Actor Laz Alonso Talks ‘The Boys’ Final Season & More with Rich Eisen | Full Interview

0:00 It's quite ironic that a diehard Commander fan is kill crushing

0:03 it in a show called The Boys, but such is life.

0:06 And the man who plays Mother's Milk is here on the program, Laz Alonzo.

0:10 Great to see you, Laz.

0:11 How are you?

0:11 Thank you for having me, Rich.

0:12 Happy to be here.

0:14 I love this show.

0:15 I mentioned it last week when Chase Crawford was in this chair.

0:18 We are diehard fans of the boys here on the program.

0:22 And um I already miss it.

0:24 Yeah,

0:24 I already miss it.

0:25 Well, it ain't over yet.

0:26 I know that.

0:27 I'm I'm frontloading the missing.

0:28 We have a lot a lot left to go this season.

0:33 Fantastic, man.

0:32 Uh I I listen, it's been a labor of love playing this character.

0:37 I love the uh leeway that Eric Krypkkey has given me to grow every season

0:43 in uh storytelling.

0:46 Mhm.

0:45 And I feel that I'm speaking more than just for Mother's Milk.

0:48 I feel that this character represents freedom fighters all over the world.

0:54 Uh waking up and it's not always a good day.

0:57 Yeah, there are hard days.

1:00 And so, uh, there's a tremendous amount of weight that I play the character

1:04 because I feel like that that's a way to ground the show in reality.

1:08 And as crazy as the show is,

1:11 Yes.

1:11 we're still telling a lot of truths.

1:13 Yeah.

1:13 I mean, there's so many characters that just have uh a history to them and uh,

1:19 you know, uh, what should you say?

1:22 You know, skeletons.

1:23 Yes.

1:23 Um, and your character is just constantly dealing with nonstop mental anguish.

1:31 Absolutely.

1:31 And then we're rooting for you to overcome them.

1:33 You know, I'm going to tell you

1:34 the the most the best compliment that I've gotten

1:39 Yeah.

1:38 has been from people that suffer from uh OCD.

1:41 No kidding.

1:42 And they thank me for playing this character not

1:46 as the butt of a joke, not as a punchline, right?

1:50 but to show that what they deal

1:52 with on a day-to-day basis is anchored in true life trauma.

1:57 And the interesting part about his character arc is that this season

2:01 when he finally let go of the need to control,

2:05 the need to live, the need to survive, he's freer than he's ever been.

2:09 And that's why he's living the way he is, smoking cigars.

2:14 He's free to have a drink.

2:15 He's actually enjoying the ride for the first time in five seasons.

2:20 Mother's Milk, the man who plays him, Lz Alonzo, is here on the Rich Eisen Show.

2:24 We just saw a clip to our radio audience that just rejoined us.

2:27 The series finale is just around the corner.

2:29 May 20th, The Boys, which has been on for five seasons.

2:34 You can catch seasons one through four on Prime

2:37 Video right here on the Rich Eisen Show.

2:39 I mean, I don't there's so many different

2:41 ways to go with you with your character

2:42 here since you're the ones that are trying to finally vanquish the soups, right?

2:48 Finally trying to rid the earth of what the rest of earth looks as heroic.

2:53 You had a soup here last week, by the way.

2:55 I already

2:56 know.

2:56 I know we did.

2:57 I can still smell them.

2:58 I should smells like fish in here.

3:02 Well, that we we asked Chase like how many

3:06 times did he have to tell his loved ones,

3:08 don't watch this week?

3:10 Have you ever had those?

3:11 You know, I'm going to tell you,

3:12 uh Chase has been one of my favorite his character

3:15 has been one of my favorite to watch, The Deep.

3:17 Mhm.

3:18 Uh on the show, he's had a lot of scenes by himself.

3:22 Mhm.

3:21 And it's just been so fun to see what he's done with them.

3:26 Right.

