Nathan Mitchell has spent the last 19 years steadily building a revered reputation as a hardworking actor who brings nuance to each role he turns his hand to. The classically trained talent entered the industry in 2007, taking on numerous minor roles in American TV shows. It wasn’t until 2014 onwards that the Canadian started to earn roles in CW’s Arrow and then Supernatural. There’s been a handful of stellar performances which have helped Mitchell rightfully elevate his career, such as his appearance as Zion in Netflix’s hit show Ginny & Georgia. Yet ultimately, his biggest role to date is as a superhero or more accurately the supervillian, Black Noir, in Eric Kripke’s Amazon Prime Video phenomenon, The Boys.

First airing in 2019, the brutal, outrageous, and exciting world of The Boys was an unknown IP to audiences around the world unless you were a fan of the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, which first went to print in 2006. Years later, it’s one of the biggest shows Amazon has to offer. Mitchell has been starring as the deadly, silent, and psychotic character Black Noir since the start, working alongside fellow actors Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Anthony Starr, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Karl Urban, 1883 alumni Tomer Capone, and many more. Mitchell has had one of the most difficult roles on the show, playing two versions of Black Noir, all whilst being completely masked and mute apart from the few moments when he does talk. It’s a testament to Mitchell’s talent as he’s brought the character to life with ease, expressing emotions and dialogue with physicality. With the final season of The Boys currently airing, the world is now waiting to see what will happen when the show concludes next month.

Although The Boys is coming to an end, Mitchell’s star has never burned brighter, and the actor is now reaping the rewards of years of hard work. He’s not done, though; there’s plenty more he wants to achieve after ticking off the superhero role from his bucket list.

In conversation with 1883 Magazine, Nathan Mitchell discusses wrapping up The Boys after eight years, his stellar music taste, how he stays grounded in the showbiz industry, and more.

Nathan, thanks for speaking with 1883 Magazine. Starting on an emotional note, given that The Boys started filming in 2018, what does it mean to be wrapping up a project you’ve spent the last eight years on?

It means the world to me. I’m so proud to be a part of this show and to tell a meaningful story that’s saying something in a unique way. I feel so lucky to be a part of this group. This role has changed my life. Getting to tell a full story and being part of a series that goes out on its own terms a gift that I will cherish forever.

The depth, the courageousness, and the impact of this show is what I admire most about it. And what I believe will allow it to stand the test of time. 

Some may see your character as ‘easy’ given Black Noir is the strong, silent (and psychotic) type, but it takes skill to pull off a role of that kind whilst still conveying things to the audience with a mask on. And since the first version of the character died off in the last season, you’ve been able to finally speak and show even more range. So with that in mind, what do you think you’ve learnt as an actor through that time when working on The Boys, as you’ve played two versions of Black Noir?

Yeah, it definitely isn’t as easy as it looks and is a role that comes with its own set of unique challenges. One of the many things that I’ve learned is just how necessary it is for a character to have a strong desire and internal life in a scene. These are two things you get told in acting class from the very beginning, but it can be easy to brush them off and just wing it with the words. But playing this character without dialogue and without the ability to show facial expressions really allowed me to experience how truly important it is for a character to Want Something.

To pursue an active goal. When you break down the word Character, it’s really Care and Actor. And I see that as someone who takes action to get something they care about. Without that, it can be hard to be compelling. And I think that’s one of the reasons Noir resonates with people. They can tell there’s a person under there who’s thinking and feeling. 

Black Noir had quite an entrance, fighting Starlight back in episode one of this last season. Why do you think he ended up letting Annie go? Or was it purely that he was bested in the brawl?

As much as New Noir has committed to the role of silent assassin, he still lacks the power and skill of his predecessor. So while he gave it everything, he could it’s fair to say he’s not a complete match for Annie when she draws on all her powers. He’s working his way up as far as his skillset goes. But he’s still just an actor.

To step away from the show for a moment, you’ve been acting since around 2007, right, but you’ve always had a creative streak and actually fell in love with the visual arts and drawing prior to discovering drama and acting. Do you still draw now? I love this passion, all kinds of stemmed thanks to you watching Power Rangers as a kid!

When I transitioned to acting from drawing it was kind of permanent. I found I had the desire to shift into more dynamic and interpersonal forms of self-expression. While I don’t draw anymore, I do enjoy songwriting when the mood hits me. And I haven’t done it in a while, but playing covers on the ukulele is something I enjoy doing from time to time. And yeah, where would I be without Power Rangers. It really did all start with them. 

