Jensen Ackles had to fight to play the role of Soldier Boy in THE BOYS because he wasn’t on the studio’s slate

When it was first announced Jensen Ackles he had been cast as Soldier Boy in The boys Season 3, fans were extremely happy with the cast and she ended up doing a fantastic job in the role! I thought it was an easy role for him to get because the showrunner of The boys era Eric Kripkewhich he created Supernaturalin which Ackles starred. I thought Kripke called the actor and said, “Hey, I have this amazing role in The Boys that I want you to play and it’s yours!”

But that’s not at all what happened. In fact, Ackles wasn’t even on the list of actors the studio was hoping to land for the role. Ackles wanted the role so badly, though, that he was willing to fight for it. The actor spoke about how he coped with his journey trying to land the role, saying:

“So the next day, he sent in an audition scene for Soldier Boy and said, ‘Give it a read and tell me what you think.’ I read it and immediately called him and said, ‘Who do I have to kill to get this role?’ He said, ‘I’m warning you, it’s not going to be easy.’ Apparently, there was a shortlist of names they were talking about in the studio. I certainly wasn’t on that list, and it consisted of names far more recognizable than mine. But I said that I was willing to fight, and he said, ‘If you’re willing to fight for this, then I might be able to help you.’ And so he did.”

The audition also involved Ackles putting his Butcher impersonation to the test. In this regard he said:

“I had to record myself on tape, this was during the peak of COVID, so I didn’t really have help doing it. I had to pre-record the other person’s lines, which was Butcher. So I had to do my best impression of Butcher and then I’d play those lines and finally give the Soldier Boy performance. Luckily, I had Kripke teach me and he was able to put forward the best tape I could muster., I got all the check marks, and that’s how it happened.But I fought for it, man.

I wonder what other actors they had in mind for Soldier Boy before casting Ackles. Regardless, it’s nice to know that Ackles fought for this role and got it. Obviously, Kripke was there to help him and also help fight for him, but ultimately the fans loved what he brought to the character and that’s all that matters.