SPOILER WARNING: The following contains spoilers for FROM Season 2, Episodes 1-5.
The twists and terrifying turns of FROM made for a high-adrenaline first season, leading into the biggest gamechanger of all for season two: a busload of new characters to be stuck in this town. Nathan D. Simmons plays Elgin, one of the newcomers who may be an important key. I sat down with him to chat about joining such a complex world and what’s so special about his character.
Kelsey Yoor: Since season one kind of ended on such a crazy cliffhanger, I was wondering what it was like stepping into that whole mystery box world and joining a really well-meshed cast.
Nathan D. Simmons: It was crazy. It was wild. For the first week I was like, what is going on? I feel like I was living in a dream for a second. Like it just kept moving. And the way season one ended, they kept that energy even on set, pushing it through like the first two weeks. So it took two weeks until I finally would settle down and be like, wow, I’m here, I’m doing this right. Like, here’s Nathan!
But it was fun and, and the cast is amazing. The FROMily are beautiful people. If you see any of them anywhere; they’re just beautiful humans that just wanna know more about who you are and like, and so I really connect with that.
KY: It seems like you guys spend a lot of time joking around and getting along like that family. I feel like that has to help ease the tension of the scariness of the show.
NS: Yeah, it has to! (laughs) It has to. My gosh. Especially Corteon [Moore], Ricky [He]… so many like Liz [Saunders] and [Cliff Saunders], those two are comical. Everyone there is just funny people. Even though it’s such a scary show, if you go behind the scenes, you may think we’re filming a comedy – that’s the truth!
KY: Has there been a juxtaposition in filming a super scary scene and then you guys hang out afterward and it lightens the mood? What’s been the scariest thing that you’ve had to go through?
NS: Oh my gosh. The scariest thing for me, listen, I don’t like the monsters. (laughs) They’re actually really scary in real life and that’s fair. The people who are playing them, like Mr. Smiley… Mr. Smiley’s on and off, but even with Mr. Smiley, he’ll just make some comments after he is done, filming being a monster and he just kills you! He’s also so funny. And it really cuts that tension and I enjoy it because going eight hours, ten hours where you’re just heightened the entire time can be exhausting mentally.
And I really like [that] this show doesn’t stay tense. It helps you take off the backpack, you know? When you don’t need to be there heightened, all in the moment, you can breathe. And that’s what I really enjoy.
KY: Has there been anything this season that’s really surprised you, whether it’s a storyline or just a shooting element that’s been thrown at you?
NS: What’s really surprised me from season one going into season two and going into where we are is Victor [played by Scott McCord]. Season 2 is Victor’s development as a character—and Boyd’s [Harold Perrineau] development as a character, as well!
I’m very intrigued by both of them, especially Victor, where it feels almost like you get to see a bit more humanity in him. I would go up to Victor and want to say: “You seemed less creepy!” I don’t have to say it, because I know Scott, but as the character of Victor, I’m feeling [he’s] less creepy and I’m starting to be able to understand who the Frankenstein is.
KY: Elgin has been so sweet and sympathetic and turned out to be, at least through Episode 6, very heroic. What resonated with you about Elgin when you were first reading the script and what drew you to that character?
NS: His sensitivity and his vulnerability. He always has walls up. He doesn’t trust many people. And what I really enjoyed is that there are a lot of things he doesn’t say that are as important—if not more important—than the words that he does say. And so it’s fun playing that mystery. What did he mean by that? Why does he do that? Why does he make that face? It all means something. Everything I do means something.
KY: And he’s that first character we’re introduced to at this point with prior dream knowledge, and that’s opening up a whole potential can of worms (pun not intended). Do you have any theories of your own about where Elgin or where the show is going?
NS: Honestly, no. I don’t know where Elgin’s going. I don’t know where exactly we’re going…As the season goes on, you learn a lot and also some things may be subverted, but it’s all adding to this bigger story now, this bigger picture. And I’m excited to see where it goes, too! [In] Season 3, hopefully.
From airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on MGM+.
Article content is (c)2020-2023 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram.
Follow Kelsey Yoor on Twitter at @itskelseyytime and on Instagram at @itskelseyytime.
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