In the subversive superhero satire The Boys, Wee Hughie (Jack Quaid) had a messy, violent introduction to the world of Supes. His girlfriend, Robin (Jess Salgueiro), stood a foot off the curb, right in front of him, and then in a second was reduced to blood and guts when the speedster A–Train (Jessie T. Usher) carelessly ran through her. Hughie was left to stand in shock, covered in Robin’s blood.

The Boys is shot in Toronto, so Quaid stopped by the most recent Toronto Comic–Con (attended by /Film’s own Sarah Bea Milner). While there, the actor revealed this scene wasn’t just Hughie’s first appearance. He revealed, “The second day I ever had on set … was Robin passing away. Light way of putting it. It was just such an insane day.”

The second day of a new job is usually when you start to get a true sense of what you’re in for, and Quaid certainly did. In his recounting of the scene, he also gave some insight into how it was filmed. Spoiler alert — there was a blood cannon.

Robin’s death in the pilot is a near recreation of the opening scene of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s original The Boys comic, right down to Hughie realizing in horror that he’s still holding onto Robin’s severed hands.  In a comic, characters can easily change position from panel to panel without the illusion of movement being broken. In film, though, there’s continuous coverage and a reality beyond what the artist draws. That’s why some trickery was needed.

The death begins with a close–up of Hughie with the back of Robin’s head facing the camera. Then she disappears with a zoom effect and the scene cuts to the back of Hughie’s head. It cuts back to Hughie’s face a few seconds later before the camera does a circular, 90–degree pan, revealing the blood splattering on Hughie’s face and Robin’s remains floating mid–air, all in slow–motion. You see bits of blood hitting the right side of Hughie’s face — that’s what the cannon was for. Quaid recalled: 

“There was a slow–motion camera and a blood cannon literally aimed at my face. You don’t see it on the other side, it’s just dudes with like a cannon with wadded–up toilet paper for the gore. And you know, food coloring red dye number five, oatmeal. It just goes right in your face — at a high velocity as well! And then you’ve got to change.”

Despite how disgusting that sounds, Quaid doesn’t regret the shoot: “I think I kind of liked that … that was my second day on set, because it was like, ‘Hey, welcome to the show!'” Indeed, Quaid isn’t the only star on The Boys who’s been doused with a blood cannon; Colby Minifie (Ashley) has as well. On a show as nihilistc, cruel, and heartless as The Boys, getting doused in gore is an occupational hazard.

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The actor opens up about the “embarrassing twist” of Hughie’s temporary powers in his second round of Glamour’s Inappropriate Questions.

The last time Glamour spoke with Jack Quaid, in 2019, the actor was in the midst of filming season two of The Boys, reprising his role as Hughie Campbell, the lovable, somewhat hapless nice boy among psychotic supes and unhinged vigilantes. Nearly three years later, we’re seven episodes deep into season three of the Amazon hit series, and Hughie is a lot less hapless and decidedly less sweet after getting his hands on Temp V, a super–serum that gives him a taste of the power he’s always secretly craved…even if he has to get naked every time he uses it.

Quaid, on the other hand, is just as charming at 30 years old as he was when he participated in Glamour’s Inappropriate Questions column at 27—and significantly more consistent than his onscreen counterpart. When Harry Met Sally is still Quaid’s favorite rom–com, and he still thinks waiting to text someone you’re interested is bullshit…just as long as you’re not a creep about it.

Below, Jack Quaid opens up about The Boys season three and revisits some of his past Inappropriate Questions. Here’s what’s changed for the son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid (and what hasn’t).

Glamour: So Hughie is taking Temp V somewhat regularly now. I’m sure that’s going to end well.

Jack Quaid: It’s all going to work out great. It’s all gonna work out perfectly.

After two seasons, were you itching to get some powers for yourself?

I love what Temp V does for the character. I love that it brings out sides of him that aren’t altogether likable. I find it just interesting that he takes this drug and he feels powerful and that he likes it because he’s a character we’ve seen be so morally upright for two seasons. I liked playing a more complicated addict version of Hughie.

The other thing was that, as a kid, I’d always wanted to play a superhero, and I actually got to have superpowers in something, which is crazy. Yes, I had to be naked in order to do it, and at first, I was like, “Oh man, come on.” They get such joy out of torturing me on the show.

But then I kind of thought about it and what we do on the show is we ask ourselves, “Okay, well, what would the real–life version of this power be?” With teleportation, it’s your biological mass moving from one part of the room to the other, your clothes wouldn’t come with you. So I thought that that was hilarious. And particularly funny for Hughie because he finally has this power and it has this embarrassing twist. I think that’s just perfect.

Did it get easier as time went on to film those naked moments?

