Ever since his breakout role in ‘Hamilton’, Daveed Diggs has been pretty much shunning musical numbers on screen. That may seem bizarre, given his Tony-winning past. However, as the actor himself put it, he’s been rejecting those opportunities for years.
Until ‘The Boys’, that is.
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Unexpectedly, in season 5 episode 7, Oh-Father’s character is the star of a strange musical about Homelander’s ascension to godhood. It’s a bizarre, disturbing, and somehow addictive moment, ideal for ‘The Boys‘ crazy world. What makes this even more fascinating is that Diggs doesn’t really agree to scenes like this anymore.
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The actor admitted that he generally refuses to sing when productions ask. But this time it was different. “I’ve been asked to do that on a lot of shows, and I always say no, but the music team on this show is so good. I liked the show and trusted in what they were doing, and I was very happy that we did it. It ended up being so much fun.”
He believed in the creative vision of the show and really liked the way it was being done. That trust enabled him to relax enough to break a streak he’d been maintaining since ‘Hamilton’ catapulted him into the mainstream. In fact, you can tell that he is enjoying himself in the sequence.
The performance is effective because it doesn’t feel like a random celebrity appearance or a forced musical break. Rather, it is intimately connected to the disturbing themes of the story. Oh Father isn’t singing for fun; he’s actually helping to spread the word that Homelander is a god. This makes the whole scene theatrical and yet very disturbing.
The Musical Number Means More Than It First Appears
It’s interesting to watch how fast the episode undermines the illusion of the act. At first, Oh Father seems to be wholeheartedly on Homelander’s side. However, the rest of the episode makes him realize just how terrible it is to be devoted to Homelander.
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As Homelander begins to target non-believers, Diggs’ character starts to show signs of questioning his path. In retrospect, that change brings a whole new set of emotions to the musical sequence. The initial bravado of propaganda has now turned into a feeling that maybe they’ve fallen in love with a monster.
It’s a surprisingly emotional moment for ‘The Boys’, particularly in a season already filled with emotional breakdowns and moral collapse. And for Diggs, it marks a rare return to the kind of performance style many fans have missed since Hamilton, even in the most unusual fashion.
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