The Boys: The 8 Tallest (& 7 Shortest) Actors In The Cast

The Boys‘ cast of characters is made up of both super-powered people as well as those trying to keep them in line, but Billy Butcher’s height and the height of The Boys cast help to sell the power behind each character.

While it is exciting to be dropped into this superhero world in which those who are meant to protect the world are far more villainous than expected, it is really the characters that bring this show to life. The cast of The Boys is an ensemble of actors that fit these characters so well, even the larger-than-life personalities.

However, the heights of the actors and how they relate to the characters is also an interesting aspect to explore. An actor’s physicality is a key thing to consider when finding the right person for a role.

The Boys cast comes in all sizes, with some of the taller actors making for appropriately intimidating figures in the story, while the shorter actors can have an underestimated quality to them. Some of the differences in heights might be surprising and offer a new look at the cast of The Boys.

Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) 6’2″

Though his face is not often seen on the show due to his character’s mask, Canadian actor Nathan Mitchell stands out with his height of 6’2″. Mitchell is one of many The Boys actors to appear on Supernatural and has also appeared on iZombie and Ginny & Georgia. Mitchell’s role as the silent member of The Seven, Black Noir, is one of the most intimidating and his size is a big factor in that.

While one of his greatest abilities involves stealth, for someone who can infiltrate anything without a trace, he’s a large target when he’s in full view. He is technically the tallest member of The Seven, however, season 4 saw some changes with the character.

Noir was killed by Homelander at the end of season 3, but the character returned with Noir being switched out by another supe (also played by Mitchell) who was the right height to replace him in the costume without the public finding out.

Karl Urban (Billy Butcher) 6″1′

New Zealand actor Karl Urban steps into the role of Billy Butcher with an impressive height of 6 feet 1 inch. The actor is known for previous roles in Lord of the Rings and Dredd and will be seen as Johnny Cage in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2.

Not only does he have a reputation for being churlish and unfriendly, but Billy Butcher also has the commanding height to back up his surly attitude. At 6’1″, he towers over most characters. His height allows him to command the respect of the team.

Billy even stands taller than Homelander by a few inches, a small win that probably brings him some solace when he considers everything else that Homelander tried to take from him; his wife, his son, and his reputation. Though there’s some debate about whether Billy isn’t just as bad as his arch-nemesis, he can at least look down on them.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Joe Kessler) 6’1″

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is another one of the former Supernatural actors to appear in The Boys, but he is likely best known for playing Negan in The Walking Dead franchise. Morgan has also played a number of intimidating characters like The Comedian in Watchmen and Clay in The Losers, with his 6’1″ stature helping to sell his imposing demeanor.

This also comes into play with his role as Joe Kessler, a new character joining The Boys in season 4.

Kessler is a former associate of Billy Butcher, so it helps that Morgan is one of the few members of the cast who can come somewhat close to matching Karl Urban’s eye level.

It is difficult to gauge Kessler’s height at times, as he is a character who is largely moving in the shadows and hanging out in the background. This ends up making more sense in the end when it is revealed that Kessler, like Becca, is just in Billy’s head and the real Kessler died years ago.

Jessie T Usher (A-Train) 6’1″

American actor Jessie T. Usher stands at 6’1”, making his character of A-Train another one of the tallest members of The Seven, even if he isn’t the most respected of the group.

While Usher had more forgettable roles in failed sequels like 2019’s Shaft and Independence Day: Resurgence, he also starred in the acclaimed horror movie Smile and has found a terrific role as The Boys‘ speedster, A-Train.

Despite his ability to sprint distances in time frames inconceivable to the average person, A-Train isn’t a compact superhero. A-Train’s superhuman speed doesn’t depend on his height, but taller people are more prone to heart problems.

Unfortunately, A-Train’s heart condition comes from using too much Compound V to boost his abilities and remain relevant. The show has seen him gradually become filled with guilt, which is turned into a satisfying redemption in The Boys season 5.

