Companion star Jack Quaid talks AI, toxic masculinity and why Australia is a ‘nightmare zoo’

Companion star Jack Quaid reveals how John Cusack inspired the worst person he’s ever played – and what confuses the hell out of him about Australia.

Jack Quaid says he was absolutely fascinated by the “amazing twists and turns” in his new horror movie, Companion.

The star of The Boys – and the son of acting veterans Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid – plays the seemingly normal Josh, proud owner of a robot girlfriend who can be programmed to behave exactly how he wants.

But on a trip to a remote cabin, things don’t exactly go to plan, and Quaid says “this movie is very much holding a mirror up to our society today”, raising plenty of questions about masculinity, control and artificial intelligence.

I know you should never judge your characters, but is Josh worst person you’ve ever played?

I think he is. And I have played an actual serial killer (in the 2022 reboot of Scream), which is so weird, but at least that guy was having fun with it. It is interesting what you said about judging a character and that was my biggest challenge while shooting this. Now that I’m done shooting and have been for a while, now I can judge him all I want and be like ‘screw that guy’. But when you’re playing him, my biggest job on that project was to try to find empathy towards him. I think deep down he’s just a very insecure person. I feel like he’s very rarely heard the words ‘I love you in’ his life.

Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher in a scene from the movie Companion.

It’s his utter mediocrity that makes him so compelling – he’s basically an incel – did you do any research into those kind of people because that must be a pretty depressing rabbit hole to go down …

I think we were trying to make him like incel-lite, but not all the way. Part of what makes him scary to me is that he could be one of the members of that community, but I think what makes him scarier to me is that he’s kind of like any one of us. He is just an exceptionally selfish person.

So how do you prepare for a role like that?

I watched a lot of lot of John Cusack rom-coms because I think that Josh thinks that he’s like John Cusack. So I was approaching it all from a misguided place on purpose, which was very interesting.

Rupert Friend, Jack Quaid, Harvey Guillen, Sophie Thatcher, Megan Suri and Lukas Gage at the World Premiere Companion in Hollywood this week. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

What do you think Companion has to say about masculinity in 2025?

This is definitely a take-down of toxic relationships and toxic masculinity. I think a good lesson this movie hopefully teaches is that you should never enter a relationship to give yourself any kind of self-worth, and I think that’s what Josh does. I think you need to enter a relationship fully aware that you need to build up the other person and it’s not all about you receiving some kind of boost to your ego or having your needs met. It’s a two-way street, and Josh is very much person who wants a one-way street type of relationship. I don’t even know if he fully realises that – he just thinks he deserves one.

The idea of a female companion whose every attribute and action you can control completely looks frighteningly common when you see the bizarrely huge following of someone like Andrew Tate for example. It’s out there …

It is out there. And that’s what I love about this movie is that it is commenting on our real world. It’s not completely out of the realms of possibility. You mentioned Andrew Tate, but also I’ll say like those new Tesla robots that are coming out. There’s a lot happening where our world is becoming a little bit more like this world, unfortunately.

Jack Quaid, who voices Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks says he hopes the future is more Star Trek than Terminator.

Companion interesting things to say about AI and even what constitutes life and sentience. How do you feel about the future of that – are you more Star Trek or Terminator in that regard?

We all hope to be the Star Trek future. Come on, that would be incredible. I think what’s really interesting about our movie is that it’s really trying to say that … I am not exactly sure if technology in and of itself is inherently a good or a bad thing. I think it’s all about the people who choose to do certain things with it, and if any lesson comes from the technological aspect of this movie it’s that you need to be responsible with this stuff. You can’t just use it for selfish means, which a lot of characters in this movie do, most specifically Josh.

Your partner (The Boys actor Claudia Doumit) is Australian and you’ve been here bunch of times – what do you find most appealing about the place?

This is an amazing question. I don’t know if I’ve met friendlier people than Aussies and I love that you guys are exceptionally honest – brutally honest – but in the most friendly way. It’s my favourite thing on the planet.

Jack Quaid, Claudia Doumit, Karen Fukuhara, Chace Crawford and Jessie T. Usher promoting The Boys in Sydney last year. Picture: Scott Ehler

And what confuses you about Australia?

AFL stills confuses me. I’m still just flabbergasted every time I see a car on the left side of the road – that’s how American I am. Your wildlife is really interesting to me. And even the stuff you guys take for granted like ibises, or bin chickens, as I have heard they are called. Every Aussie I’ve ever met is this like ‘aahh, whatever’ but that’s the coolest bird I’ve ever seen. I know it’s like essentially a pigeon for you guys, but I’m like ‘that’s still the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in my life’. Or a huntsman spider is also still the craziest thing in the world to me. I’ve still never seen one live and I know that day is coming and I’m so afraid. Because I’ve seen the cockroaches and I know they fly down there and they are just so big. You guys are so friendly considering you live in a nightmare zoo.

I know Broden Kelly from Aunty Donna introduced you to AFL via his The Footy podcast – have you managed to see anything live yet?

Nothing live yet. He basically was like ‘hey, do you want to come on the podcast and talk about footy?’ And I have to be honest with you. I did not realise that Australian rules football was its own thing at the time. I’ve since come to Australia a few times and I’m getting more of the culture definitely. I did say to Broden that I’ll be whoever you need me to be when it comes to like Australian rules football. I will spread the word if that’s something that needs to happen … and I will come to an Australian Rules Football game any time. My allegiances are easily swayed. Whichever team sends me a cap first, I’m theirs forever.

Jack Quaid says he has no idea who was behind the AFL tribute in the season four finale of The Boys.

Eagle-eyed fans of The Boys spotted a hit list in the season four finale that had some very famous AFL names on it like Barassi, Skilton, Prestia and Franklin – do you know who was behind this mystery tribute?

I have no idea. I don’t even know that we snuck AFL into The Boys. That’s insane. I’m trying to think who’s an Aussie or who’s into Aussie rules football and I don’t know. But I want to find this out because I didn’t even know this was a thing. This is my new mission. I will find this out for you.

How are things going up in Toronto filming the final season of The Boys? Are you ready to say goodbye to Hughie?

It’s good to be back – but I’m not ready to say goodbye to Hughie. I will say this – I’m really, really happy and I feel very fortunate that we get to leave on our own terms. That’s such a rarity in television these days. So the fact that this is our show-runner and our creators’ intended ending, that’s incredible. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but at least we are doing it our way.

Companion is in cinemas now.

Originally published as Companion star Jack Quaid talks AI, toxic masculinity and why Australia is a ‘nightmare zoo’