Antony Starr

Antony Starr (born 25 October 1975 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a New Zealand actor. He began his career in the mid-1990s with bit parts in popular New Zealand series such as Shortland Street and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Career Starr's real breakthrough came in the early 2000s. In 2001, he landed the role of Todd Van der Velter in the series Peak World. In 2004, he made his American film debut with the comedy Three Men in a Canoe, and from 2005 to 2010, he played the dual role of twins Van and Gentro West in the series Bad Luck, which made him a real star in his home country. In 2013, Starr landed the lead role in the American TV series Banshee, playing an ex-convict who takes over as sheriff of a small town. It was after Banshee that he came to the attention of major Hollywood casting agents. But he is best known for his role as Homelander in the TV series The Boys since 2019. The character, a violent, psychopathic superhero with a god complex, has become one of the most talked about antagonists in modern pop culture.

Legal troubles In March 2022, Starr made headlines after a Spanish court sentenced him to one year's probation for his role in a drunken brawl. During the brawl, he hit a chef with a glass, cutting his eyebrow. However, he avoided jail by paying £4,000 in compensation to the victim.

The actor believes that playing in The Boys was a serious challenge for him, as this role requires a lot of emotional commitment. After filming, he feels exhausted, because every day he has to get used to the image, which is so far from his real character.

“It’s a double-edged sword - you are constantly focused, and the work is boiling, not allowing you to be distracted, but it sucks you in for six months, and it’s like a cauldron. And when it’s all over, you feel emotionally and physically exhausted.”

Filmography (selected) "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1996) "Shortland Street" (2000-2002) "Grace Peak" (2001-2003) "Three Men in a Canoe" (2004) "Bad Luck" (2005-2010) "Banshee" (2013-2016) "American Gothic" (2016) "The Boys" (2019 - present)

Interesting facts In his youth, he lived in Norway and was into snowboarding. Speaks Norwegian and Spanish. He is tired of fans seeing him as Homelander, although he himself considers this character disgusting. After his role in "The Boys", he began to receive offers from major studios, but prefers independent films and series with interesting scripts.

Conclusion Anthony Starr is an actor with a strong screen presence, but in real life he is nothing like his violent characters. Despite the popularity of Homelander, he does not support the cult of this character and does not understand why many consider him cool. In the future, he would like to try himself in other genres to get away from the image of the "crazy villain".