Antony Starr, though has been part of the industry for a long time, gained worldwide recognition with his role in The Boys. The Amazon Prime show sees him as the megalomaniac Homelander, leader of The Seven. His talent has been praised by anyone who has seen the show and is easily one of the most fan-favorite characters. Even if he is playing a villain, Starr has managed to win everyone’s hearts with his portrayal.
Another actor who won over fans’ hearts with a single character, that people still relate to him, even though he had been away from it for decades, is Ralph Macchio. Macchio gained popularity with his role as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid movies. After the completion of the original trilogy, it was another three decades, before we saw him come back to the dojo in Cobra Kai.
But did you know there is a connection between The Karate Kid and The Boys? One that Homelander actor Antony Starr is very aware of. The actor who portrayed Macchio’s on-screen lover in The Karate Kid is also someone who is tasked with the responsibility of handling superheroes in The Boys universe.
Antony Starr Reveals His First-Ever Crush From his Childhood
Antony Starr was still a kid himself when he first saw The Karate Kid. He used to do karate in his childhood, so his father thought of taking him to the movies and the Ralph Macchio starrer was the best option. And it was then that he first saw Elisabeth Shue, his first-ever childhood crush. Talking to the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers, Starr revealed:
When I was little, and she was actually not that much older than me, but slightly, I was a big fan of The Karate Kid. I used to do karate when I was a little kid, and my dad took me to see The Karate Kid at the movies.
He further shared with IGN:
I got a brand new pair of shoes and a new Swanndri and we went and watched that and I was like, ‘F**k you Ralph Maccio I want her’.
Starr was enamored with Shue and developed a crush on her instantly. He might have gone to watch the movie for karate but left the theater a fan of Shue.
Antony Starr Was Tongue-Tied When He Had To Share Screen With Elisabeth Shue
When Antony Starr found he had to work with Elisabeth Shue in The Boys, he was completely flabbergasted. His childhood crush would be sharing the screen with him, and he had no idea how to come to terms with the fact. His nervousness though, was short-lived as working alongside her gave him an insight into her as a person, and Shue was just “the nicest person” ever.
All of a sudden, she gets hired to be Homelander’s boss in this evil corporation. And I was like, ‘I have to act with Elisabeth Shue, and I’m like, what am I going to do? What am I going to wear? Do I look good?
Shue’s tenure came to an end after the second season of The Boys, but Starr is still wrecking havoc on the population as Homelander. The Boys Season 4 is currently streaming in Amazon Prime.
