‘The Boys’ Season 3: Soldier Boy Actor Jensen Ackles Had to Make 4 Audition Tapes to Beat ‘Major Names’ for the Role

Supernatural star Jensen Ackles had an in at The Boys. Supernatural creator Eric Kripke adapted the Garth Ennis comic book for Prime Video. That didn’t guarantee Ackles a role on the comic book show, though. The Boys Season 3 ultimately cast Ackles as Soldier Boy, but when Supernatural ended, he still had to work for it. 

Ackles appeared on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast Inside of You on Jan. 18 although it was recorded in October 2021. The Boys Season 3’s new star previewed his role, including the epic beard he grew for it, but said Kripke couldn’t just give it to him. The Boys Season 3 premieres June 3.

‘The Boys’ Season 3 was not looking for Jensen Ackles 

Kripke may be the showrunner of The Boys but he still answers to Amazon and producing studio Sony. Ackles said they had other ideas for Soldier Boy in Season 3.

“This was something that the studio, that Sony was talking to some much bigger names than me and wanted to bring in for season 3,” Ackles said on Inside of You. “Eric was like, ‘Look, I know you can do this but we’re going to have to convince the powers. You’re going to have to put yourself on tape.’ I was like, ‘Great, I’ll do that.’”

It took more than one tape to cast Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy in ‘The Boys’ Season 3

Audition tapes are common for actors, although the more credits you acquire, the less often you have to make tapes. But, Ackles wasn’t above making a tape for The Boys Season 3. Nor was he opposed to making more than one tape. 

“So I did and I sent it to him only,” Ackles said. “He noted me and I did it again, sent it to him. He noted me again. We went back and forth about four times. He was like, ‘Okay, I’m cool if you’re cool. I can take this up the chain here, see what kind of response we get.’ I was like, ‘Look, if you’re going to go to bat for me, I want to give you the biggest bat I can. So tell me if there’s anything else I can do.‘ He’s like, ‘You’re good.’ He went to bat for me and that was it but I worked for it. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, we want to bring you in for season 3. I had to earn this one.’”

The scene that won Jensen Ackles the role

Ackles described the scene that ultimately landed him the role of Soldier Boy. His wife, Daneel, helped him record. Finally, in June 2021 Ackles suited up in The Boys.

So the audition scene that I had to do was a scene with Soldier Boy and Butcher, played by Karl Urban. So the scene is between Butcher and Soldier Boy. We’re in lockdown. This is summer 2020 and all I’ve got is two three-year-olds, a 7-year-old and my wife. No one can read Butcher. So I prerecorded Butcher doing my Butcher voice and then had Daneel off to the side pressing play and pause. So I was giving my lines as Soldier Boy and then hearing my prerecorded Butcher lines back to me. This is the kind of sh** you’ve got to do when you’re trying to get a job.

Jensen Ackles, Inside of You, Jan. 18