Moriarty, who played superhero Starlight (a.k.a., Annie January) on the show, detailed her experience on 'MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler'
Credit: amazon prime
NEED TO KNOW
- Erin Moriarty revealed she filmed a sex scene for season 2 of The Boys while experiencing a severe staph infection
- The actress said she often ignored her health struggles, including Graves’ disease, to prioritize her work
- Moriarty admitted her “suck it up” mentality delayed her diagnosis and treatment for the autoimmune disorder
Erin Moriarty is opening up about her experience filming a sex scene for The Boys.
The actress, 32, revealed that she filmed a sex scene for the Prime Video hit series, which ended its five-season run in May, while experiencing a staph infection, during an appearance on MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler on Tuesday, June 30.
Moriarty, who shared in April that she was "really, really, really struggling to get through" filming the final season of The Boys due to the "physical and mental toll" of the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease, said she would often swallow her needs and "suffer for my art."
“I had one night, for example, earlier on in the show, season two — this is one of the many examples where I was so run down that I developed a really, really, really bad staph infection,” she told Applegate and Sigler on Tuesday.
Credit: amazon prime
A staph infection occurs when Staphylococcus bacteria enter your skin, causing blisters, boils, or sores, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In addition to potentially affecting other parts of your body, a staph infection can also cause fever, muscle aches, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Moriarty said it "got really bad, like really, really bad," to the point where she couldn't move her right arm during a night shoot.
“I was like, ‘Guys, I have a second head growing out of my armpit. Even if we wanted to go through with this, this is what it looks like,' " she recalled telling production.
Moriarty said it was her "first sex scene or intimate scene with the guy who plays my love interest throughout the entire show."
Even though Moriarty felt like "no one was really listening," she was determined to get the job done.
“I still made it through the night shoot,” said Moriarty. “I couldn't move my right arm, and that's one example of many times when my identifier was, ‘I suck it up; that is who I am. I suck it up for work. I show up, I do a good job.' "
Credit: amazon prime
"I can be in hell — I can be afraid that maybe I won't wake up tomorrow because I've got a really invasive staph infection, I can't move my right arm, but I will show up, and I will do whatever I have to do to show that I'm a good sport and a good player," she continued.
The actress admitted that her mentality made her put off being tested for Graves' disease after she "wasn't feeling well for a long time."
Moriarty shared that she'd been diagnosed with Graves' disease in June 2025 on Instagram.
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The autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid, causing symptoms like insomnia, hair loss, anxiety, a rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, shortness of breath and weight loss, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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