3:25 Um with me, uh I've had a lot of scenes

3:29 with characters that are extremely large in certain parts of their body.

3:34 Uh my mom has seen those scenes.

3:38 She was not terribly impressed.

3:41 Yes.

3:41 Uh with my work.

3:43 Mhm.

3:43 Uh but yeah, man.

3:44 I mean, it's it's it's one of those shows

3:46 that you never think when you're going after a role

3:50 or or in this business hoping to one day get a job

3:53 that you're going to be able to do such crazy stuff.

3:56 And uh and I'm proud to say, you know,

3:58 it's it's a it's a check off my list to say I've been able to do that.

4:02 Yeah.

4:02 I'm I'm I'm fortunate doing what I do for a living.

4:05 Um, and you know, my my mom being a a longtime uh Jewish mother from Brooklyn,

4:11 um, she loves doing on some of the things I do.

4:14 I've never once had a call up and say, "Mom,

4:15 I'm going to battle it out with love sausage tonight." So, you know, beware.

4:22 So, my mom's an old Cuban lady, so you can imagine,

4:26 you know, for her it's Cuban sausage salicha.

4:29 You know, she calls me mama leche in Spanish.

4:32 That's mother's milk.

4:33 Yeah.

4:33 Okay.

4:34 So, I mean, the jokes are never ending, but uh but yeah, man.

4:38 I mean, uh listen, you got to be able to laugh at yourself.

4:43 Sure.

4:42 And uh and for us, uh that's the one part of the story line

4:48 that takes the the air out of it.

4:49 Yeah.

4:49 Yeah.

4:50 To lighten up the subject matter.

4:51 Otherwise, this guy would just be tortured 24/7.

4:54 Now, I I I hear you on that front, but you've been an Avatar.

4:57 Yes, for sure.

4:58 Okay.

4:58 So, you're used to performing in a way where

5:01 you have to imagine What's happening?

5:04 The OG Avatar, right?

5:06 Avatar one.

5:07 Avatar one.

5:08 Correct.

5:08 Exactly.

5:09 So, what's more difficult?

5:11 To perform in Avatar or figure out what it's like to act

5:17 in a uh a fight scene with an individual nicknamed Love Sausage.

5:21 Let's see.

5:21 So, I was fighting against the human race in Avatar.

5:24 Yes, sir.

5:25 and uh I have progressed in my career

5:29 to fight against a large member of the human race

5:36 in the boys.

5:38 I'll say they're both equally uh uh challenging.

5:42 Yes, sir.

5:45 Um I'm going to hold off on saying how satisfied how

5:48 satisfying I was it was uh at the end of each fight.

5:52 I bet so.

5:53 But but they were both very memorable, right?

5:55 Or or or memorable.

5:57 Unforgettable.

5:58 Okay.

5:59 Memorable.

5:58 That's what I just said.

6:00 Did you pick up on that one?

6:01 I saw that.

6:02 The quotations, the air quotes, the air quotes right there.

6:04 But this show is it really is, as I mentioned, you know,

6:07 last week, not to repeat it, but again, you're you're here.

6:10 Um that there's no show that makes me laugh

6:13 out loud and also scream and curse out loud.

6:17 Um because it's so shocking, gory, it's also funny.

6:20 It's also scary.

6:21 It's also frightening.

6:22 It's also something that speaks of our times.

6:25 And what can you tell people about how it ends

6:29 that you're able to sort of drop a breadcrumb at all?

6:33 because we just had on our show uh the lead baseball uh reporter for ESPN,

6:38 the insider, Jeff Passen,

6:40 when he saw he was sitting there for the show

6:42 open for hour two and he saw that you're joining

6:45 and he's a big fan of yours and a big fan of your he's basically before

6:48 we even talk baseball he goes he's afraid

6:50 that your character is going to eat it.

6:52 Yeah.

6:51 And so you must hear that a lot.

6:53 You know there's a ton of also fan

6:54 theories based on the clip that you just showed.

