O-T Fagbenle on his Hulu series Maxxx, which features a Backstreet Boy and shirtless Christopher Meloni

Perhaps best known stateside for his work on Handmaid’s Tale, British actor O-T Fagbenle was gearing up for a pretty major summer, thanks in part to his role in the upcoming Black Widow. While his MCU debut waits in the wings to hit theaters post-pandemic, audiences can see a whole other side of the actor in the raucous new series Maxxx —an import from the U.K.’s Channel 4—premiering today on Hulu. The six-part comedy stars Fagbenle as the titular Maxxx, a former boy band sensation who’s struggling to stake out a solo career after a few too many public meltdowns. To flesh out the world of the show, the star called on his brother, Luti Fagbenle, whose production company Luti Media is behind some of the biggest music videos of the past decade, including Iggy Azaelea and Charli XCX’s “Fancy” and One Direction’s “Best Song Ever.” Together, the siblings created a satire of fame and the music industry that takes Maxxx to some unexpected places, including the front door of The Backstreet Boys’ Kevin Richardson. Earlier this month, The A.V. Club spoke with Fagbenle over Zoom to discuss the journey of the show, including the story of its casting coup: Christopher Meloni as Maxxx’s unhinged manager, Don Wild.