Tomer Capone, the Israeli actor known for his role as Frenchie in Amazon Prime’s The Boys, is facing renewed scrutiny online after a 2016 interview resurfaced, in which he discussed his service in the Israel Defense Forces.
The interview, originally conducted with Ynet, detailed Capone’s time as a soldier and later squad leader, including his participation in operations during the 2006 Lebanon War. He described nighttime raids, checkpoint duties, and the arrest of civilians, including an 18-year-old Palestinian woman whose eyes were covered with a flannel cloth.
“We arrive, we take her out of the car, she’s handcuffed… Her eyes are, of course, covered with flannel… I spot eight other girls inside who gaze more or less the same,” Capone said in the interview.
He also admitted to participating in the beating of a detained civilian alongside fellow soldiers.
The resurfaced comments have sparked backlash on social media, with some viewers calling for a boycott of The Boys and its star, citing the show’s themes of authoritarianism and corruption as being at odds with casting someone who served in the IDF.
“The show about the rise of modern fascism hired an ex-IDF soldier as one of its main cast members,” one user wrote on X.
Capone, who was conscripted into the IDF in 2004, has previously spoken about the psychological toll of his military service, including a mental breakdown toward the end of his deployment.
The controversy comes as The Boys aired its fifth and final season, drawing attention not only to the show’s conclusion but also to the real-world backgrounds of its cast.
While Capone has earned acclaim for roles in Israeli series such as Fauda and Hostages, his international fame grew significantly after joining The Boys in 2019.
The debate reflects broader tensions surrounding the intersection of entertainment, politics, and personal history, particularly when global audiences engage with politically charged content through the lens of actors’ real-life experiences.
