Sherman Augustus talks Nathaniel Moon’s hand, his favorite fights, and season 4

In part two of our talk with Sherman Augustus we addressed some burning questions from fans. We discussed the hand, his favorite fight scenes, Nathaniel Moon’s past, and the potential for him to play Blade in the future.

The second part of our interview with Sherman Augustus has many revelations that I’m sure the fans will appreciate. We get his take on the big battle scene coming in the Into the Badlands midseason finale, as well as some inside info on an amazing (my favorite) fight scene from earlier in the season.

We also learn that there are big plans for Moon in the future if AMC blesses us with a fourth season of the show. However, we first addressed the hand.

Hidden Remote: There were a few questions from fans about the hand but first of all, are you right-handed or left-handed? 

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Sherman Augustus: I’m right-handed.

HR: So you’re having to use the sword with your off-hand, how has that been?

SA: Alright so here’s an interesting story. I’m thinking they’re going to give me the Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, articulating, moving hand kind of thing. So while I’m training all that summer and working with folks on my sword work, because I’ve never ever picked up a sword before other than I know how to use escrima sticks and knife fighting, and finally it clicked that it’s an extension of your arm and all that kind of stuff. It’s a balance thing.

So I’m downstairs in my driveway and I’m working one night. It was like maybe 7:30 or whatever and it was hot as hell that day so I waited until that afternoon to do a little training session downstairs when it got cooler. I got this email from Daniel: “Hey man, see you in 2 weeks” yada, yada, yada, this, that, and the third “and oh yeah, you are practicing with your left [hand], correct?” And I’m like aw dude! So I hit him back: “Of course dude! Aw left hand all day long!” Now I’m sweating bullets. I’m tripping, you know I’m done. I’m tripping out 357 with a bologna sandwich. Because I have not been doing anything with my left, it’s been all two hands because my sword is that broadsword. So I had to start over from scratch and get that all squared away and it was very awkward but when we got into fight camp I worked a little extra to get it done.

As far as the hand is concerned, we started off with some kind of rigid thing. Then it went to another variation of a clip-on for a while. You put the gauntlet on and then you can slide the glove on with the fingers and we do the clip-on. But those guys, the prop masters, they had like four or five 3-D printers. So they kept trying to perfect it and they couldn’t perfect it and finally, they came up with a beautiful glove that goes over the hand. And different variations of the gauntlet, a short one or long one depending on if I actually have to use the hand to block or anything like that. So it’s quite funny because you have to use a couple of knife hand moves, you know, to block a sword or something like that.

For instance the fight with MK, you know that particular fight. I didn’t notice how bruised my hand was until we finished but it was pretty jacked up. It was cool though because he was coming, he was bringing it. Everything is a science and it’s all down to millimeters. Aramis is just awesome. Aramis and Ally Ioannides you know, they bring it so that was a really fun fight to do. But you know that hand they had was a trip. Sometimes I hate to see it coming, but I’m like alright let’s get it over with. It was a bear to get on and a bear to get off but it’s worth it. The last two months when we were shooting those guys kept working at it and they perfected a great hand so I’m happy with it now.

HR: So there have been many iterations of the hand. 

SA: Oh yeah, oh yeah. They went through a whole bunch. “Hey we’ve got another hand for Sherman, can you come by?” I’m like, dude, I’m off! Go the production office, put on the hand but it was cool, it was cool. I dig the hand.

HR: Are we going to get a lot more of Nathaniel’s backstory?

SA: I would believe season 4 you will. In season 4 there’s going to be another new threat coming in so we’ll learnt a lot more. The whole thing with Nathaniel is, of course I believe, Nathaniel just joined up. I don’t think he was rounded up and brought in, he was like let me go over here and see what’s going on. I can get a couple of square meals a day and learn some martial arts or whatever, be a clipper. So of course, he went from a cog, to a clipper, to a regent because he’s really good at what he does. And he gained that Samurai status so there’s a bunch of stuff that we talked about. Him not wanting to be a regent anymore because of the killing and the misuse of the Widow’s husband at the time. He thought about sticking a blade in dude and booking out, and then the whole thing with Lydia. He had that whole thing with Lydia in the beginning so he just said man I’m stumping out. I’m out, are you coming with me? She says no and he gets out and he leaves and he leaves his one true love. So there’s a lot of stuff that I would like to see done with his backstory because it’s quite interesting. It really is. It’s quite interesting

HR: That kind of leads me into my next question which is, what is Moon’s motivation now? What does he want to get? Does he want to get Lydia back and escape again, or is he believing in the Widow’s vision?

SA: There are a couple of points in that question. I think one would be that I guess he always had, and this is just me having a conversation with Nathaniel, I think he wanted to see if he can get back into what’s a normal society for that time. I don’t think he was lonely the first time when he met Sunny and the Widow comes to the Moon tower. I don’t think he was sitting up there saying, I wish somebody would come talk to me you know what I mean?

