New Delhi Annie January and Victoria Neuman may represent two opposing ideologies on the hit satirical superhero show "The Boys," but they are more similar than they think, according to actress Claudia Doumit.
The series created by Eric Kripke, currently in its fourth season, falls on the opposite spectrum of the superhero genre, as it is set in a world where superheroes are not the holier-than-thou cult figures often seen in Marvel and DC movies.
In "The Boys", based on the comic of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the superheroes, known as Supes in the series, are actually selfish people and corrupt to the core, led by an evil multinational. organization called The Vought.
Moriarty's Annie January, who calls herself Starlight, is a superhero who uses her position to fight against the injustices of Vought and society, while Neuman, played by Doumit, is a congressman who appears to be an ally in the fight against Vought, but he has ulterior motives.
"(They are) two sides of the same coin. It's about the coexistence of people. But I think the program does it across the board. There is no black and white.
"If there are people who fight for something, it doesn't resonate on the other side or they feel very separate, but in reality they are closer than they think. We are equal, we are more similar than you think," Doumit said in a virtual interview.
While Annie represents idealism and the belief that people can make a difference by standing up for what is right, Victoria is willing to compromise and manipulate to achieve her goals.
Annie's journey is one of transparency, as she exposes Vought's corruption and also ditches the superhero avatar, while Victoria, who goes by the name Head Popper, operates in secret and uses her hidden abilities to maneuver behind scene.
Moriarty said the show represents the polarization of society through its characters.
"Kripke said this once, and I've never forgotten it. The more you dictate a character's plot, their nuances, and the more human you make them, the more relatable they are. And you might instinctively think that the broader you make them, the more relatable they are, but their specificities are very different and yet, ultimately, they are deeply rooted in real human problems.”
She believes that both Annie and Victoria are trying to survive in a very hostile world.
"The coexistence of two people that I think everyone does is because it is a survival mechanism. If you are so much in survival mode, then your goal is to just survive. So what is your true overall goal in life as a being? human? That can get lost a lot in the frame," he added.
Added to the mix is the character of Kimiko, played by Karen Fukuhara.
Another Supe, Kimiko, is a victim of human trafficking and was forcibly injected with Compound V, which gives her superhuman abilities. Her traumatic past and the loss of her family have affected her so deeply that Kimiko does not speak and communicates through gestures and facial expressions.
Showing contrasting sides of the character was the best part of the job for Fukuhara, she said.
"The best part about playing Kimiko is that I can be tough and take some heads off, but I can also be vulnerable and play those moments," the actor said.
She joked that the fourth season of the Prime Video series will show her past "coming back to haunt her."
"I think in previous seasons, she saw herself as a victim. And therefore, she took the actions that she had to take. She learned a big lesson in season three that everything was her choice. And she will get a dose." . "she gives that same medicine once again in season four in a much deeper sense," she added.
"The Boys" also stars Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Chace Crawford, Jack Quaid, Jessie T Usher, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Colby Minifie and Cameron Crovetti.
Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are the newcomers to the latest installment.
The series created by Eric Kripke, currently in its fourth season, falls on the opposite spectrum of the superhero genre, as it is set in a world where superheroes are not the holier-than-thou cult figures often seen in Marvel and DC movies.
In "The Boys", based on the comic of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the superheroes, known as Supes in the series, are actually selfish people and corrupt to the core, led by an evil multinational. organization called The Vought.
Moriarty's Annie January, who calls herself Starlight, is a superhero who uses her position to fight against the injustices of Vought and society, while Neuman, played by Doumit, is a congressman who appears to be an ally in the fight against Vought, but he has ulterior motives.
"(They are) two sides of the same coin. It's about the coexistence of people. But I think the program does it across the board. There is no black and white.
"If there are people who fight for something, it doesn't resonate on the other side or they feel very separate, but in reality they are closer than they think. We are equal, we are more similar than you think," Doumit said in a virtual interview.
While Annie represents idealism and the belief that people can make a difference by standing up for what is right, Victoria is willing to compromise and manipulate to achieve her goals.
Annie's journey is one of transparency, as she exposes Vought's corruption and also ditches the superhero avatar, while Victoria, who goes by the name Head Popper, operates in secret and uses her hidden abilities to maneuver behind scene.
Moriarty said the show represents the polarization of society through its characters.
"Kripke said this once, and I've never forgotten it. The more you dictate a character's plot, their nuances, and the more human you make them, the more relatable they are. And you might instinctively think that the broader you make them, the more relatable they are, but their specificities are very different and yet, ultimately, they are deeply rooted in real human problems.”
She believes that both Annie and Victoria are trying to survive in a very hostile world.
"The coexistence of two people that I think everyone does is because it is a survival mechanism. If you are so much in survival mode, then your goal is to just survive. So what is your true overall goal in life as a being? human? That can get lost a lot in the frame," he added.
Added to the mix is the character of Kimiko, played by Karen Fukuhara.
Another Supe, Kimiko, is a victim of human trafficking and was forcibly injected with Compound V, which gives her superhuman abilities. Her traumatic past and the loss of her family have affected her so deeply that Kimiko does not speak and communicates through gestures and facial expressions.
Showing contrasting sides of the character was the best part of the job for Fukuhara, she said.
"The best part about playing Kimiko is that I can be tough and take some heads off, but I can also be vulnerable and play those moments," the actor said.
She joked that the fourth season of the Prime Video series will show her past "coming back to haunt her."
"I think in previous seasons, she saw herself as a victim. And therefore, she took the actions that she had to take. She learned a big lesson in season three that everything was her choice. And she will get a dose." . "she gives that same medicine once again in season four in a much deeper sense," she added.
"The Boys" also stars Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Chace Crawford, Jack Quaid, Jessie T Usher, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Colby Minifie and Cameron Crovetti.
Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are the newcomers to the latest installment.
