THE BOYS actor Jessie T.Usher spoke to us at Disrupshion Magazine about his journey and his current role as A-Train. Usher is well known as A-Train on The Boys, but is also known for his roles in Survivor's Remorse, Shaft, independence Day: Resurgence, G.I. Joe Renegades, and the upcoming series Tales of the Walking Dead.
Disrupshion Magazine Digital Cover
Words: Angel Neal
Photography: Ramona Rosales
Styling: Tia Usher
The Boys mirror our present realities greed, power, manipulation and tackles issues head on without shying away. What are some takeaways you wannt the auidence to takeaway from season 3?
Well, corporate corruption is one underlying theme throughout a lot of the show this season. You get to see the way that a corrupt leader can influence a world. The third season reflects the power of social media and by implying it with season 2 how we saw Stormfront was able to build an army almost just through social media. This season we are very in your face with it. For example, you'll see Starlite realizing she can say something and use her voice because she has a hundred million followers ect She realizes, I can say something to all these followers and it can influence the world. That is an underrated aspect of real life that people abuse all the time maybe because they've realized just how powerful social media is. Theres laws that have been overturned just because it blew up on Twitter. So that's something I hope people take away from the season and hopeful we use for good and not just entertainment purposes because it's power there. Also the show does a great job reflecting the world around us with hopes that it gives people a wake up call and help them think. So much information in and out of our heads each episode.
Here we are in Season 3 and A-Train is rebuilding his representation with Vought, rocking a newly designed supersuit inspired by his African American heritage and a song plus a music video for Faster. What inspired all these new things for A-train?
I just think the desire to be relevent to be honest with you. He looked up one day and his whole identity is gone. Like he is A-Train the fastest man alive thats like who he is and all of a sudden now he can't run. So he thinks I am no longer who I thought I was. So who is A-Train. He's in a desperate attempt to find his identity, so he's trying music, he's trying to be more cultural and tap into his roots and aware of what he says. But its not what he wants, he really wants to have an identity. He's desperately looking for a way to do that.
Photo: Amazon Prime Video
DM: A lot of our favorite villains are ones we sympathize with in the end. A-train in a way is his own worst enemy. What was your approach for him starting off as an unlikeable character in season one to the world sympathizing with him by the end of season 2 and going into season 3.
In the beginning you saw A-Train for who he was in the circumstances that he was in but throughout the course of the series you began to understand why. And thats the only thing that has given people and opportunity to sympathize with him. Because the what is the same. He’s still making terrible decisions, he’s still A-Train. Everyone is able to relate in a way they couldn’t before because its never been life or death for a lot of us. But for A-Train often times it is life or death. Its really like I will kill you unless you do this. I will destroy you. he’s always faced against with these ideas where he’s like kill you or be killed and he does what he does. People have been able to relate to that. But not only can people relate, now A-Train is aware he’s been making these bad decisions. The consciousness of it is going to change how he reacts in the future.
Predictions for Season 4
Usher says A-Train will more likely be looking out for A-Train. I don't see him putting everything he's lived for at risk for someone else's purpose.
The BOYS, Season 4, TBA, Prime Video in the meantime you can follow Jessie T. Usher on social media platforms as @jessietusher .
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