Eric Kripke’s hit superhero series The Boys has officially come to an end, and fans can’t stop buzzing over the larger-than-life ending. The last episode of the show’s fifth and final season (spoiler alert) ends with the gory death of its central antagonist, Homelander, played by Antony Starr. We also lose Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) moments into his villain arc as he attempts a mass purging of the superheroes, only to be shot by Hughie (Jack Quaid).

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kripke explained his ultimate vision for the finale: “We always started and ended with the characters. And I wanted them all to have satisfying journeys and satisfying endpoints and payoffs. That was my main goal, and I think by and large we did that.”

As for Homelander’s end, the showrunner revealed that Starr was more than willing to accept the character’s humiliating demise. When informed that the megalomaniacal supe would not be “powerful in his death”, the 50-year-old actor said, “He has to get a comeuppance that befits the horror that he’s been inflicting for the last seven years.” Kripke further recalled, “I think he wanted to really dig into what a mess Homelander was. He was a great partner for all of it.”

So, what else do we know about Antony Starr?

What’s Antony Starr’s background?

Starr was born on October 25, 1975, in Wellington, New Zealand. As a young boy, he trained in Shodokan Aikido and karate, enjoyed surfing and briefly worked as a beach lifeguard, per Men’s Journal. He attended Rangitoto College and described himself as a “pretty good, polite and nice and friendly” student in an interview with Stuff. “I’ve been told I still owe detentions,” he added playfully.

How did he get into acting?

Starr was not a drama kid growing up, per Stuff. “I sort of fell into this. And for something you fall into, it’s been good for me,” the actor told the outlet. He later took acting lessons alongside his The Boys co-star and fellow New Zealander, Karl Urban, per BriefTake.