The Amazon Prime Video series "The Boys" has captivated audiences with its satirical take on the superhero genre, its graphic violence, and its complex characters. Among these characters, Mother's Milk (MM), played by Laz Alonso, stands out as a voice of reason and a moral compass within the chaotic world of the series. However, Alonso's appearance has changed throughout his time on Amazon Prime's "The Boys". In fact, he lost nearly 40 pounds to prep for the most recent season.
The Initial Confusion: Was Mother's Milk Recast?
The premiere of "The Boys" Season 4 sparked considerable discussion and even some confusion among fans. Many viewers questioned whether Laz Alonso, the actor who has portrayed Mother's Milk since the first season, had been replaced. This speculation arose from the character's noticeably different appearance. Mother's Milk sported a different look from how he was last seen. Not only has M.M. abandoned his usual full beard in favor of a sleek mustache, but he also appears much thinner than in previous seasons.
The Truth: A Deliberate Transformation
The rumors of recasting were quickly dispelled. Laz Alonso remains the actor behind Mother's Milk. The change in appearance was a deliberate choice by Alonso, influenced by the character's arc in Season 4 and a desire to align more closely with the comic book source material. Alonso went through a sizable weight loss transformation - along with a shave - between wrapping up Season 3 production in September 2021 and Season 4 commencing filming in August 2022.
The Comic Book Connection
Alonso explained that Mother's Milk's changed physical appearance is the result of new challenges and the weight of becoming a commanding officer. The actor wanted to align Mother's Milk with the comic book. "To the beard lovers, MM didn’t always have a beard, as you see here in the source material. He was a Marine, clean shaven.
The Weight Gain in Previous Seasons
To fully understand Alonso's transformation, it's essential to look back at his approach to the character in earlier seasons. Alonso revealed that he really wanted to look like the comic book version of the character for the first two seasons. In an interview with Men's Health, Alonso explained that he gained excessive weight during The Boys Season 3 to align with the character fans have seen in the comic books. "I was heavy on caloric surplus when I first started the show. Seasons one and two I wanted to look like the comic. Season three we shot during and after Covid and I went from looking like the comic to looking like the very inflated version of the comic,” he says.
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Alonso admitted to indulging in unhealthy eating habits during this period. "Uber Eating every day, eating a lot of pizza, eating a lot of burgers. I discovered Toronto's best pizzas and burgers. I put on close to 40lbs. Laz Alonso mentioned that he had gained too much weight, and his face in The Boys' Season 3 promotional picture looked quite different, hence the decision to lose weight and adopt healthy eating habits. As a result, the actor gained an extra 40 pounds-which he says he did not even notice until the show's promo posters came out.
The Motivation for Change
The decision to lose weight and alter his appearance was multifaceted. "It wasn't healthy. Before season 4 came around, I wanted to do something real different… I went into an extreme calorie reduction. Laz Alonso lost around 40 lbs to play Mother's Milk in The Boys's Season 4.
According to the actor, a conversation with showrunner Eric Kripke played a significant role. When season four came around, he met with the show's writer, Eric Kripke. Kripke told Alonso that his character, Mothers Milk, will be “going through a big transition.” The actor used that as motivation to transform himself, too.
Alonso's Diet and Fitness Regime
The actor’s typical day of eating while cutting weight usually consists of electrolytes in the morning accompanied with some sort of caffeine-matcha being his personal favorite. pseudo-oatmeal, Alonso tries to stay away from carbs. His favorite snack when losing weight is nuts-and he loves an almond butter or peanut butter. He's also found healthier replacements for his favorite foods, like ice cream. "I discovered some sugar free ice cream that makes me feel better about finishing up the whole pint," he says. He admits that the diet is the hardest to maintain when it comes to being on a weight loss journey. As a self-proclaimed “foodie,” sacrificing some of his favorite foods in the name of health can be difficult, he says. Still, he does his best to be mindful and balanced.
Mother's Milk's Evolving Role in Season 4
In The Boys Season 4, Mother's Milk went through a big transition not only in his physical appearance but also in his profession. Most estimated The Boys Season 4 takes place roughly six months after the events of Season 3. During this time, Mother's Milk has presumably put much effort into his diet and fitness, much like Alonso himself. The actor commented on his transformation in response to a fan on Instagram congratulating him on the weight loss, saying, "Had to trim it down fam! Got carried away [with] too much pizza."
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The famously wise figure of Mother's Milk is now leading The Boys in their crusade against Vought, Homelander, and the Supes of the world. This new role will undoubtedly make Season 4 the most important run yet for Laz Alonso's Supe-hunter with more screen time and involvement in the story.
The Impact on the Character
Alonso's character reflected the emotional weight he was carrying while fulfilling his responsibilities. He often found himself at odds with Billy Butcher as they both had different views about leadership and justice in their universe full of corruption and evil activities. Alonso went on to say that Mother's Milk is "back into his regimented, military way of running things," and throughout the season we see him starting to take more of a leadership position within The Boys, although that gets shaken up by the season's end and he's off on his own once more. It will be interesting to see how his more militarized outlook helps him in season 5 because things looked positively grim at the end of season 4.
A Fan Favorite
Alonso has proven to be a fan favorite. Perhaps this larger role going into The Boys Season 4 may have motivated Laz Alonso in his fitness journey to get in his best shape yet. Hopefully, the actor - who has proven to be a fan favorite - will get the chance to show off his hard work in Season 4 with plenty of action and fight scenes.
Theories About the Future
Many have theorized Billy Butcher could become the ultimate threat to The Boys to close out the series after Homelander's defeat. If the superhero series were to push in that direction, Mother's Milk could become an even more important figure as he leads the way in bringing down an old ally-turned-foe.
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