Fans of ‘The Boys’ have always associated Homelander with some of the series’ creepiest and most bizarre scenes, but the actor who plays him, Antony Starr, has revealed just how creepy it can get. As explained in previous interviews, the filming of one of the most discussed scenes of Season 3 was marked by an unexpected level of awkwardness, quite characteristic of the character.
One such scene appeared in Season 3 of the series, showing Homelander alone on the farm, milking a cow. Speaking about the preparation process for Episode 7 of the season, Starr did not hold back.
“So they offered me the chance to get a couple of hours drive away and take a cow milking lesson but I turned down the offer. …I wanted to be fresh on the day ’cause Homelander doesn’t know how to milk a cow so…,” he said in a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, explaining why he preferred to keep his inexperience.
Antony Starr Explains How He Prepared to Milk a Cow in ‘The Boys’
This decision worked out as expected because Starr later admitted, “But anyway, so we got there on the day it’s disgusting. It feels like a little saggy man’s Tit.” It can be said that the episode and its filming process became a real nightmare for the actor, though he described it as a surreal experience.
“It was very weird, very intimate. Never milked a cow before, and it’s a very strange feeling. It was quite surreal, actually,” he said. “…The poor old cow had been there all day by the time we got to shooting, and she was restless and just pretty fed up with life. And then there’s some idiot in a cape down there pulling on her teats. So she wasn’t thoroughly impressed.”
In general, the “milk motif” in question is a part of a broader plan prepared together with Eric Kripke, the head of ‘The Boys‘. This way, the creator created a controversial and unique character who needs to prove himself.
As mentioned earlier, Starr talked about his filming experience in more detail. The process in question is unusual because the actor had to work with real animals during filming. Therefore, he had hardly any time to properly prepare for the role.
However, this lack of prior knowledge was a positive, as it made the actor’s performance even more authentic and natural.
For fans, revelations like these only deepen the fascination with how far ‘The Boys’ is willing to go. Starr’s candid comments, equal parts humorous and disturbing, highlight the unusual balance the series strikes between satire and shock.
And if the cow-milking scene proved anything, it is that sometimes the most unforgettable moments come from leaning into the absurd, rather than rehearsing it.