The actor Claudia Doumit, who starred in the superhero series The Boys, discusses the subtle and original ways that women are portrayed in media.

At an exclusive Sydney, Australia screening of the superhero series The Boys on Amazon Prime Video, actor Caudia Doumit was present.

The character of Congresswoman Victoria Neuman in the superhero sci-fi series The Boys, played by Australian actor Claudia Doumit, has broken several clichés about how women are depicted in media. The program explores a variety of intricate topics while highlighting strong women in influential roles without using clichés.

Doumit says during an interview in Sydney, Australia for an exclusive screening, “[With everything you do or say], there’s always the [added] attachment [or an extra tag] of a woman — a powerful ‘woman,'” even though she is pleased that the Amazon Prime Video show accurately portrays gender roles. And while I approach Neuman, I really aim to just remove the “woman” and make it seem like she’s a powerful person, a powerful political figure, and a powerful character in this show. I believe it’s critical to examine it from that perspective.

The Boys, which is based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, not only touches on a number of contemporary and relevant social issues, but it also deftly dispels misconceptions about female villains and refrains from sexualizing them in order to attract attention.

Doumit nods that it’s a refreshing change and lauds the creative team behind the show including the writers and director Eric Kripke, for not giving in to the usual norm.

She adds, “The show creates these rich characters that don’t rely on any of those superficial or surface-level catches (like sexualising their female villains) for audiences. I mean, sure, it’s a superhero genre, so you have got capes and all that kind of stuff for the visual appeal, but it’s almost like they are poking fun at it,” says the 30-year-old, adding that the characters at the core are “so brilliant that you are not focusing on or, in fact, you don’t have to focus on anything else [to make them seen or heard].”

Elaborating further, she says, “They are so three-dimensional, they are so flawed, they are so deeply [intense]… But, it’s a character-driven show and that’s where the focus is. And therefore, it’s so easy to play these character that you see on screen.”

Doumit’s character is based on American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the acknowledges the change in the cultural landscape, and change within the system. Given it’s also an extremely physically and mentally challenging role, we ask her how easy and difficult it has been to catch the nuances and bring them to light.

“There have been some easy elements, but there have also been some moments where I have to dive in there and really think about how to approach a particular situation and what she would be like at that point. And it’s all very measured and very strategic, and that, I think, is very on par with any woman who’s in politics. So, the show very much mirrors that approach, that they do have to be strategic and figure out how to come across,” shares the actor, who “really wants to” visit India “for its rich culture and food and everything else”.