‘The Boys’ Star Antony Starr Reveals Surprising Real-Life Fear Behind Homelander Role
Antony Starr has opened up about something that feels almost ironic given his most famous role. He plays Homelander in The Boys, a character known for flying high above cities and controlling the sky with ease. But in real life, Starr says he actually has a strong fear of heights.
The topic came up again after behind-the-scenes footage from the spin-off Gen V started circulating.
In that footage, Starr can be seen suspended in the air on wires during a flying stunt. Instead of looking calm like his character, he appeared visibly uncomfortable and repeatedly signaled that he wanted to come down. The moment turned into a viral blooper because of how strongly he reacted while being lifted high above the set.
Starr later joked about the experience, saying he was shocked by how intense it felt. He said he was “genuinely” surprised he “didn’t pee the suit. Or worse.” He also admitted he probably should have let a stunt double take over instead of doing it himself.
He later shared behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram and described the moment with humor and regret. He wrote: “Face of regret. The place I went that caused the regret….high….The boss, [who] also regretted putting his actor that high.”
In a separate interview with Wired, Starr talked more seriously about his fear. He explained that even though he plays a flying superhero on screen, that does not make real heights any easier for him. When asked about fear management, he said, “I think the more you do something, the less afraid you get.”
But he also admitted that it has not fully worked for him. He recalled a recent flight experience where turbulence made him panic. He said, “I’ve been flying a lot lately, and I just flew in yesterday, and there was a big bump, and I grabbed the little old lady next to me. I literally grabbed her arm because I don’t like heights and I thought I’d dealt with it, but I haven’t.”
He also explained what happened during the Gen V stunt in more detail. Starr said he was told he would be harnessed with thin wires and lifted into the air for a shot. He described his reaction once he realized how high he was going. He said, “I never thought (…) that’s a long way off the ground. So they clipped me in, harnessed me up about 40 feet up, which was halfway. I started going, ‘Oh, this is not good.’ And I started swearing a lot.”
He added that the highest point reached around 85 feet and that the experience made him fully understand the extent of his fear. “I was freaking out. That was actually a moment that really enlightened me as to, like, I really do have a fear of heights that I didn’t realize I had. Look, I’m still here,” he said.
The contrast is part of what makes the situation stand out. On screen, Homelander is one of the most powerful characters in modern television. But off screen, Starr’s reaction shows something very different, and far more human.
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