‘The Boys’ Star Opens Up About His Campy and “Fun” Horror Movie Just in Time for Its Streaming Return [Exclusive]

Every actor you know has gotten their start somewhere. Before you can get your big break, there are plenty of bridges to cross filled with minor roles that all pave the way towards something (hopefully) greater. On Thursday, during a panel hosted by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt at FanX Salt Lake, The Boys star Laz Alonso opened up about his first big step in the industry that opened up doors for his future. Luckily for intrigued parties, after reading what Alonso had to say, they can head over to Peacock in just a few days to check it out as his first foot in the door of the industry will join the streamer’s Halloween lineup on October 1. Revealing that his career was bolstered bicoastally, the actor said, “So, I have two iterations of professional acting. One was in New York and then one was when I moved to LA.” As for the New York bits, the Avatar alum said his performances in the Big Apple were “mostly staged,” adding, “I started to do a little bit of a guest star here and there but not that much.” However, that all changed when he uprooted his life and chased his dreams across the country to California. Reminiscing on his early days in Los Angeles, Alonso said,
“LA, it was a movie called Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood. My character was named Rory. I found the leprechaun’s gold, and I didn’t want to give it back. And the leprechaun came to the hood to get his gold. If you can find it, you’re gonna have fun. It’s a crazy movie.”

Where ‘Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha’ Hood’ Falls on the Franchise’s Timeline

Warwick Davis in ‘Leprechaun Back 2 Tha Hood’Image via Lionsgate

Simply one of the greatest holiday horror film series of all time, the first Leprechaun film was released in 1993, with the legendary Warwick Davis (Willow, the Harry Potter film series) starring in the titular role. Just like Back 2 tha Hood ushered in a new and promising upturn in Alonso’s career, the first film did the same for Jennifer Aniston, who celebrated her feature-length debut with the campy Mark Jones-penned and directed horror-comedy. The years following would see four follow-ups, including 2000’s Leprechaun in the Hood, which would spawn the sequel and sixth title in the franchise, Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha’ Hood. In the more than two decades since Alonso took on the Leprechaun hunting his gold, only two new movies have joined the series, meaning it’s probably about time for a reboot. Stay tuned to Collider for more to come from FanX Salt Lake and check out Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha’ Hood when it searches for its gold on Peacock October 1.