tell Halyna just how awesome I thought she was ... She
laughed and said thank you and gave me a hug. I'll forever be thankful we had that moment."
Ackles has since said that he's struggled to come to terms with the magnitude of the
cinematographer's death. Speaking with USA Today,
he said the incident had given him a new perspective on life. He shared,
"You don't normally witness them like I did, and it's certainly shocking and
jarring. It makes you value life even more than you had."
Simon Pegg's role in "The Boys," as Hughie's dad, is a delicious bit of meta-casting.
In fact, Hughie's design in the book series was originally based on Pegg's real-life appearance.
He was reportedly initially set to star in the show as Hughie Jr.,
but was just too old to play the part by the time the series went into production.
Prior to his work in the cast of "The Boys," Pegg was famed for his lead role in the three movies
of Edgar Wright's so-called Cornetto Trilogy, which included zom-rom-com "Shaun of the Dead,
cop movie parody "Hot Fuzz," and sci-fi body snatcher pic "The World's End."
On the outside, the actor's life seemed like every Brit fanboy's dream come true. The self-styled
nerd was making movies with BFF Nick Frost, and gaining stardom and recognition for it,
to boot. But the truth is, Pegg was all the while grappling with some debilitating demons.
Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction,
he tried at great lengths to hide these issues from the public. Speaking with The Guardian,
Pegg revealed that he struggled with depression for years. He said,
"I would feel like – I'm in a film with Tom Cruise,
I've got the part of Scotty in 'Star Trek.' This should be making me feel happy. But it wasn't."
Accordingly, he began self-medicating with alcohol. In an interview with The Times,
he explained that he appeared well on the outside, but was secretly very ill. He added,
"It's a very private hell that you're in. You're trying to look okay to
other people ... Whereas really you're clearly not well and you're very sad."
Following rehab, Pegg is now in recovery.
Elisabeth Shue is one of several acting vets on "The Boys." She is renowned for
playing affable characters in family films such as "The Karate Kid," and for breaking
our hearts in tearjerkers like "Leaving Las Vegas." However, in the Amazon hit series,
has taken on the role of unscrupulous businesswoman Madelyn. Shue plays the part
with relish, but a cold, unfeeling corporate suit couldn't be further from her offscreen persona.
Unfortunately, Shue's life has been blighted by grief. In 1988, her brother,
soccer player William, died aged just 26 after falling from a tree, per the Los Angeles Times.
Shue appeared in the 2007 film "Gracie," which was directed by her husband David Guggenheim
and based on her own recollections of being a teen soccer prodigy. Primarily,
the film deals with that actor's experiences of grief. Shue shared,
"The heart of the movie is that his passing away really is what has changed our lives, and in some
ways has been one of the most painful gifts that we could have ever been allowed to have."
According to The Morning Call, Shue was present when her brother had the catastrophic accident.
Discussing her loss with the Chicago Tribune, Shue said that she struggles to cope with
Williams' death all these decades later, though his memory remains with her. She added,
"It's still very emotional, yet I am starting to realize that even though
it's going to be emotional for me forever, Will's spirit lives on."
Playing the shady businessman Stan, an associate of Madelyn, Giancarlo
Esposito is adept at depicting mysterious characters who harbor sketchy pasts. The
actor is probably most famous for his role as the terrifyingly stoic Gus Fring on "Breaking Bad."
"You are done."
In 2017, he directed the satirical film "The Show," which deals with the controversial topic
of on-air suicides on a reality show. It turns out that the project resonated with the actor
on a profoundly personal level. The specter of suicide has haunted Esposito throughout his life.
He told The Daily Beast, revealing that he himself had struggled with suicidal ideation,
"My mother tried to commit suicide once, my uncle committed suicide.
I do have some knowledge of depression and where that could lead to."
When the film was released, he faced a hefty amount of censure,
with critics arguing that the director's depiction of suicide was unrealistic. This
upset Esposito, since these scenes were based on his own experiences.
In an interview with The Frame, he opened up about this dark period in his life. He explained,
"I was completely bankrupt and losing my home. My office was in my living
room. I couldn't get a job. I had my fourth daughter ... and I was completely shattered."
After reading the book "Who Moved My Cheese," his
outlook changed and he was suddenly filled with hope,
realizing that he could provide for his family without taking any potentially devastating steps.
In recent years, Haley Joel Osment — once synonymous with the refrain "I see dead
people" — has had a career resurgence, appearing on "The Kominsky Method"
and "The Boys." The latter sees him play the duplicitous Mesmer,
who is both a friend and a foe to the motley crew of eponymous antiheroes.
