Valorie Curry’s introduction as Firecracker in The Boys is certainly a reminder of what acting is all about. At a time when many people have issues with any actor playing a character that is not the same race, gender, or sexual orientation as themselves, Curry is bucking that trend in the most extreme way.

Firecracker is another extreme caricature in a series full of flawed and over-the-top characters. As someone with dangerously divisive political and extremist views, Firecracker’s conspiracy theories about vaccines, government institutions, and the LGBTQ+ community are not the most comfortable viewing. However, her character is the complete polar opposite of Curry in every way, something that the actress’ diverse acting portfolio reveals is common in her chosen roles.

In season four of The Boys, Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the control of Homelander. With only months to live, Billy Butcher must find a way to work with The Boys if they want to save the world.

Curry identifies as a lesbian and came out as pansexual in 2019 on Instagram. For this reason alone, the actress should have several issues playing a character that despises her real life orientation. However, in another strange contradiction, this could not be further from the truth. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Curry explained how her reaction was peculiarly the opposite. She said:

It sounds so gross to say, but I really connected with her right off the bat.

For Curry, the role of Firecracker, which is “so vocally anti-trans and homophobic,” is one that was very easy for her to want to be part of playing. As the actress put it, if that kind of character is being put on screen then “it should be somebody from the community who’s getting to make a clown out of her. So there isn’t any ambiguity.”

The Boys Creator Has No Time for People Who Call Out the Show as “Woke”

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke is someone that Curry revealed she has admired for a long time, especially for his ability to cleverly incorporate moments that seem too outrageous to be believable, only to reveal that those quotes and events are directly taken from real-life. It is this frequent satirical swipe at subjects such as the Republican Party and #MeToo movement that have led some to call out the show as going “woke.”

Kripke himself has been vocal in expressing his opinions on how the series is viewed by audiences. Earlier this month, as Season 4 of The Boys arrived on Prime Video, Kripke called out those taking issue with the series’ so-called “woke agenda,” telling those fans they could “go watch something else.” Even more incredulous is the way that some fans are able to still root for Antony Starr’s Homelander. Speaking with Variety, Kripke said:

“I have to believe that the ‘bad fans’ are a very small minority. Because I don’t know how you root for Homelander. When the guy is slurping up breast milk, and being the weakest character in the show over and over and over again and being like — he’s not even particularly macho. He’s weird. He’s weird and thin-skinned, and I don’t know how you look at that guy and you’re like, ‘That’s my guy.’”

Season 4 of The Boys is once again proving the series to be one of the most provocative on TV, and with Season 5 set to bring the show to a close, who knows what heightened depravity awaits in the final act.