You have to put in a lot of groundwork in acting, even when you have roles that do well, and it takes years to become seemingly ‘an overnight success’. Take, for example, your roles in Ginny & Georgia, IZombie, and Supernatural. What helps you keep grounded in such a tough industry?

In my late teens and early twenties, I spent a lot of time studying different spiritual books and philosophies. I felt like it was important to reflect, understand myself and the world around me in a deeper way. Books like The Power of Now, Siddartha, and The Voice of Knowledge were a really impactful for me. I also began studying astrology at that age.

The different philosophies and practices I’ve absorbed over the years really help me keep perspective. On what’s real and what life is about. I know that no matter what I achieve, my intrinsic value as a human doesn’t change. And that I’m the same as everyone else.

I know that whatever happens out in the world, what truly matters is my relationship with myself and the people I care about. And however things are going at a particular time, I have the ability to take a step back and look at things as being chapters of my life that I am experiencing for a reason. I’d say all of that helps me stay grounded. 

Can we talk about your taste in music? Some really good choices with Ayra Starr, The 1975, Rolling Stones, Christine and The Queens, Neil Diamond, and previous 1883 cover star Declan McKenna, to name but a few. What’s your relationship with music, and what’s been the best gig you’ve ever been to so far?

Haha, thank you. I love that you appreciate that. Yeah, I love so many different kinds of music. It’s like every genre or every song helps you access and stay in touch with a different part of yourself. As long as I can feel the artist’s soul in a song, it doesn’t really matter what genre it is.

As far as my favourite performance, it’s hard to pick, so I’ll give you a few. I would have to say Hozier is up there at the top. With vocals, his guitar skills are next level. I saw Death Cab For Cutie in Toronto and Ben Gibbard was so good I thought he was lip syncing. I went to a great Usher show back in the day and he is a performer in the truest sense of the word. Charlie Kerr from Hotel Mira is a friend of mine, and I always love going to his shows. I also saw Nao about a year ago, and she was absolutely fantastic. 

As we know, The Boys, in its last few seasons, has really held up a mirror to a lot of awful things that are going on in America and across the world in general. Social media, AI, and dictatorship are all swiped at. Even Black Noir takes part in a ‘manosphere’ podcast with The Deep. Has there been anything in particular you think the show has picked up on which has been quite needed to sort of poke a stick at?

What’s crazy to me is that these stories are written about a year and a half before the show comes out. And the fact that they happen to be so relevant to what is going on at the time that the episodes air makes you wonder whether the writers are using some sort of crystal ball. 

When you go back through history, you find that the more challenging issues society is dealing with right now are really nothing new. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. And I think in studying rulers, civilizations, and empires of the past our writing team has gotten pretty good inspiration for how things could transpire in current times. And the fact that it feels like they’ve been so tuned in with what they’ve written points to the fact that human nature remains unchanged.

I think the age-old adage is as timely as ever. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

There are so many things in society that need to be poked at. But I do really appreciate the show touching on how AI can be used to mislead the public. That’s something important that we all need to be aware of. 

As a kid, you loved superheroes – I also loved the animated Spider-Man show, and much more.  How does it feel to have finally ticked off a bucket list role, to play a superhero? Well, more so a supervillain, I suppose.

It is an absolute dream come true. If you had told my 6-year-old self or my 16-year-old self this is what I’d be doing at this point in my life they’d be high-fiving themselves. This show is the realization of so many dreams for me.

To play a superhero, to have powers, to be in a cool ass suit is the number one role that I’ve wanted up to this point. And to do it in an amazing story as part of an amazing cast is what makes it truly meaningful and fulfilling.

I really can’t tell how it’s all going to end. Without giving anything away, how would you describe the final episode in three words?

Gut-wrenching, Cathartic, and Satisfying. 

Finally, what would you like to try your hand at next, and is there anything you would like to manifest for your career moving forward?

I’d love to play a Will Turner-esque role in a new iteration of Pirates of the Caribbean. 

I also love the relationship between Hank and Karen in Californication. I like to think Zion and Georgia have an echo of that. In a future series, I’d love to play a role where I get to explore that dynamic even more. 

A Luther-esque role would also be really cool too.

The Boys is streaming weekly on Amazon Prime Video.

Interview Cameron Poole

Photography Jonny Marlow

Stylist Caitlin Pope

Grooming Simone