Jack Quaid (Hughie) 6’1″

Playing the heart and soul of the show in many ways, Jack Quaid also ranks among the tallest cast members on the show at 6’1”. Quaid is the son of actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, starting his movie career with a small role in The Hunger Games.

Since landing the role as Hughie Campbell on The Boys, Quaid has appeared in the cast of Oppenheimer, Scream, and lent his voice to Star Trek: Below Deck and My Life with Superman.

Hughie is often looked at as the softer and more vulnerable member of the heroes on the show, yet he is actually one of the tallest members of The Boys. His height doesn’t give him a lot more confidence in his fights or when dealing with endless gory situations they are in, but he eventually finds more inner strength as the series reaches its final arc.

Miles Gaston Villanueva (Supersonic) 6’1″

Miles Gaston Villanueva is an American actor who has appeared on shows like The Resident and Nancy Drew. He joined The Boys in a small role in season 3 as Supersonic, a supe who could generate powerful soundwaves with a clap of his hands. Supersonic, played by Miles Gaston Villanueva, is Starlight’s former boyfriend and a hopeful contender for inclusion in The Seven.

Vought’s reality television series searching to fill its ranks places Supersonic at the top, though Homelander (and to some extent Hughie) believes his high ranking is only due to his past connection to Starlight.

While almost every supe on The Boys has been an evil and corrupt character, Supersonic was closer to Starlight in how he carried himself. Likable and conscionable, Supersonic has the personality of a true superhero, and at 6’1″ casts the right shadow. However, his noble ways didn’t sit well with Homelander, who brutally murdered him.

Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy) 6’1″

Best known for his fan-favorite role as Dean Winchester on Supernatural, American actor Jensen Ackles makes for a heroic figure at 6’1”. Outside of Supernatural, Ackles was part of the cast in the iconic soap opera Days of Our Lives and starred in teen series like Dawson’s Creek and Smallville. He has also voiced a number of DC characters in animated movies.

Ackles’ stature and history of playing heroes served his role as Soldier Boy perfectly. With his confident posture showing off his height even better, Soldier Boy was meant to be the ultimate patriotic supe, but in reality, he was a racist and sadistic murderer who even made Homelander look better by comparison in some ways.

The fact that he stands just slightly taller than Homelander is also perfect, as it is revealed that he is Homelander’s father and very disappointed in what his spawn turned out to be.

Anthony Starr (Homelander) 5’11”

Standing at a respectable 5’11”, Australian actor Anthony Starr steals the show as Homelander. The actor previously starred in the series Banshee, but his pitcher-perfect and dastardly turn as Homelander is his biggest role to date. Starr uses his height to his advantage as Homelander but knows that having an inch or two on his costars isn’t the only thing that’s intimidating about him.

Starr infuses the leader of The Seven with a subversive menace, making him one diabolical supe even when he’s smiling for a photo op. Many pieces of promotional material for The Boys show Homelander as the tallest member of The Seven, which isn’t true.

However, when considered from the perspective that the promotional material is being funneled through Vought’s marketing team, it makes perfect sense that Homelander would demand to be shown as the most physically imposing member of the group.

Sean Patrick Flannery (Gunpowder) 5’11”

American actor Sean Patrick Flannery stands at 5’11”, bringing that size to a new supe character, Gunpowder, introduced briefly in The Boys season 3. Flannery is perhaps best known for The Boondock Saints but also had the lead role in Powder, played young Indiana Jones in the prequel TV series, and starred as Bobby Dagen, the main test subject, in Saw 3D.

Gunpowder was Soldier Boy’s sidekick and a member of the supergroup Payback. A firearm enthusiast, he was known to pop off with a temper to match the ferocity of his bullets.

At 5’11”, he would normally have given Butcher a formidable brawling partner at the gun show, but after Butcher took some V24, it was all over for this supe. His subpar abilities were no match for Butcher’s newfound super strength and laser vision.

Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett) 5′8″

American actress Colby Minifie is a hilarious addition to The Boys cast as Ashley Barrett. Minifie had previously appeared in a number of shows, ranging from Jessica Jones to Fear of the Walking Dead to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, showcasing her scene-stealing skills in each of these roles.

Ashley ended up being her real breakout role as she took what could have been a very dull part on the corporate side of Vought Industries and turned it into something special. Minifie stands at 5’8”, in between the tallest actors on the show and the shortest actors on the show, which seems like an ideal place for Ashley to be.

She is constantly stressed with her job, being intimidated by the powerful beings she works with, most notably Homelander. However, she also stands up to the ones she has no respect for and even helps the titular heroes in The Boys season 5’s ending arc.

Giancarlo Esposito (Stan Edgar) 5’7.5″

American actor Giancarlo Esposito may only be 5’7.5″, but he has proven many times on screen that he can still be the most intimidating and powerful presence in a scene. Esposito began his career in movies like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. His most iconic role is as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad where he also played a powerful figure who seems in control of every room he is in.

On The Boys, Esposito plays the CEO of Vought International, Stan Edgar. He is not a man who can physically tower over others, yet he never displays insecurity, preferring instead to convey an unflappable equipoise that makes him seem taller than he really is.

Even being cornered by Homelander isn’t enough to rattle Stan Edgar, who knows there’s as much power in his position as Homelander’s punch.

Nick Wechsler (Blue Hawk) 5’7″

American actor Nick Wechsler came as a new supe in season 3 of The Boys with his 5’7” frame filling out the hit-tempered Blue Hawk. Wechsler is known for his roles in series like Rosewell and Revenge.

Given the bad publicity for Vought brought on by Stormfront’s blatant fascism, Blue Hawk, played by Nick Wechsler, finds himself in hot water over a hate crime in which he brutally murders a Black man.

Though he may be shorter than his peers at 5’7″, he has the ability to send someone sailing through a wall with a single punch, so his decision to use excessive force is viewed with particular scrutiny.

However, his more diminutive size also fits with his aggressive and insecure personality, making him a character who became incredibly easy to hate despite such a short time on the show.

Erin Moriarty (Starlight) 5’6″

Erin Moriarty stands at 5’6″, making Starlight the shortest member of The Seven until Stormfront came along, though it might have been hard to tell between her platform boots and her big hair. The Vought marketing team makes sure that Starlight comes off as impressive as the rest of her teammates despite being the rookie.

Moriarty has also starred in movies like Blood Father, Captain Fantastic, and The Kings of Summer. Not being physically imposing allows Starlight to discard her superhero duds and blend in with the public, often assisting The Boys unnoticed.

When she wants to, she can almost hide in plain sight, which has made it harder for Vought to track her movements. Luckily, her incredible superpowers don’t depend on a height advantage and actually cause many people to underestimate her, which she makes them regret.

Laurie Holden (Crimson Countess) 5’5″

Laurie Holden stands at 5’5′‘ and is another one of the exciting additions to The Boys season 3 where she plays Crimson Countess, the ex-partner of Soldier Boy with the ability to create bolts of energy whenever she touches her fingers together.

Holden has some strong horror credits to her name as she appeared in The Mist as well as playing Andrea in The Walking Dead. She has also appeared on shows like The Shield and The Americans.

Given her famous super partner, as well as her membership in one of The Seven’s rival supe groups, Butcher’s crew seeks her out for information that will help in their efforts to take down Vought.

At 5’5″, she may seem compact, but she’s able to stand her own against Kimiko, who’s considered one of the strongest and most deadly members of The Boys. She puts up quite a fight at the Inclusive Kingdom.

Valorie Curry (Firecracker) 5′4″

Valorie Curry is another new addition to The Boys cast, being introduced in season 4 of the show and becoming one of the best aspects of the new season. Prior to her time on The Boys, Curry had some other superhero experience as she played Dot Everest in the live-action The Tick television series. She also played Kelsey in House of Lies and Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol.

