Jack quaid Talks ‘Heads of State’ and Bidding Adieu to ‘The Boys’

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2025 HAS BEEN A PROLIFIC YEAR for JACK QUAID.

He Began the Calendar Year with The Critical Acclaimed Sci-Fi Thriller, Companionand Six weeks lauter, he became a full-fulldged Action Star CourTesy of Another Well-Received Film in Novocaine. A Handphul of weeks laater, he co-starred in an indie called Neighborhood watch with his The Boys Castmate, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Now He’s Topping It All Off With Another Comedic Action Performance in Ilya Naishuller’s Wildly Entertaining Heads of StateFeaturing Idris Elba and John Cena.

ODDLY ENOUGH, QUAID SHOT Naishuller’s Action Well Before All His Other Recent Work. His stretch of the Film as marty comer, A Station Agent for a Cia Safe House, Consists of An ’80s-Inpired Action Sequance WHERE HAS TO PROTECT CENASIDASIDACERTERTERTERTERTERTERTERTERTERAERATERTER. from Continued Assassination Attempts. Quaid Credits The Elaborate Set Piece for WHETTING HIS ACTION APETITE.

“[[Heads of State]Made me get the action bug, which i eventuly Brough to Stuff Like Novocaine. It Was A Dream Come True, ”Quaid Tells The Hollywood Reporter In Support of Heads of State‘s july 2 release on Amazon Prime Video.

Quaid is Also on the Verge of Wrapping His Satirical Superhero Series, The Boysfor Amazon. Needless to Say, The Process of Bidding Farewell to His Career-Alternating Role of Hungie Campbell Has Him Feeling a Bevy of Emotions.

“I Still Have About Six Shooting Days to go [as of June 22]And’s Just Getting More and More surreal that i’m going to have to start saying goodbye to Hughie Campbell, ”Quaid Says.“ It’s Emotion. It’s Bittersweet. This Show Have Done Everything for me. I love it. I Love the People. I’m going to miss everyone so much, and it’s going to be weird [without it]. ”

Quaid is also quite Content with the ending of the Series and What ShowRunner Eric Kripke has Pulled Off With Garth Ennis’ Source Material.

“I’m Really Proud of What We’ve Accomplised This Season. I Think It’s A Great Finale, WHICH IS A HARD THING TO DO IN TV,“ QUAID Shares. “I’M happy that Eric Kripke Got to make the ending he intended, and he did a Great Job. So i’m Excited for You Guys to See It.”

Below, During A Recent Conversation with ThrQuaid Also Discusses the Highlights of Working with Cena and Elba, Before Recalling The Evening in Whol Discovered That Tom Holland Was A Fan of The Boys. THEN HE REFLECTS ON HIS Key Contribution to The Econom Novocaine.

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Heads of State is your fourth movie to be released in the Last Six Months.

IT’s Getting Obnoxious at this Point, I Know. It’s Weird. I Shot All theese Movies Over a Pretty Long Stretch of Time, and Yet, Somehow, They’ve All Coup with a Couple MONTHS OF EACH Other.

DID YOU TYPICALLY JAM-PACK YOU SCHEDULE IN BETWEEN SEASONS OF The Boys?

WELL, WE HAD A BIGGGER BREAK THAN USUAL THIS PAST SEASON, BUT YEAH, I TRIED TO Get WHATEVER I COURCK [during the offseasons]. Weirdly Enough, I Actually Shot Heads of State RIGHT AFTER WRAPPED Boys Season Four. SO this is the first thing that i shot out of all Those movies, and it’s coming out last. Hollywood is Insane. But It’s Cool to Be Talking About It Because I’ve Been Sitting on It Long, And I’M Just So Excited that I get to be a part of this. IT’s SO MUCH FUN.

Heads of State is an Amazon Movie, and and The Boys is an Amazon Series. KNOWING THATE BEEN good to you over the years, do you feel a certain love to strongly consider anyringing elsey they bring your way?