Being a former child actor, Osment is skilled at playing dual roles,
much like his onscreen alter ego on the Amazon series. Fans of "The Sixth Sense" viewed Osment
as nothing more than the cherubic little boy who shadowed Bruce Willis, but his life away from the
spotlight sadly mirrored a trajectory often expected from former child actors. In 2006,
he was injured in a car crash while driving under the influence. According to The Sydney Morning
Herald, he was hospitalized after breaking his ribs and damaging his shoulder. Subsequently,
he was charged with marijuana possession and driving under the influence. After pleading no
contest, he was forced to undergo drug and alcohol rehabilitation and given three years probation.
Speaking with The Guardian, Osment said that the DUI was a, quote,
"terrible mistake" and emphasized that he's since recovered from this darkness.
Reflecting on his younger self, he dismissed the notion that the life
of a former child star ought to be blighted by misfortune. He said,
"I'm lucky to have a positive relationship with those periods
that can sometimes be difficult for other people."
"I just wanna know you don't hate me.
Jim Beaver plays U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Singer, which,
in a nice bit of "The Boys" Easter-egging, is also the name of his character in "Supernatural."
Despite his stoic onscreen persona, his life has been shrouded in tragedy.
In 1989, he married actor and casting director Cicely Adams, and they welcomed daughter Madeline
Rose in 2001, per My Heritage. But just three years later, Adams was diagnosed with lung cancer
and she died within months, as reported by Variety. She was 46. Beaver was then left to raise
his bereaved three-year-old daughter on his own. Beaver chronicled his grief in the memoir "Life's
That Way," in which he revealed that his wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer just six weeks
after Madeline was diagnosed with autism. Beaver wrote in one particularly devastating passage,
"With all the thousands upon thousands of people suffering from this disease,
how can I find her pain and mine so surprising ... The only answer I can conjure is that a kind
Providence keeps us blind to the intensity of suffering, so as to keep us sane,
until that day when the suffering is our own or that of someone we love beyond imagining."
Tragically, his 16-year-old niece was also diagnosed with cancer.
He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017,
"It's a terrifying time for us as a family."
Two years later, Beaver tweeted that his niece had died on Christmas day, aged just 18.
Following his Season 1 cameo as himself, Billy Zane returned to the cast of "The
Boys" in Season 3. The former A-lister is a surprising addition to the series,
purposely chewing the scenery via his comically cheesy movie roles.
Chace Crawford told Digital Spy that he was delighted to work with Zane,
who's most famous for his role in "Titanic." Sadly,
Zane's personal struggles aren't as frivolous as his self-deprecating "Boys" alter ego suggests.
The coronavirus has claimed millions of lives the world over. As a result,
Zane confessed that the pandemic had left him with survivor's remorse
since he hadn't lost any family members to the deadly virus. He told Page Six in May 2020,
"It does not have to directly touch my family or friends for it to affect me.
It doesn't have to be my blood that moves me every day. "
In a cruel irony, the virus did eventually hit home. Just one month after Zane made
the admission, his father died of COVID-19. Subsequently, he made an impassioned plea on
Instagram for people to protect one another, highlighting the vulnerability of the elderly
in particular. He wrote in the moving post, accompanied by a photo of his late father,
"Youth, the elderly are at risk and so is society. As thus your stewards are at risk,
should we lose all our teachers, our sages, our crones, our storytellers ... learn from
every tragedy, and mistake and thrive in comforting knowledge that you acted."
While "The Boys" is essentially a satire of the superhero genre, it has at times delved into more
weighty subject matter. In Season 2, the series addressed systemic racism by introducing the
character Valerie, a Black woman whose brother was subjected to racist police brutality.
Entertainment Weekly hailed the storyline as the series', quote, "gutsiest season yet."
TV mainstay Dawnn Lewis, of "A Different World" fame, played Valerie with a distinct poignancy.
This emotional performance was in part inspired by her lived experiences with violence at the
hands of the police. But in Lewis' case, the police officer was her own father.
Lewis' is a domestic violence survivor, having been abused by her father.
As reported by Easton Courier, she spoke about her experiences
at The Center for Family Justice's Speaking of Women fundraiser in 2021. The actor explained
that since her dad was a cop, asking the police for support proved near impossible. She said,
"My mother went to the police several times and said, 'this is what's happening in my home.'"
According to the Los Angeles Sentinel, one day, her mom left the family home,
leaving Lewis and her brothers with their violent father,
"My mom had to leave myself and my brothers for a time in order to save herself,
then get herself back together to a point where she could come back and get us."
The actor added that empowerment and self-love were central to her surviving the trauma.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse,
you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.