Antony Starr reveals how Homelander’s bizarre milk habit became a running gag in ‘The Boys’

Antony Starr has opened up about one of Homelander’s most bizarre and talked-about traits—his obsession with breast milk, and how it unexpectedly became a recurring element in The Boys.

During a candid conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, Starr admitted he never expected the unusual detail to become such a defining part of the character. “I never expected it would become a thing in the show,” he said, explaining that the behavior is rooted in Homelander’s deeper psychological issues.

He also reflected on one of the character’s strangest early dynamics. Recalling Season 1, Starr joked about how Homelander viewed a baby connected to his rival: “It was very odd giving an infant daggers… looking at this baby with pure hate,” he said, describing the child as his “nemesis.”

The actor went on to explain how the milk storyline developed in Season 2, when Homelander discovers and drinks it as a coping mechanism. “It’s a way of remembering her… heat it up, like it,” Starr said.

Recognizing its impact, Starr reached out to showrunner Eric Kripke. “I said, ‘It’s really funny… we’ve got to do more with that,’” he recalled. “He said, ‘Way ahead of you, I’m writing it into every episode.’”

Off-screen, the bizarre trait has taken on a life of its own. Starr revealed that fans frequently joke about it in real life. “Waiters will play it super cool… and then go, ‘Milk?’” he laughed, adding that he usually declines while acknowledging the joke.

What began as a strange one-off moment has since become one of the most infamous aspects of Homelander’s character, perfectly capturing The Boys’ signature mix of shock value and dark storytelling.