I’m grateful, of course. I am totally gratteful for everything that we’ve done together. The test of whather or not I want to be a part of something: “Wound I Watch This and Be a Fan of It, Even IF I Wasn’t Involved?” D WHEN I READ The Heads of State Script, I Thought, “This is a Movie that i would watch with my friends at a sleepover and just absolutely adere it.” It have that that incredible premise that’s so out there, but ilya [Naishuller] Makes It Work So Incredibly Well. I love that it knows what it is. It’s Having Fun, and Yet there is a surprising Amount of Heart and Humanity in It, Especialy Coming from Idris and John. So i jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

I’ve also been following ilya since i watched Nobodywhoh was a genius action movie. It Reminded Me of Character-Basted Action Movies Out of the ’80s and’ 90s WHERE YOU CARE ABOUT The ACTION BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT ABOUT The CHACERTER. SO HE AND BOB ODENKIRK MADE THAT WORK SO INCREDIBLY WELL, AND[[Heads of State]Made me get the action bug, which i eventuly Brough to Stuff Like Novocaine. I’m Really in just a sequence of this movie. But It’s Such A Fun Sequence in Getting to Work with Not Only Ilya, But Also John and Idris. IT WAS JUST A DREAM COME TRUE, AND IT WAS A VERY HARD MOVIE TO SAY NO FOR A VARIETY OF REASONONS.

I Partally Asked That Question Because Antony Starr Also Shot An Amazon Action Movie Durying His Offseason from The Boys.

An[[G20]Is Also A Presidential Action Movie!

SO IT SEMS LIKE THERE’S SYNERGY Between the Film and TV Divisions at Least.

Yeah, i gues so. I Remember Arriving in South Africa to Shoot Novocaine Right After Antony Was there (for [forG20]and Both Productions Had Trainers for Us that Were Working Out of the Same Gym. So i never saw antony in south africa, but he have sigrated part of the [gym] Wall, and they Were Like, “Will You Sign Right Next to HIM?” It Was Such A Two-Ships-Passing-in-The-Night Thing. But, Yeah, It’s A Total Coinciddence. We Were at A Convention, and We Were Both Like, “Wait, We’re Both Doing Action Movies Involving US Presidents for Amazon? SO Insane.” (Laughs.) But we’re bother very, very grateful.

As You Toucked On, This Movie Gave You, As Marty Come, An ’80s-Inspired Action Scene With A Gearing-Up Moment Like Arnold Schwarzegger in Commando or your tv dad, simon pegg, in Hot Fuzz. Was that the cerry on top?

Totally! A year [after filming]I went to a screening of the movie that ilya hosted in London, and i loved finally seeing that sequence Cut Together. I Remember Smiling The Whole Time; I’ve always wanted to be in a sequence like that. I ACTUALLY DIDNN’T KNOW THAT WERE GOING to USE BEASTIE BOYS ‘”Sabotage” Until I Watched The Movie for the FIRST TIME. I KNEW THAT WEER GOING TO PICK A COOL SONG, BUT IS ALWAYS HARD TO PREDERMINE WHAT The Song Is Going to Be Because You Never Really Know IF You’re Going To Get The Rights OR. But the fact that it was “sabotage” was Such an incredible surprise. I Remember Filming The Moment of Where I Press Play on the CD, But I Had No Idea Whata What Song Was Going to Be Unil I Heard That Opening Guitar Riff Start Up at the Screening. I was so happy that it was “sabotage.”

I KNOW YOU SHOT this First, but It Was Strange for Me to See You Selling Pain Again on Screen. I was Still Stuck in Nate Caine Mode.

(Laughs.) DUDE, I AM STILL STUK IN NATE CAINE MODE. I am doing Fight Scenes for The Boys now in toronto, and I have to be reminded that i can feel pain. I didn’t Expect[[Novocaine]to Stick with me this Much, and sometimes, I go over the top with it. They’re Like, “Okay, Now You’re Selling Pain Too Much. Just Sell a Normal Amount of Pain.” So i’ve been overcompensating.

But Pain Is A Factor, and It Really Does Help You Sell Hits. That’s what i’ve Learned Doing Action, and I LOVE DOING ACTION SEQUENCES. I a party of acting that i Never Thought i would be in love with to this Degree, But Every Time I Get To One, I Jump at The CHANCE. I Truly Love It.

There’s A Shot of You in the Center of the Frame Over Idris and John’s Shoulders. Is that an intimidating position to be in?

YES, AND I LOVE TOSE GUYS SO MUCH. They Set Such An Incredible Tone of What the Number On the Call Sheet Should Be, Andy’re Some of the Kindest Actors I’ve Ever Worked with. John Cena Was Basical Like My Dad the Whole Shoot. He was like, “you don’h have to do the stunt during the rehearsal. I DON’T WANT YOU TO PULL A MUSCLE.” HE draws care of everybeody, and i thorough that was so genuine and Sweet.