6:57 Yes.

6:57 on what I meant by by that at the end of that at that monologue

7:02 when I say what you both what we both know I need to do,

7:06 right?

7:06 It's great to be able to see and hear

7:08 all these different fan theories of what's happening.

7:10 But I'd say the one thing that my character

7:13 I think wants to communicate to the audience,

7:19 yes, is that it's a superhero show,

7:21 but you don't need to have superpowers to be powerful.

7:25 You can be powerful just by using your voice,

7:29 just by standing your ground and speaking truth to power.

7:34 That's where our power lies.

7:36 And never forget that and never give that up.

7:40 So, uh, mm, whether something happens,

7:44 who knows?

7:45 We'll see.

7:45 We got three episodes to see what what happens to him or with him.

7:50 But the one thing that he's always going to be is powerful and representing

7:56 the the people who on the surface may appear not to be powerful,

8:01 but when you're together and when you unite, you're unstoppable.

8:04 I could see this affects you emotionally just even talking about it.

8:07 It does.

8:08 I mean, you take this allegory very seriously.

8:10 Listen, I grew up in DC in the in the 80s and 90s.

8:15 uh didn't grow up uh with any, you know,

8:18 uh a lot of money or anything like that.

8:22 Yes.

8:21 And for me, this show uh represents a lot

8:24 of what I stood for and what I learned growing up,

8:27 and that's that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to.

8:30 You just can't give up.

8:31 You're going to get knocked down.

8:34 Mhm.

8:34 But as long as you don't get knocked out, get up, keep fighting.

8:37 So, who was your superhero as a kid?

8:39 Doug Williams.

8:40 Doug Williams was definitely my superhero as a kid.

8:42 Commanders fan.

8:44 John Rigggins.

8:46 Riggins,

8:46 number 44, the diesel.

8:48 Yeah.

8:47 Used to run all over Dallas Cowboys.

8:50 Into the ground.

8:52 We would destroy him.

8:54 Why would you choose that team in particular, L?

8:56 You know, I feel a little heat behind me on set

9:00 and I just had to cool the situation off a little bit.

9:02 You know,

9:03 understood.

9:03 Well, it seems like you're actually lighting it.

9:05 I I a little bit.

9:06 Okay.

9:06 A little bit, but but you know what?

9:07 But it's fun, man.

9:08 I mean, I I still give props uh to to Jerry Jones and that organization.

9:13 The way they manipulated the draft and and moved

9:16 up and then got picks and let let go up.

9:18 I mean, the guy plays the draft like he's playing John Madden.

9:22 But I'm happy that we also have some adults in the room now with Adam Peters.

9:29 Yes.

9:28 Dan Quinn, who was here recently.

9:30 Great interview with you and Dan.

9:33 Thanks.

9:32 Um and I feel like we're in good hands as well as an organization.

9:35 Well, I mean, Jaden Daniels is um he's got superpowers himself, it seems.

9:39 He does.

9:40 He does.

9:40 Like his he if he was a soup um you know,

9:43 obviously mother's milk would want him untouched.

9:46 Um but

9:47 I think his superpower is his even keeleness

9:52 for sure that you can't tell whether he's up or he's down.

9:56 And for somebody at such a young age and at the beginning of his career,

10:01 it's it's that is as much of his unicorn status as his physical play.

10:07 Absolutely.

10:07 He's always smiling, right?

10:09 You know, and and that shows a tremendous amount of poise

10:13 uh in him even at this young stage of his game, right?

10:17 Uh what I am happy is that I feel like the team

10:21 is making some very non-splashy but good

10:25 investments in helping his long-term growth.

10:31 Mhm.

10:31 Um his first season was a Cinderella season.

10:33 Oh my god.

10:34 You you you had every right to think you were going to the Super Bowl that year.

10:37 I mean, we almost did.

10:38 I know you did.

10:39 You know, but we were the cardiac commanders for a reason.

