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The Boys star Erin Moriarty on how smelling salts helped her mentally change from Starlight to "Shifter" Annie during the fourth season.
Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: the boys
The Boys: Erin Moriarty on Smelling Salts Helping with "Shifter" Annie
The Boys star Erin Moriarty on how smelling salts helped her mentally change from Starlight to "Shifter" Annie during the fourth season.
Article Summary
- Erin Moriarty shares how smelling salts helped her switch between Starlight and Shifter Annie in The Boys.
- Moriarty reveals using unique physical triggers to embody the sociopathic side of her character in season 4.
- Inspired by powerlifting podcasts, she adopted smelling salts to instantly transform into her darker role.
- Heath Ledger’s Joker influenced her portrayal of Shapeshifter Annie, adding intensity to her performance.
It's been quite the journey for The Boys star Erin Moriarty, who plays Annie January, aka Starlight, who was formerly of The Seven, joins the Boys, and becomes the reluctant face of the resistance on Prime Video series. Eric Kripke's visceral superhero action drama follows a world dominated by the mega corporation Voight International that creates a serum that turns ordinary people into superheroes, but the results are often disastrous as many of the subjects exhibit psychopathic behavior, and at the top is Homelander (Antony Starr). While promoting the fifth and final season, Moriarty appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to reflect on the series' most memorable moments, including how she changed her approach with her sinister turn as Shapeshifter Annie, who kidnaps Annie and infiltrates the Boys to try to destroy the group from within, keeping Hughie (Jack Quaid) occupied.
The Boys Star Erin Moriarty on Getting into Shapeshifter's Head
To get to the discussion of Shapeshifter-Starlight, you can skip to the six-minute mark. When Kimmel asked about how she approached her dual role as Shapeshifter as she was also playing Annie, "So many tricks," Moriarity began, "First and foremost, I would film myself, like going throughout, like errands around my household just to watch myself and mannerisms I have as Erin and trying to be able to transcend them. The other thing was like, 'Okay, I need to figure out some sensorial way to slap myself into this character. It's going to be like perfume. Something that makes me feel like all of a sudden, I can develop that sociopathy instantly, because I would go back and forth between the characters."
Moriarty found it in the form of a podcast. "It was like swole bros talking about powerlifting [laughs] and one of them was like, 'Yeah dude, I was using smelling salts and all of a sudden, I feel like the Hulk.' I was like, 'Smelling salts!' I was in Canada, I looked on Amazon, and they were legal if you are 21 and above. I ordered smelling salts, and I was like, 'This is going to be perfect.'" Upon trying them, "When I tell you, I ricocheted back like I had been slapped in the soul, but seconds later, I felt like the Hulk, so it became this ritual." The actress then expressed regret, saying she doesn't recommend it and swears she "lost brain cells." Moriarty previously shared that Heath Ledger's The Joker from The Dark Knight (2008) also served as inspiration for Shifter Annie, who was stopped when real Annie broke free from her restraints, caught up to her, and Hughie. For more on how everyone else joined her in trying the salts, and the series' infamous Herogasm episode, and more, you can check out the full video. The final season of The Boys premieres on Prime Video on April 8th.
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