The Boys star Erin Moriarty has said she feels ‘dehumanised’ and ‘silenced’ by the treatment she received from some so-called ‘fans’ of the hit show.
Moriarty has played the character of Annie January – who uses the superhero alter ego of Starlight while working for Vought – in all three seasons of the show, which first aired back in 2019.
On Tuesday (6 September) Moriarty shared a Medium article titled: #IStandWithStarlight?: The Betrayal of Erin Moriarty by The Boys Fans, which was written by a person using the handle @butcherscanary.
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The sub head for the piece blasts some fans for completely missing the message of the show, explaining: “As it turns out, you can dedicate an entire season of a television show to exploring how the toxicity of masculinity crushes and controls women, and seemingly a majority of the audience will still fail to employ the lessons learned – or worse, not have recognised there was a message at all.”
Moriarty took a screenshot of the article’s title and subhead, which she posted on her Instagram page and shared her opinions on some of the trolling she’s received due to her role.
Alongside the screenshot, the actor wrote: “I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanised. I do feel paralysed. I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into this role (over & over & over again), I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up – we change & evolve mentally AND physically).”
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She went on to thank the person who wrote the piece before saying the trolling she has received is ‘exactly’ the sort of thing her character would speak out against.
She added: “So with that I say: a) thank you to @butcherscanary b) this does break my heart – I’ve opened up a vein for this role and this kind of trolling is exactly what this role (Annie) would speak out against and c) everyone’s going through their own battle(s); let’s not add to that. I will never intentionally (and ESPECIALLY) publicly add to yours. This has only strengthened my empathy muscle and to anyone who comes at me: I see you, I don’t hate you, I only empathise and forgive.”
In response to the post, Moriarty’s co-star Anthony Starr, who plays Homelander in the show, wrote: “support you and what you say here 100%. Well put ... Your work on the show is and always has been stellar and you are beautiful inside and out. Keep shining.”
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Topics: The Boys, Film and TV
Claire Reid