HR: Right. 

SA: You know, he sequestered himself. I do that sometimes as Sherman, as an actor sometimes when I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I like to chill play some Xbox or something, or walk, or read. Just do something and just be to myself and I was thinking that’s his self right now. These six months. I’m going to recuperate, I’m going to get myself well, and I need to learn how to use my left hand better. So people come by and knock on the door and say, “hey man come outside let’s party,” then I’m gonna come outside and party but you know what, I’m not messing with nobody. You know I’m leaving everybody alone but if you come over here, we’re going to talk kind of thing. So there’s that aspect of it.

I don’t think that he was necessarily looking to fall in love again. I think another factor would be, okay so the Widow is involved in this war with Chau. Regardless of if the Widow’s right or not I think that his honor of being a samurai, a warrior, a regent and plus going back to season 2 you know the most important thing he knows right now is that he’s a disgraced ronin. You know what I mean? He still feels responsible for his wife and child’s death. You know, maybe I should have went deeper away, maybe I should have went this way and they wouldn’t have tracked me, maybe I should have just been on guard a lot more, maybe I shouldn’t have went hunting that day. So that’s a haunting factor as well. So if he does fall on the battlefield, with this war with Chau, then he regains his honor back.

So it was those different prongs to the question that I always bring it back to. Can I integrate back into society, what’s normal or so-called normal. You know and if I do fall in the battlefield at least I do it with honor, and if not at least I regain my honor by becoming Nathaniel Silver Moon again. Yeah, I’m back folks. So yeah, regardless if you think she is right or not it doesn’t matter. It’s kind of selfish for him.

HR: That makes sense because you can see in different scenes that he may not agree with what she’s doing but he’s there and he’s going to do his job.

SA: Yeah because I do look at her a couple of times when we interact, like yeah she’s crazy. I’m like yeah she’s crazy, yeah I’m going to check this out though but she’s a little nuts. That whole thing, but I’m good. Then you add Lydia in as a factor and the relationship gets bigger and bigger. Then there’s another surprise in the next eight that Lydia and Nathaniel have to deal with and you’re going to go, oh man! So you know we’re going to have to talk again during the second eight.

HR: Most definitely. I had one more question. Do you have a favorite fight scene that you’ve done and has it already been seen or is it coming up?

SA: I like them all but I think this Sunday, the big battle scene, reminds me of Game of Thrones: “The Battle of the Bastards.”

HR: Oh wow.

SA: These guys went out there and they shot this big, vast battle scene. They have all these people out there, all these extras out there, and all these great stunt performers out there that know martial arts. It’s kind of like the Vikings. People come from all over Scandinavia to Dublin to be on the Vikings. So when they get a chance to be on these shows like that, you know stunt performers come from everywhere, and they’re so good. I just like the fact that everybody is on point for that nine days. It took nine days to shoot this thing and each fight scene takes anywhere between 3 to 8 days. Because of different camera angles and weather permitting. I think Sunday night is going to be great but I love all of the fights. I love them all. I love all my fights.

That’s this coming Sunday, but I think my favorite fight scene that I wasn’t involved in would be the Sunny-MK fight and the Gaius-Castor fight was crrraazy.

HR: Oh man, that was definitely my favorite one so far this season.

SA: They pulled it out the box and they did not use any wires for that. That was insane. I was there that day. I went by because we have a gym at the production office so like I said I went up there and watched that and I was like ohhhh! It was lit, it was lit. I’m like oh, really? And Dean (Dean-Charles Chapman) they just brought it, and Dean’s not a martial artist. He’s just a dancer, he’s a dancer and he pulled that out I was like ohhhh! I looked at Master Dee Dee and Master Dee Dee was like: OHH, he’s good! (laugh) He’s so funny.

HR: All right and the only other thing I was going to ask you was if you had your eyes on any superhero roles. I saw somebody mention that they would love to see you as Blade. 

SA: Yeah, you know I know David Goyer. I did read for Blade: The Series that they gave to my buddy Sticky Fingaz. I think they’re going to try to revisit that. I know for me, I have a production company, so we met yesterday about a couple of things so there’s something in the pipeline along those lines. There’s something there, yeah. So everybody will see that pretty soon. Hopefully in the next 2 years. I’ll put that Blade thing out there though.

Next: Sherman Augustus interview: Part 1

HR: That’s how it works, just ask Lewis. He’ll tell you. 

SA: I know, I’ll put that Blade out there man. I might even send David Goyer an email and be like, hey, what’s up with Blade homie?

HR: The fans will definitely back you up.

SA: Alright I’m gonna put that out there.

Into the Badlands returns tomorrow night at 10/9 Central on AMC with the fight that Sherman compared to the “Battle of the Bastards.” This will be can’t-miss TV.