The following article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 3.

In the TV series The Boys, Crimson Countess, portrayed by The Walking Dead's Laurie Holden, once served as a valued member of Payback, the premiere superhero team before the Seven. Flashbacks showed Crimson Countess, along with her Payback comrades and former lover Soldier Boy, on a mission in Nicaragua. The assignment ended with the Russians capturing Soldier Boy and hauling him away.

In the present day, Crimson now works at the theme park Vought Land, where she amuses attendees with her singing and fiery powers. Once Butcher, Hughie, and Mother's Milk ambush Crimson and chain her up, it's game over. Soldier Boy arrives and confronts Crimson about her betrayal. After she yells, "We all hated you," Solider Boy unleashes a blast that demolishes her home and reduces Crimson to a charred, smoldering crisp. Holden recently spoke with CBR about Crimson Countess' baggage, costumes, her toasty demise, and zombies.

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The Boys Season 3 Group

CBR: Crimson Countess was such a fun role. How did this part come about? When did the ball start rolling?

Laurie Holden: I got an audition in September of 2020. I put a test together in New York. It happened fast. Within days, I got cast. They put me on a plane to Los Angeles. I began the process with LJ [Shannon] and the costume department for them to build my super suit, which took about 10 weeks. Then, we went into the new year and started filming.

Does it ever come together that quickly?

In my experience, it actually does sometimes. I remember, for Silent Hill, I was driving to LAX to get on a plane to India. I got a call from my agent saying, "Where are you? Are you on the plane yet? Go to a different terminal and fly to Toronto. You start shooting Monday." That's our business.

The Supes in The Boys are pretty damaged. In what ways do you feel the Crimson Countess was flawed, and how did that make her more relatable?

Crimson was the "It Girl" for a long time, back in the day with Soldier Boy. I think as time passed and she got a little older, Vought cast her aside. They basically threw her away. She's as athletic, strong, and personable as she was ever. Like any corporation, they want the young thoroughbreds. There's an injustice there. She's a formidable Supe that is like, "Why am I just thrown away, and I'm spending my life performing at Vought Land two times a week when I should be at the Super Bowl?" It's really a satire of celebrity culture and what we do to our heroes, what we do to our icons, for no apparent reason except for what's new and what's in fashion.

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Audiences were treated to flashbacks of Crimson, Soldier Boy, and their group, Payback. How did the past impact her and her status in the present day?

She was the "It Girl." I think she cared for Soldier Boy, but he mistreated her. They got their orders from Vought that he was to be disposed of as they were building the new model, Homelander. We signed up for that because of so many years of mistreatment, in particular what he was doing to Black Noir. For me, Noir was Crimson's bestie. We did a lot of movies together. I loved him. When we were in Nicaragua, and we all complied with Vought's orders, and Soldier Boy was taken on his way -- obviously, he was taken by the Russians -- I don't think it was very long after that that I was dismissed by Vought.

I feel like Crimson, in many ways, lost her identity. "I did everything I was supposed to. I followed corporate orders. I have been this great superhero, and now you are throwing me away." To me, it builds the pain of the character, and that's relatable, the pathos. She's a survivor, somebody who has really fallen on hard times. Whether it's when she's at Vought Land singing to very few people in a crowd or when she's on the run after that unfortunate accident with the Homelander plushy, she has to make end's meat by live streaming on Only Fans. She's a gal trying to find her way and not getting any help.

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You mentioned that trip to L.A. and your time with LJ. What was your reaction the first time you actually put the costume on and then when you were running around in it on set?

It was a process, having the outfit come together. There was the concept, measuring me, and all the digital [work] they had to do. It literally had to be tailor-made for me. I was told -- and I was not told this in a pressurized way, it was just the facts -- If I lost a couple of pounds at any point during shooting, they could take it in. I could not gain because there was no stretch.

It was very collaborative. I've been in a lot of shows. The costume process is always kind of challenging, particularly for women. There's an expectation to look a certain way, and, I gotta tell you, these women were rock stars. I was not in the best of shape when I started. We were in the middle of Covid. I was very sedentary. I had done a lot of baking. LJ took my hand and went, "Girl, you will get there. Don't worry about it." I think because they were so kind and there was a sisterhood, that it took the pressure off. I switched gears, got super-healthy, and 10 weeks later, voila, it all came together.

I did a lot of running. I did a lot of my own stunts. Some stunts I obviously did not do. I am not going to tell you which ones they are because I am not going to ruin the movie magic, but I have made a career out of this kind of thing. I am very athletic, so I love being physically active. So, when I can have a character that is very physical, I just feel alive.

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Another aspect of Crimson Countess is she manifests these fiery powers. What kind of discussions did you have on the gestures and hand movements, or was that all you?

That was all them. It's so specific. It's such an art. The hands had to come together at a certain speed. It had to be at a certain height. It had to be very specific, so that later they could put in the special effects. It was all choreographed. It was all so it would match what would be the end product of fireballs and heat coming out of my hands.

Soldier Boy fries Crimson, extra crispy. One could say she becomes Crispy Countess…

I heard many incarnations of my name.

What else have you heard?

Nothing that can be repeated. Let's keep it PG.

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What were your thoughts on Crimson's demise? She seemed to give up in the end. Could Crimson have played Soldier Boy a little bit better?

No. When he first came in, of course, she tried to manipulate him a bit, but he's smart. She's smart. She's tied down. She knows the game is up. It's not about giving up. It's about knowing that this is her fate. There is nothing she can do but still defying him and standing up to him. She's going out showing that defiance and not giving him the satisfaction that she is being a victim. She's not screaming. She's not crying. She tells him exactly how she feels and the way that it is. She's like, "OK, do it." I love that.

Ending on a fun note and a nod to your Walking Dead days, what kind of zombie would Crimson make?

When I worked on that show, they all went to movement class. They all built character stories for each and every one of them. If I was a zombie, which I will never be a zombie, but if I was a zombie, I would be a dancing zombie. I would be a dancing zombie with a cape and a bunch of monkeys around me.

New episodes of The Boys Season 3 drop Fridays on Prime Video.