10:42 That's right.

10:43 You know, it was like the reason why we got that far were heroics.

10:47 Mhm.

10:47 But you can't build a long-term winning strategy off heroics, right?

10:52 And I think we're making the right the right investments in our defense

10:56 um in help on the offensive line to protect them.

11:00 Yep.

10:59 He's not the biggest guy,

11:03 right?

11:01 And so it's just things that that I really feel secure

11:06 in the hands that we're in with the leadership that we currently have.

11:10 Well, Sunonny Styles being drafted in the first round this year.

11:13 I'm a Michigan guy, so I'm biased as well.

11:15 Mike Sanders still in the back end of that defense.

11:18 He's a champion.

11:20 Fantastic.

11:19 He's a leader.

11:20 Yep.

11:21 Um and obviously, you know, they had Bobby Wagner last year, Von Miller as well.

11:26 That's going to be some leadership if they don't come

11:27 back that's going to need to be somehow uh fulfilled.

11:30 But, um I I just protect Jaden Daniels at all cost.

11:34 Absolutely.

11:34 Protect Jaden Daniels.

11:36 And listen, uh what we may lack in experience

11:40 will make up for it in athleticism and speed, right?

11:43 And I think with uh Dan Quinn,

11:45 who we know is going to be a lot more involved this season, right,

11:48 with two new coordinators, he's going to have to be more involved.

11:52 You know, I love the way Andy Reid coaches

11:55 because he's always he never lets his hand completely off the wheel,

11:59 right?

11:59 And I think that is what Dan Quinn's going to have

12:01 to be this season at least is he's going to have to be

12:04 very very involved um with these new offensive and defensive coordinators

12:10 and make sure that he coaches everybody up and he's done it before.

12:15 So I I trust him

12:17 and you know a fan of yours for for quite some time.

12:20 Southland was a terrific show.

12:21 Oh yeah.

12:22 Had a lot of fun on that show.

12:23 A long time ago.

12:24 I understand that.

12:25 For sure.

12:25 Were you in the practice as well to start out your practice?

12:29 I did breakout kings.

12:30 I've been around for a while.

12:31 I know you have.

12:33 Yeah.

12:32 This is pretty cool that you're on this show and you're crushing it.

12:35 What I'll ask you the same question I asked Chase Crawford last week.

12:38 What is your favorite scene

12:40 from the boys that you were in as Mother's Milk?

12:43 What's that?

12:44 Uh I grew up watching this movie called Baron M the Adventures of Baron Munchen,

12:48 of course.

12:49 And uh I always wanted to one day end up inside of a whale.

12:54 Mhm.

12:55 All right.

12:56 And this show, season two,

12:58 when I read that script and I realized that we

13:02 were going to be crashing our boat inside of a whale,

13:06 written by Jace Crawford, by the way.

13:08 Okay, that's right.

13:11 Uh I it it was it was almost like God like spoke to me like,

13:14 "You got your wish, kid." you know,

13:18 and yeah, the season two, you know, we're riding in a speedboat,

13:22 we end up inside of this whale and we come out completely covered in blood

13:26 and that was the some of the most fun I've ever had on a film set.

13:29 Did nobody, Chase, anybody else know that that was part of your growing sort of

13:34 We found out like it was like episode five, you know,

13:36 and we we get the the scripts, you know, every month, right?

13:41 So, we don't know what the next script's going to have, right?

13:43 And so when we got that surprise, I read it and I was like, "This can't be true.

13:47 This can't be real."

13:49 Right.

13:49 Like a whale.

13:50 And sure enough, they had a 75 ft animatronic whale.

13:53 Mhm.

13:55 Wow.

13:54 That they had built and dropped on a beach in Toronto in the middle of summer.

14:00 And it was, you know, 95 and humid in Toronto and about 110 inside the whale.

14:06 And we had a blast, bro.

14:08 We had a blast.

