Nate Archibald will always have our hearts, but The Deep, an aquatic superhero who can communicate with sea animals, is a Chace Crawford character we hate to part with. If you are not familiar, we’re talking about The Boys—the subversive, satirical dark comedy about a group of vigilantes hell-bent on taking down a group of corrupt superheroes—and its obtuse, cringe-inducing antagonist who has become a fan favorite thanks to Crawford’s comedic chops. After five critically acclaimed, incredibly gory, and uncomfortably topical seasons, the Prime Video series is coming to an end in typical brutal fashion. While the timing feels right in the larger sense, some goodbyes are harder than others.
“I guess I could say, selfishly, I feel unsatisfied because I could keep telling more stories about The Deep,” Chace Crawford tells us of the show’s ending over Zoom from his Los Angeles home. We suggest a prequel series, because we’re dying to know The Deep’s origin story, while he muses over putting him in some kind of half-hour comedy. Amazon and Eric Kripke, we hope you’re reading this.
Since leaving the halls of Gossip Girl‘s Constance Billard, Crawford has zigged and zagged his way through gritty dramas and dark comedies, showcasing his range beyond the “teen golden boy” image. With The Deep, a career-defining role, Crawford’s character work is impeccable. He fully commits to the comedic beats of the show no matter how bizarre they may be and acts as a perfect foil to the unruly Homelander. But even as he closes the chapter on a show that changed the game for him, Crawford has much to look forward to, starting with the summer comedy Super Troopers 3 and, later, Dan Fogelman’s NFL drama The Land.
You have experience being on a long-running show with Gossip Girl, but how does it feel to be closing this particular chapter in your career, ending The Boys?
You can never really fully prepare for it. I thought I was more prepared after Gossip Girl. … After that, I was devastated because it was New York, and it was like my identity in the city is no more. It was this machinery of the show, seeing the driver and the hair and makeup people every day. You forget how much that means to you until it’s gone, so I knew to appreciate that a little more, but still, I literally remember sitting here, probably doing interviews [for The Boys] in 2020 during the pandemic, thinking it just felt so far away. And now, it’s here.
I think my last day was July 4 last year. I remember coming down the stairs, and everyone was clapping, and I just lost it. It’s rarefied air to have a hit on TV—or with anything really—these days. It feels like they gotta land the plane and tell the story and wrap it up. You can’t just keep telling these jokes for the rest of your life, but at the same time, showing up as The Deep every day in that suit [and] getting to work with Antony Starr as Homelander, I knew it would never be like that again, the fun and weirdness. It’ll never be a show like The Boys. It’s definitely one of the greatest shows ever.
What a luxury to end a show like this on your own terms. Do you feel satisfied with the five seasons and how it wraps up, especially with The Deep?
I feel very satisfied. I guess I could say, selfishly, I feel unsatisfied because I could keep telling more stories about The Deep, like a prequel or in between seasons. We’ve talked about it. I had one good pitch—this idea of The Deep in a half-hour comedy like Barry, something with three main characters. Or like Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood with his stuntman, something ridiculous. Selfishly, I’m like, “We could still have fun because people love it.” It’s fun to be a part of the conversation. Fame is whatever, but people recognizing your work for a really fun character is really a sweet thing. I’m gonna miss making people laugh through this show.
Yes, I want a The Deep origin story. I want to know where this guy came from. I think there’s a spin-off to be had here.
It could be really fun. I’ll have to cook on that for a minute.
The amazing part about getting to work on a show over multiple seasons is you get to grow and evolve with your character. What has been your favorite aspect of that with The Deep?
My favorite aspect of that with The Deep was getting to go dark a little bit. Evan Goldberg texted me. I can’t remember. Maybe it was season 4. He was like, “Finally, we get to see The Deep go dark.” [The Deep] really became a sycophant for Homelander and was doing his [dirty work]. To be honest, I loved every season’s arc. Even season 2 with the church and doing the mushroom-trip tea, all that was so fun. I’m gonna miss that, opening scripts like, “What the hell are they gonna do this year?” That was the best. More so in the early seasons, we felt like it was summer camp because it was literally summer, and it was just a great time up there. Shooting the show in Toronto was a very special thing.
The Boys is now streaming on Prime Video.
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