Idris elba is also One of the Coolest People i’ve Ever Met in My Life. He’s a very accountplished dj, and i Remember Showing Him One of Tese Dumb Little Mashups of Songs and Made with this App on my Phone. And he was like, “that’s dope, man.” (Quaid Does His Best Idris Elba Impression.) Getting a “that’s dope, man” from idris elba was trly of the Greatest Moments of My Life.

But it was very intimidating to be in that scene with them. They’re sodh incredible, and you want to measure up to them and make suce the scene is work. My Role Very Much Comes During What People Like to Call the “Fun and Games” Part of the Movie. I’m Supped to Inject A Little Bit of Fun and Humor, and They’re Both at the Point in Their Arcs WHERE they just’h reality each of all that all that Much. Marty Then Fawns Over John Cena’s Character, and While He’s Still Respectful of Idris’ Character, He’s Not Fanboying Over Him Like He Is With John Cena’s [action star-turned-U.S. President]. SO it does create even more tension Between atm, and Knowing that was my role going into it, i just had a blast.

For an action-charged, i was also surprised by the ripped-from-the-gaadlines quality to it.

What’s Great About this movie is that is about is about Two World Leaders Who Have Their Differences, buty’re Willing to Put Them Aside for the Greater Good. They Trly Care About the People Thaty’re Leading, and that’s Something that We Sorely Need in this Time. It’s Interesting, Thought, Because We Shot It A Long Time Ago in The Grand Scheme of Things. We Shot It Two Years Ago, and IT’s Interesting How Headlines Catch Up to What You’re Making, SomeTimes. I experience that constantly with The Boysand is a very surreal Thing. SO to be in a great project that’s able to have a message and also have fun is Really Nice.

One of My Favorite Moments in Any Movie This Year Is When Youor Companion Character Welcomes His Companion Robot Named Iris to the Sounds of goo goo dolls’ iris.

(Laughs.)

Are you of the mind he named his robot after his davorite goo goo dolls track? Or DID HE DECIDE TO WELCOME A Pre-Named Robot in the Corniest Way Possible?

WELL, JOSH BEaman is Kind of a Corny Dude, SO Maybe He Did [welcome her that way]. I ALSO DIDNN’T KNOW THAT SONG WAS GOING TO BE PLAYING IN THAT MOMENT. It was Really Important to Me That Se Seie Him Clipping His Toenails As He’s Waiting for Her To Boot Up. HE Talks to Her Like An Inani Mate Object [during their love link pairing]and then on the shee are comes Online, that Switch Happy and Josh Feels A Surprise. Drew Hancock Directed that so expertly. JOSH is Such An interest, weird, despicable Character, and getting a Little bit more context to his life was a realy fascinating day. We WEEN’T EVEN CHOTING ON THE MAIN SET OF THAT MOVIE; We Were in Some Random Apartment. But i don’th he cares about iris’ feielings in that moment, and his Main flaw is his lack of empthy.

DID A CERTAIN PERSON IN YOUR LIFE Point at the Screen Like Leo Dicaprio WHEN She HEARD The SUNDTRACK TO THAT SCENE? (Note: goo goo dolls’ iris “was written for City of Angels, Starring Quaid’s Mother, Meg Ryan.)

WELL, I ACTUALLY HAVE NOT Seen That Movie with My Mom, SO I GUESS NOT. (Laughs.) But Drew Told Me About that [song] after the fact, and it was just a Really Cool, Coincidental, Amazing Reference. It’s awesome.

I’m Trying to Speak this Into Existence, But Wen Are You Going Back to Cape Town For Novocaine 2?

Oh, thank you for trying to speak that interse. I’d love to do Another Novocaine. I have also loved the Amount of People That Have Cheked Out Movie Since It’s Come on Streaming. IT’s Unbelievable, and Thank You to Anyone Who’s Cheked It Out. That character has such a special place in my heart. He’s Such A Sweetheart, and He Goes Through So Much, But He Does It For Love. I have ideas [for a sequel]; we all have ideas. SO KNOCK ON WOOD and Pray to the Movie Gods that It Happy. I would absolutely love that.

I Totally Thought the Movie Was Going to end with Blood Pouring Down Nate’s Chin, As if Hust Bit His Tongue, Someting He Ferd in The Firmst Act’s Pie-Eating Scene. I assumed it was going to be the payoff to that setup. But Dan Berk and Bobby Olsen Both told me that they preferred a more earnest ending that doesn’t risk Making Fun of Nate’s Condition.