14:09 And then you being into your character as you clearly are.

14:12 Um, which soup do you, Laz Alonzo, want to kill the most?

14:18 Soulja Boy.

14:18 Absolutely.

14:19 Well, so for sure.

14:21 Yeah.

14:21 Obviously that's your character, but you and Oh, Laz.

14:24 You right.

14:25 Oh.

14:25 Oh.

14:25 Oh, my bad.

14:26 I was thinking MM.

14:27 No, obviously we know Mother's Milk wants to take him out.

14:29 For sure.

14:30 But which one do you,

14:32 having watched and knowing this show from Jump knows who deserves it?

14:39 It could still be Soulja Boy, but who deserves it the most?

14:42 Who would you want to say like when you didn't

14:45 know at the time and you're reading the last few scripts,

14:48 you're like, I hope this this one eats it.

14:50 You know, because I've been playing this character for seven years of my life.

14:56 Yes.

14:56 He's my best friend.

14:58 So, I got to say Soulja Boy just because I got to back him up.

15:01 Okay.

15:02 Does that make sense?

15:02 Of course, I hear you.

15:04 What he did to MM If anybody did that to one of my friends Yeah.

15:11 they'd be my enemy, too.

15:12 I got to get Homelander out, though.

15:15 Yeah.

15:15 I mean, Homelander's bad, but his but his dad's worst.

15:19 I get it.

15:20 I I I just I don't know.

15:22 Uh I I don't want to spoil too much, but I still can't get over the airplane.

15:27 Oh yeah, that's true.

15:29 That was that was one of those moments

15:31 where I'm like this show is off the rails.

15:37 Yeah.

15:36 But um if you want to know like about how the differences between what

15:42 people think of the the soups and what they really are in real life,

15:45 that moment right there, I'm like, he's got to eat it for me.

15:48 Absolutely.

15:49 Got to get him out.

15:49 He showed us that just because you have powers doesn't mean

15:55 you're gonna be a good you're going to use them for good.

15:57 Oh boy.

15:57 Tell me about it.

15:58 Another allegory for our time.

16:00 There you go.

16:01 Uh it is great to see you LZ Alonzo.

16:02 Congrats again on everything with the boys.

16:04 Thanks.

16:05 You're you're welcome here whenever you want.

16:06 Certainly if you're going to give TJ smoke, we'll take it.

16:09 Appreciate it.

16:09 I appreciate it.

16:10 Take it.

16:10 TJ, I will see you in November, brother.

16:12 Let's do this.

16:13 Well, I mean, I don't know.

16:14 Could be sooner, right?

16:15 Commanders and Cowboys open against each other.

16:18 Yeah.

16:18 I mean, week.

16:19 A nice easy dub to start the season would be great.

16:22 You need to settle all family business.

16:26 Okay.

16:25 Carl Anthony Towns loves to troll TJ cuz he's an Eagles fan.

16:29 Oh yeah.

16:30 Um who's who's the Giant fan that loves to take you?

16:33 We don't have one really.

16:34 Is there a Giant fan on the show?

16:35 A celebrity Giant fan that loves to take you on?

16:38 Not really.

16:39 We don't have one.

16:40 Well, that's you know, someone can apply for the job.

16:44 Sure.

16:43 They all appear when the Giants start winning.

16:47 Ah, so they haven't appeared in a while.

16:48 Oh, true.

16:48 Hey, I like the commander smoke that is being delivered

16:52 right now by Mother's Milky Lz Alonzo LZ official on Instagram.

16:56 The final season of The Boys, new episodes releasing every Wednesday.

16:59 The final one is on May the 20th.

17:01 Seasons 1 through 4 can be streamed

17:04 whenever you darn well please on Prime Video.

17:06 Good to see you, sir.

17:06 Hey, you made it all the way to the end.

17:08 Thanks for that.

17:09 Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney

17:12 Plus and the ESPN app 12 to 3 Eastern.