Valorie Curry, openly lesbian actress takes on homophobe role in 'The Boys' season four

Valorie Curry, known for her diverse range of roles, portrays the politically divisive character Firecracker in the fourth season of Amazon’s superhero satire "The Boys." Firecracker, a conspiracy-minded homophobe, presents a stark contrast to Curry's personal beliefs, as she identifies as a lesbian.

Curry, who previously came out as pansexual on Instagram during National Coming Out Day in 2019, found an unexpected connection with her character. "It sounds so gross to say, but I really connected with her right off the bat," Curry told The Hollywood Reporter. Despite Firecracker’s extremist and often hateful opinions, Curry embraced the role to highlight the absurdity of such views. "It should be somebody from the community who’s getting to make a clown out of her. So there isn’t any ambiguity,” she explained.

The Boys' creator Eric Kripke has long been admired by Curry for his ability to satirize current cultural issues. "The show satirizes so much of what’s happening culturally, whether it’s #MeToo or the Republican Party," Curry said. She was often surprised by the authenticity of some of Firecracker’s lines, with Kripke confirming that certain outlandish statements were direct quotes from politicians.

Season four of "The Boys” introduces several new characters, including Susan Heyward's Sister Sage and Curry's Firecracker, who has super strength and can generate a firework-like effect. Curry also expressed her appreciation for the portrayal of bisexuality in the series, noting, "I love casual bisexuality in TV, in books, when somebody is just dating one person and they are dating another and we don’t even need to talk about it. It just is."

Curry emphasized the importance of not judging her character, hinting that Firecracker's behavior stems from "childhood trauma" and a belief that she has been marginalized. "As an actor, our first job isn’t to judge our characters," she stated.

Currently, Curry resides in upstate New York and is in a happy relationship with a woman who works outside the industry. Despite the temptations of larger Pride events in cities, Curry prefers celebrating locally. "There’s a big queer community here for such a little town," she shared, adding with a laugh, "I’d just be worried about traffic."

"The Boys" season four is set to continue its exploration of cultural and political issues through its satirical lens, with Curry's Firecracker promising to be a provocative addition to the series.