Guess What? Stars from “The Boys” Might Just Be Their Characters IRL!
It’s not just Antony Starr, who plays the twisted Homelander on Amazon’s hit series “The Boys,” who finds a bit of himself in his character. Let’s delve into the intriguing case of Black Noir.
Nathan Mitchell, who brings the enigmatic superhero to life, saw his character make a dramatic return in season four—even after a seemingly fatal showdown last season.
This season has left fans on the edge of their seats, dubbing one scene as “straight out of a horror movie,” and has the cast reeling from the infamous octopus scene’s psychological toll.
How did Black Noir manage a comeback after such a grisly exit, you ask? Well, the original Black Noir might have met his demise, but a new person has donned the suit, thus introducing us to Black Noir II.
Interestingly, Mitchell shares more than just a role with his character.
Black Noir, as portrayed in the show, struggles with narcolepsy, a condition characterized by the Mayo Clinic as causing excessive daytime drowsiness and difficulty staying awake. Turns out, Mitchell has the same condition.
In a pivotal moment in Season 4 Episode 7, Black Noir’s narcolepsy is spotlighted when he dozes off in the midst of a brawl with Billy Butcher.
Spilling secrets about Mitchell, co-stars Antony Starr and Chace Crawford shared that the actor often falls asleep on set.
During a chat with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the team discussed various on-set antics, including who complains the most about their costume. Starr pointed out that Mitchell voices his discomfort “on an hourly basis.”
Crawford revealed, “We’ll be in scenes and he’ll literally fall asleep.”
“He legit falls asleep,” Starr affirmed. “There’s a line [in the show], ‘Is Noir asleep?’ and he wakes up and goes ‘I’m narcoleptic’ which [Mitchell] actually is in real life. He’s fallen asleep at the table in that suit.”
Mitchell has openly discussed this aspect of his life, confirming that the trait was woven into his character based on his real-life condition.
He shared with TV Insider, “It’s funny because [when I] talk to my friends who are now seeing the season, they’ll laugh with me and they’re like, ‘Yeah, I remember when we were in high school and you’d come to parties and just nap on the couch.’
“It’s something I’ve been doing my entire life just taking little naps here and there,” Mitchell explained. “The writers are so great. They see us and take unique parts of our personality and they insert them into the roles in really fun, creative ways. It’s a cool character trait that I’m glad we get to explore.”