Yeah, slightly. Only slightly. It’s a weird thing because you’re just kind of naked in a room full of very clothed people and it’s just a thing the human brain isn’t used to. It was an adjustment period for sure. Toward the end I got more comfortable with it. Everyone on set is just such a professional, so I trust everybody. I’ve spent three years with these people and they’ve all become like my family, so it really wasn’t too uncomfortable. If it happened in the first season, that may be a different conversation, but for what it was, it couldn’t have gone better.

It does feel typical for women to be put in these positions but it’s less expected from men.

Absolutely. I love that throughout this season and, more or less, throughout the show, we’re subverting that trope. I liked that we’re kind of treating the male body the way that Hollywood has treated the female body for years.

So, now that we’ve talked about getting naked in front of a room full of people, let’s move into the “inappropriate questions.” You’ve actually done this with Glamour before, so I thought it would be interesting to revisit some of the ones you’ve already answered and see how your new answers measure up.

For the first one, which of the characters that you’ve played in the past is the most like you in a relationship?

Ugh, I feel like all my characters aren’t great in relationships, especially Hughie this season. Definitely not Richie [from Scream 5]. Ben King from Plus One is not a good…I guess Hughie would be the closest. I don’t think I’ve really gone that dark the way that I’m going this season with Hughie, but yeah, let’s go with seasons one and two Hughie.

I think that this season he has to kind of come to grips with the fact that he’s—I wouldn’t say jealous—but I think resentful of the fact that Annie [Erin Moriarty] is the one who has that kind of power [he wants]. He really has to come to terms with that.

That matches up! You said, “I think I have a little bit more confidence than him, but how he reacts to things throughout the show… I think that’s the exact same way that I would. Though he actually might be a little braver than me.”

I still stand by that answer, for sure, because he’s gone through so much and yet continues to put himself out there, especially now. So I think he’s definitely braver than I am. I think I have slightly more confidence. Hughie’s projecting like he’s a little bit more confident this season, but I don’t think he truly is. You know, he’s getting more and more self–assured as the show goes on, which I like to see.

What’s your favorite rom–com?

I gotta go with When Harry Met Sally. I probably said that last time too, right?

Yep!

Yeah, you can’t beat that one.

What is a dating or relationship rule that you think is bullshit?

I really hope I’m not repeating myself… I think the whole, “You have to wait a few days before texting or calling after you meet someone.” If things went well, I think you can text. If you’re being creepy, obviously don’t do that. But I think the grace period is a weird thing. If you have a connection with someone, embrace it.

I still do think the rule is bullshit even though I am hypocritical and follow it myself. If you like ’em, just text them, and if they say back off, back off.

Same as last time. We love consistency. I base my texts on how long it took the other person to respond.

That’s exactly it. If they take 15 minutes, I will wait 15 minutes.

“Oh, I’m not waiting by the phone for your text” is what I’m thinking in my head.

Even though I very much am waiting by the phone for their text.

This next one might have a different answer: If you have a full day to binge whatever you want, what are you watching?

I have never seen The Wire, so I think I would just watch the entirety of The Wire.

In case you’re wondering what you said last time, it was Mindhunter and UFO documentaries. Okay, the last one from last time: What’s your type?

I feel like the people that I’ve seen in my life have fit different types. I think, ultimately, funny. I just really need someone I can laugh with and someone that shares the same sense of humor as me.

Last time you said, “Smarter than me.”

That’s true. Everyone that I’ve dated is smarter than me. I think what trumps that is the ability to roll with it and being with someone funny is very important to me. How many years has it been since 2019? Like three years? Maybe my priorities are just changing.

Okay, here are some fresh ones. What’s the weirdest thing you do in your alone time?

I will browse Petfinder just to look at dogs. I’ve been thinking about adopting a pet for forever. But I will simultaneously browse Zillow, just because my dream is to have a house with a dog.

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done?

I asked out someone to prom through song. Look, it was a good song. It’s a funny song. There was kind of this garden in my high school and it was at night. So it’s after school hours, and I got down on one knee and sang the song and asked her to prom. We were already dating, so I kind of figured she would say yes. I think that’s probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever done.

What’s the biggest romantic fail you’ve experienced?

Oh, God, I know this one. I was in middle school and I asked this girl out to a movie. And like in the movie, I did the whole, like, yawn into putting my arm around her thing. But the way that my arm was positioned in the seat, she didn’t really like nestle into it. I was just awkward as hell and I didn’t know how to take my arm away in a smooth way, so I just kind of lingered there, and then a pool of sweat just started completely forming on my arm.

To this day, that was maybe the most I’ve ever sweat in my entire life, and it was there for, like, the entirety of the movie.

What’s the most inappropriate thing a fan has ever said to you?

I’ve had a few of these. Mostly at conventions. Just things they want to do to me. Someone said something recently, like, “I want to use your legs as scratching posts.” Or something of that ilk.

Well, then. These questions are probably nothing to you.

[Laughs.] Yeah, this is fine. That was a new one.

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