Yeah, i’m kind of with them. I LIKE THAT NATE GOT SUCH A WIN at The END OF THAT MOVIE. I love that it ends with him smiling and enjoying a piece of cherry pie and just enjoying his life. He’s been through so much, and he gets a real win at the end of that movie. That sequence was so Cool Because the ending song is telekinesis’ “Power Lines.” I First Heard It A Long Time Ago, And I Always Thought That It Wound Go Perfectly in that Moment.

This is Kind of the Opposite of What I Was Just Talking About with the Beastie Boys. But I Played “Power Lines” Off my iPhone Speakers to Dan and Bobby in that Moment, and I Was Like, “This Could Go Really Well Here, Right?” And they were like, “Holy Shit. Let’s See if We Can Get The Rights to This.” THEN they Made a Couple Calls, and A Couple Hours Later, They Were Like, “We Have The Rights.” I’ve Never Done That Before, And I Probably Never Will Again.

SO the MOVIE ENDS IN THE EXACT WAY THAT I envulioned to that song and with the camera slawly pushing in on my face. I was also reality happy that no blood came out of my Mouth, and i THINK iting’VE Taken A Little Bit of Joy Away from Nate. Butnk you for seeing the movie, man. I Really AppreciaT it.

How Close Are You To Wraping The boys’ Final Season? (Note: This Interview Took Place on June 22.)

Pretty Close. IT’s A Huge Show with So Many Characters, and It’s So Chaotic, But People, One by One, Are Starting to Wrap Out. I Still Have About Six Shooting Days to Go, and It’s Just Getting More and More surreal that i’m going to have to have to start saying goodbye to Hughie Campbell. IT’s Emocial. It’s Bittersweet. This Show Have Done Everything for me. I love it. I Love the People. I’m going to miss everyone so much, and it’s going to be weird [without it].

But i’m Really Proud of What We’ve Accomplised This Season. I Think It’s A Great Finale, WHICH IS A HARD THING TO DO IN TV. I’m happy that [creator] Eric Kripke Got to Make the Ending He Intended, and HE DID A GREAT Job. So i’m excited for you guys to see it.

Do people from the more conventual superhero Stuff every reach reach out to say that wish they could do the risqué things that guys do a regular basis?

Maybe they do to eric and the writers, but i’m always just surprised whone Anyone from Superhero Media Knows Who We Are Are Are. We Were Always This Different UnderDog Universe. I Remember Meeting Tom Holland Very Briefly at A Party Once, and He Was Like, “Oh, The Boys. ” And I was like like, “There’s No Way that Spider-Man Knows Who I Am. That’s Crazy. ”

I Always Thought That My Biggest Dream Was to Be in A Marvel Movie or A DC Movie, and It Still Very Much is. But Never in My Wildest Dreams Did I Think that I would be on the ground floor of a superhero IT HAS ITS OWN VERY SPECIFIC TONE WEHERE TO SATIRIZE The World AROUND US IN THE MOST CATHARTIC WAY EVERY SEASON, AND I’M JUST SO unbelievably GrateFul for it all.

Besides Antony and Erin Moriarty, Is Everybody Making their Case to Eps Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for a Studio Season Two Cameo?

OH, MAN, THAT’D BE SICK. I love that show, and it’d be awesome. It was great that [Erin and Antony] Showed up in it. But i’ll do that right now. I’ll Start Making My Case. Please have me on! IT’s A GREAT SHOW. Those guys are amazing. They’re heroes of mine.

[ThisNextQuestion/AnswerContainsSpoilersfor[Thisnextquestion/answercontainsspoilersforPredator: Killer of Killers.]

Dan Trachtenberg DIRECTED YOU IN The Boys‘Pilot, and He Also Directed Amber Midthunder in Prey. And he was the one who recommended the two of you work together en route to Novocaine. Thus, have you seen the end of his Latest animated movie, Predator: Killer of Killers?

I just watched Predator: Killer of Killersand it’s so good. I love that ending. Amber’s Character from Prey Makes An Apperance, and I Got Very, Very Excited. She absolutely nailed it in Preyand i am so happy to know her and to know dan. Durying NovocaineAmber Quickly Became One of My Better Friends, and We Still Text All The Time. She’s Just Such A Badass. SO I Was Excited As a Fan of Dan’s, As A Fan of Amber’s and As of Animation. I love that movie. Go check it out. It’s So Unbelievable Good.

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Heads of State is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.