Curry’s role as Firecracker made for one of the most unassuming yet troublesome supes in the series, despite her 5’4” height suggesting she was not much of a threat. Indeed, Firecracker was not a very intimidating warrior like some of her other colleagues in The Seven, and out of all the powers in The Boys, her ability to make little sparks with her hands is one of the worst.

However, it was Firecracker’s ability to rile up the crowd to side with the supes and give them more power.

Elizabeth Shue (Madelyn Stillwell) 5’3″

Elizabeth Shue is 5’3″ but is another character who brought a lot of power to her non-superhero role of Madelyn Stillwell on The Boys. Shue is an accomplished actor known for the Back to the Future sequels and Adventures in Babysitting.

Often considered the corporate “face” representing Vought, Madelyn Stillwell was responsible for herding the divergent personalities of The Seven, placating Homelander (who had a nasty habit of thinking he was the only member of The Seven who counted), and operating as the primary villain in Season 1.

Despite only standing 5’3″, Madelyn Stillwell knew how to work a room. Whether it was the board room at Vought Tower, or a room full of Congresspeople discussing the merits of bringing supes into America’s military, Madelyn didn’t let her height get in the way of her getting what she wanted.

Susan Heyward (Sister Sage) 5′3″

The final new character introduced to The Boys cast in season 4 is Susan Heyward as Sister Sage. Heyward is another actor who dabbled in the world of superpowers before, as she played Deena Pilgrim in the series Powers. She is also known for her role as Tamika Ward in Orange is the New Black and Cece in Vinyl.

Sister Sage is a breakout role for Heyward, with the character proving to be one of the most powerful supes in the world. Heyward is 5′ 3″, so she doesn’t come off as an intimidating presence like some of the other supes. Indeed, like Firecracker, Sister Sage is not much of a fighter and is never actually seen in battle in the series.

Instead, she is the smartest person alive, strategizing an intricate plan to get The Seven in charge. Her height makes her someone who is easy to overlook, but by the end of the season, even Homelander is in awe of what she was able to accomplish.

Karen Fukuhura (Kimiko) 5’1″

American actor Karen Fukuhura stands at 5’1″ as Kimiko on The Boys, offering another character who is truly dangerous regardless of her height. Fukuhura is also known for playing Katana in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad as well as appearing in the Brad Pitt action-comedy Bullet Train.

Over the three seasons of The Boys, the team has been able to tease out Kimiko’s story and learned that she was turned into an unstoppable killing machine by the Shining Light Liberation Army back in Japan.

Though she’s the smallest member of The Boys, she’s the most capable when it comes to a fight and their secret weapon as the only super-powered member of the team. She’s taken on every major hitter in The Seven, including Black Noir, and helped bring about the destruction of Stormfront with a brutal beating.

Towards The Boys season 5‘s ending, she also becomes the weapon that helps the heroes take Homelander down for good.

Aya Cash (Stormfront) 5’1″

Stormfront comes in a small package but certainly brings big trouble. Though actor Aya Cash is only 5’1″, she manages to seem infinitely more commanding than her height would suggest.

Outside of The Boys, Cash is best known for her role in the comedy series You’re the Worst and has also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. However, she stole the show as one of the most hateful characters in The Boys.

The former-Nazi turned American nationalist Stormfront became a member of The Seven in season 2, after Translucent’s untimely demise. Hughie and The Boys, like many people who base their opinion of Stormfront on appearance underestimated her power.

With incredible electricity-based abilities that outclass Starlight, she’s one of the most dangerous members of The Seven despite her diminutive stature. Not only that, but she is brutal, willing to kill innocent people in cold blood.

Like Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, Aya Cash’s Stormfront/Clara Vought will be one of the main characters in The Boys upcoming spin-off, Vought Rising.

Release Date

2019 – 2026-00-00

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

Writers

Eric Kripke

Franchise(s)

The Boys