The Boys is bringing in new talent for the upcoming season of The Seven. Susan Heyward joins the cast as Sister Sage. Sage, the world’s most intelligent person, embodies the phrase “Listen to Black women.”

Sister Sage, played by Heyward, is expected to establish a name for herself inside The Seven by using her superpower in an unusual way for the good of the community. However, in the world of Vought, obstacles are unavoidable. The Seven, which include the powerful Homelander, The Deep, A-Train, Black Noir, and the newest member, Firecracker, pose enormous challenges for Sage to conquer, setting the stage for an intense and exciting season.

Before the new season of The Boys premiered, I got the amazing chance to talk with Heyward about her role, and she was more than prepared to take on the challenge of the fourth season.She was aware that Sister Sage would have a big influence as soon as she put on the superhero costume.Heyward underwent an intensely personal journey to fill Sister Sage’s shoes.

Antony Starr as Homelander, Susan Heyward as Sister Sage, Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir, Jessie T. Usher as A-Train, Chace Crawford as The Deep and Valorie Curry as Firecracker in the fourth season of The Boys. (Courtesy of Prime Video)

Heyward explained, “It was a massive process of making the costume piece by piece. So I put on draft after draft: different fabrics, different cuts, and various designs. So, the first time I put on the finished suits was a very great experience for me. I had a few tears.”

Heyward felt emotional about more than just the costuming process. Growing up, she didn’t see many characters who looked like her, so playing one was especially meaningful for the actress.

Heyward told me, “I grew up with Storm. I don’t know if you know Cheetara from the Thundercats, and there was also one lady Gargoyle – but I didn’t see feminine women of colour in a lot of those worlds. So to be someone who could represent that now was a pretty major moment for me. That was the moment like, ‘Ah! It’s real.’”

As a woman of colour, specifically a Black woman, you are often dismissed without being listened to, and Sage experiences this during this fourth season of the series. Heyward told me how she related to this.

Susan Heyward as Sister Sage in the fourth season of The Boys.

Heyward explained, “When [Eric] Kripke was describing the character to me before the scripts had been written, he talked about someone in the position of having so much information, so much insight, and people not listening to that person. And I know what that feels like. I know a lot of my friends know what that feels like, especially as a woman of colour – bringing so much to the table, and often the table not being designed to listen and to take in all that we have to offer. So that kind of combination of loneliness and rage and being underestimated, I could connect to that.”

Not only did Heyward share this connection with Sage, but she also learned many things about herself while portraying the character this season. Heyward shared that she learned, “So much!” However, one element in particular was not allowing the behaviour of others to determine her behaviour.

“I think, you know – how do I say this? Like, not letting other people’s behaviour determine my behaviour. You know, people are going to be who they are. There’s a certain kind of radical acceptance I think Sage gave me that people are going to be exactly who they are; that doesn’t have to determine my behaviour. And so watching her kind of slyly create situations for people to react in a way that she can expect because they’re who they are, it kind of gave me a certain freedom in my life to not feel that kind of pressure at all. I don’t have to organize anything for anybody, anywho, anywhere, anytime, to let them be exactly who they are. So I can be me,” Heyward explained.

In a series like The Boys, we viewers can look at many moments and name them as some of our favourites. So, it’s always interesting to see what memorable moments the actors have throughout their filming process.

“Oh, so many! I think the one that sticks out, that first – without giving any spoilers – that first crowd scene in episode one, where we kind of see the first time all of the pieces that Sage has put together come together in one moment. And you realize she meant for it to go exactly like that. That was really fun because I remember reading it and then to be able to live it out and have it all go exactly as the writers planned was really satisfying,” Heyward said.

Susan Heyward as Sister Sage and Valorie Curry as Firecracker in the fourth season of The Boys. (Courtesy of Prime Video)

Creating a rapport between characters can make a series even better. In the new season of The Boys, Heyward’s Sage and Valorie Curry’s Firecracker share some critical moments.

Heyward and Curry reunited after previously working together on the series The Following. Heyward stated, “Valorie is an incredible actress.” I worked with her on The Following years ago, so it was lovely to meet her again on this set. And it was a bit of a spectrum for how much Sage shows her cards. How much of a show is she putting on to build rapport with Firecracker? So we were always experimenting so that we could provide the editors a variety of options, and then they decided on what they wanted.”

Lastly, as the character is so significant to Heyward, the idea of what the audience might think about Sage might be nerve-racking. However, Heyward knows that the character cannot be everything to everybody and encourages viewers, specifically women of colour, to take what they need from Sage.

Heyward said, “Oh, gosh, you’re not for everyone out there. There will be a different interpretation; they will see things differently. So I would say, take whatever you need, whether it’s permission to say something you would normally keep quiet, or encouragement to feel less pressure to organize other people, because I believe that many women of color feel the need to take care of everyone and create a great space where everyone feels comfortable. And perhaps there is some freedom in not taking on that responsibility and allowing others to do what they will.”