Earlier than the tragic occasions of the season 4 finale, Victoria Neuman was one of the vital thrilling characters on “The Boys.” Positive, she had a questionable behavior of blowing up folks’s heads, however she appeared cool doing it and he or she held her personal in opposition to Homelander, so it is simple to forgive. Claudia Doumit specifically deserves credit score for her portrayal of the character, elevating what might’ve been a one-dimensional villain right into a enjoyable, difficult determine. However earlier than she was solid to play Neuman, Doumit initially tried out for a very completely different half: she auditioned for Ashley Barrett, the high-strung Vought assistant turned high-strung Vought CEO.
“I bear in mind I initially got here in for the position of Ashley the publicist,” Doumit defined in a latest interview. “I got here in for that position initially and I knew I wasn’t proper for it, and I did not get it, clearly, after which the primary season of the present got here out. I used to be such a fan! Then the auditions got here for the second season and this character Victoria Neuman discovered its technique to me.”
The remainder is historical past. Though Doumit was famously not instructed in regards to the huge twist round her character till she reached the season 2 finale, she nonetheless performed the character to a tee earlier than and after the reveal. “It has been a incredible journey and a incredible character to essentially sink my enamel into,” Doumit mentioned. Positive sufficient, her efficiency was so compelling that she ended up being one of many few “Boys” solid members to cease by “Gen V.” Neuman’s interactions with Marie (Jaz Sinclair) provided Doumit a possibility to offer viewers a glimpse of the softer facet of Neuman’s persona, making for one of the vital compelling episodes of an already robust spin-off sequence. Relaxation in peace, Neuman; you might have been torn aside by a bunch of large tentacles, however not less than you gave a struggling teen supe some much-needed encouragement earlier than you went.
Would Doumit have made an excellent Ashley?
Though this story makes for a enjoyable little “what if?” thought experiment, in the end it is onerous to disagree with Doumit’s personal assertion that she would not have been proper for Ashley. She performs the crafty, cool-headed Neuman so successfully, and Ashley is sort of the precise reverse kind of character. Ashley’s nonetheless a enjoyment of her personal particular method, however she’s by no means been easy or crafty in the way in which that Doumit can play so nicely.
Concerning Colby Minifie, who obtained the position of Ashley as an alternative, Doumit known as her “phenomenal” and “incomparable.” She added, “The quantity of improv that lady does in that position is so excellent! It is simply enjoyable to be on set watching her.”
It is easy to know the reward. Very similar to Doumit with Neuman, Minifie has notably elevated her position, turning Ashley from a probably one-note company stooge to one of many funniest characters on the entire present. And every time Homelander’s within the room together with her, she’s additionally typically one of the vital sympathetic characters; Minifie makes us absolutely consider that Ashley would pull all her hair out on this kind of setting, that she’d flip to questionable BDSM actions to blow off some steam.
We do not know what’ll occur to Ashley after she’s taken that Compound V within the season 4 finale, however this is hoping she will get a happier ending than Neuman. Ashley most likely will not survive the finale, however possibly she’ll get to not less than take a few of her enemies down together with her.