Chace Crawford reveals how The Boys rescued him from his pretty boy prison after Gossip Girl fame.
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Chace Crawford Trapped in the “Pretty Boy” Image
“I felt like I was in the wilderness for years,” Crawford admitted on the Good Guys podcast.
After six seasons playing Nate Archibald, he couldn’t shake the pretty boy typecast.
“I’m in this jail of like the CW pretty boy,” he explained, feeling boxed in by his good looks and charm.
Despite his success, Hollywood didn’t see his range.
The Reality Behind the Glamour
Fame isn’t what it seems. Crawford revealed the truth about life after a hit show: “Actors make way less money and have way less control than people think.”
He struggled with both external pressure and self-doubt.
“I was probably harder on myself than I needed to be,” he shared, trying to prove his worth beyond his looks.
The Game-Changing Role
Everything changed when The Boys came along. This superhero satire gave Crawford the chance to transform his career by playing The Deep, an insecure aquatic anti-hero.
“Reading the pilot, I was like, ‘This is great. So out there and weird,” he recalled. The role felt natural: “I know that guy. I know a hundred of those guys.”
From Underdog to Breakthrough
The audition wasn’t easy. Being last among fifty actors left Crawford feeling like an underdog.
But his performance—mixing dark intensity with humor—caught showrunner Eric Kripke’s attention.
“It was just a normal audition that I really wanted,” he said. This humble approach paid off, landing him the role that would transform his career.
Freedom at Last
Now a fan-favorite on The Boys, Crawford has finally broken free from typecasting.
This transformation isn’t just professional—it’s personal. He’s proven he’s much more than just a handsome face.
The Boys’ role gave Crawford the creative freedom he craved. “I was so happy to have a job where the character was completely different from anything I’d done before,” he shared.
This transformation journey shows Crawford’s determination to evolve beyond the pretty boy image.
His story reminds us that breaking free from labels takes time, but with persistence, it’s absolutely possible.