Eric Kripke on How Much the Actors Influenced the Characters in ‘The Boys,’ Especially One Duo
It should go without saying that The Boys is one of the most well-liked superhero shows in the world. With each successive season, Eric Kripke’s vision for the television program managed to propel Garth Ennis’ dark and twisted take on the superhero genre to new heights, making it one of the most-watched television shows ever.
The fourth season was a massive success, and we now know that the crew is working on the show’s fifth and final season. So, while we are waiting, it is a great time to go back to the fourth season and reveal some interesting inside information, which is what we are going to do in this article.
In a tad older interview, Eric Kripke commented on how much the actors from the series actually influenced the writing and the development of the characters themselves, which is a very interesting topic! And that is why we decided to share it with you.
In a talk he had with Variety, Kripke revealed how the development of certain characters was influenced by the actors themselves, their on-screen chemistry, and their abilities as actors, and here is what he said:
Are there any instances where you have changed the characters as you’ve seen what the actors can do?
The short answer is all of them. I mean, one of the things I love most about television is your ability to evolve and adjust as dailies come in, and you can tailor the role. Once you see what the actor is comfortable with and what they excel at and where some of their blind spots are, you can really start playing to their strengths.
In Homelander’s example, Ant’s ability to give 16 facial expressions when another person gives one is just so astounding. Give that guy an Emmy already. I don’t understand why it hasn’t happened yet.
What’s an example of something that you saw and you were like, “This is really working. Let’s write more toward that”?
Well, I’ll tell you one: Frenchie and Kimiko. That was one where they have this very sweet relationship in the comics, and so we knew we wanted to do that, but the chemistry between those two is so off the charts that we just kept writing it and writing it. And all credit to Karen Fukuhara, who is delivering a great performance without having said a single line of dialogue.
Unbelievable.
What a high-wire act of a performance. And you always understand where she is and where she’s coming from, and she brings you into her experience. And so I would say, yeah, Frenchie and Kimiko is probably the best answer to that.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
