While he might look like your cool science or theater teacher during his everyday life, Antony Starr is recognizable around the world as one of TV's most horrifically ruthless villains, The Boys' Homelander. Or at least he's recognized the world over whenever he's got his hair dyed blonde and he's rocking his American flag cape. As it turns out, fans are far less likely to notice Starr in his everyday mode, and especially when co-stars are also around.
Starr spoke with GQ to share some spoiler-free promotion for The Boys’ fifth and final season, which will soon give viewers a reunion between Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins. The actor was humbled to learn that he’s viewed far and wide as portraying one of the greatest modern villains in television or any other medium. It’s a viewpoint that he doesn’t seem entirely cognizant of, despite having played the breastmilk-infatuated supe for years now. In his words:
Though it’s flattering for me, it’s more of a compliment to the show. It takes a village to make these things. So, I take it for the team! . . . But see, I’m lucky. I don’t look anything like my character.
In Starr's mind, Homelander's popularity is only possible because every other element of the show is working on a similar level. If anyone was slacking behind the scenes, it would reflect on not just all the on-screen stars, but also the swath of crew members working to bring the comic book adaptation to life for one last hurrah. So credit is given where credit is due.
You know who doesn't get any credit, though? The fans who don't grasp who Starr is because they can't see the all-powerful monster's visage beneath the thick black frames of his glasses. Even when he's right there in their faces and standing amidst other The Boys stars whose on-screen looks aren't quite so different, the actor shared the gobsmacking reveal that fans will legitimately ask him to take a picture while they pose with the other actors. It's like me asking Clark Kent to get a shot of me and Jimmy Olsen. (Which I would totally do, mind you.)
Here's how the actor describes those amusingly baffling experiences:
I just sort of skate through. I get more of a sense of the popularity of the show when I hang out with those guys. Most of the time, [the fans] walk off having never realised that more of us were there. It’s perfect for me! I’m happy to do my own thing.
To be fair to anyone who has any amount of trouble differentiating people's faces from one another, Antony Starr rocks rather dark hair in his everyday life, as compared to Homelander's stark blonde 'do, and he often boasts a mustache and beard combo that stand in constrast to The Boys' character's ever-shaved skin. When the glasses are added in on top of all that, he does look more like a guy with a passing resemblance to Starr. He's like Homelander's cousin who's a poet sometimes.
One has to wonder whether Starr wishes those present for his botched James Bond audition would have also failed to recognize him. Or maybe he just wants that one to do over again, even if he's not an actual Brit.
Get ready to see Antony Starr back in Homelander's costume and as recognizable as ever when The Boys' final season lands. Check out the first trailer for it below!
The Boys will deliver its final array of earth-shaking calamaties when Season 5 hits streaming (via Amazon Prime subscription) at a still unspecified point in the 2026 TV schedule. Stay tuned for more details, and keep an eye out for any Homelander-esque looking celebs near you.
