The Boys — the gritty, gory show that asks the question, “How would power and corruption affect superheroes in the real world?” — is coming to an end. Ahead of the season five premiere on April 8, we caught up with Toronto superhero Nathan Mitchell, who plays the now not-so-mysterious Black Noir.
What can we expect from Black Noir in this final season?
New Noir has been with The Seven for some time, and he knows what to expect, and he knows what’s expected of him. So I think the challenge and the question for him this season is how much does he embrace his role, and how much does he still try to find fulfilment?
You play a superhero whose face we never see and, until recently, whose voice we never hear. How did you approach that acting challenge?
I just embraced the fact that there are so many ways to tell stories. I would take the scenes my character was in, I would give him lines, and then I would figure out how to express those sentiments through my body. When this new opportunity came to reveal my face and speak [Black Noir is killed off in season three and a new Black Noir who talks takes his place, also played by Mitchell], I had been doing prep work for this character before, so playing him and transitioning it into this speaking part came really easily.
Was there anything you drew on to embody the physicality of Black Noir?
It was actually informed by taekwondo, which I did growing up, but it was a specific aspect of it. We practiced so much, to the point where we had this ability to kind of tap in or tap out of that fighting mode. I trained extensively as a kid, from age six until about age 17. I remember training with my friends, but then when we had time off, we’d just be goofing around, and it felt like I had these two modes. That dichotomy really spoke to me, and with Black Noir, you see this enigmatic, intimidating, mysterious figure, but who is he underneath the mask. That’s what was interesting to me, and the potential contrast between what we see on the outside and who exists within. I brought those two dimensions to the character: someone who’s so locked into his martial arts ability, but who can also tap out of it and be a kid in some ways.
Fast facts
Name: Nathan Mitchell
Favourite Toronto memory: Attending university lectures in the movie theatre in Sankofa Square
Favourite restaurant: Quetzal
Secret skills: Trained in taekwondo for 10 years and has a black belt
What is it about The Boys that people seem to love so much?
When I think about that question, I think back to Greek mythology — these stories of these gods that originated thousands of years ago and are still with us today. And I think one of the reasons is that these figures were so human and so flawed; they were temperamental, they were impulsive, they were jealous, they were selfish. I think we have a longing to see complex stories that explore the complicated dimensions of humanity. What superhero TV shows and films haven’t always had the opportunity to do is to explore those grey areas. I think because this show does that in the way that we do, so subversively and in some way so disturbingly, we can ask questions that superhero shows and movies haven’t been able to ask. I think it’s this combination of this exploration of human nature paired with commentary on how society and the world is operated.
Speaking of societal commentary, the political satire on The Boys has sadly become even more accurate as the show has progressed. What has that been like to experience as an actor?
Our writers are so intelligent. I sometimes wonder if they’re psychic! There was actually a scene we were filming in season five and my character references an event that happened in the world — and at the same time a very similar event happened that day in the real world. The writers wrote that a year, a year and a half ago, and the fact that on the day we’re filming, a parallel event was occurring — that just blows my mind.
You star in The Boys and Ginny and Georgia, both of which are largely Canadian shows with major international reach. What has that been like?
It is so cool to be able to work on a show with so much Canadian talent, and it’s something you only dream of as an actor coming up in the city. We talk about the Canadian star system, and I think a real piece of it is a numbers game. In the U.S., the population of just California is equivalent to the population of Canada. So they have so much more of an audience domestically that can be a revenue stream. We have the talent, but I think it’s really about the system and the structure and how the industry can change its strategy to open up access to markets — and in doing so, bringing more revenue, which then brings in the possibility for higher-quality productions.
