Nathan D. Simmons Talks ‘From’ Season 2 and Which Co-star Could Survive the Town [Interview]

Horror sci-fi hit From recently returned with a second season and bus filled with new residents. One particular passenger seemed to know what they were in store for as newcomer Elgin tried to stop the bus leaving fans with many questions about his past and his connection to the town.

I recently spoke with Nathan D. Simmons who plays Elgin about being a fan of the show, how much he gets to know about the mysteries of the show, and even which costar he thinks would have the best shot at surviving in the nightmarish town.

When I asked Simmons what drew him to the project, he said it was the writing. “The writing was beautiful storytelling. I was a fan of the show before I started. And the second part would be working with Harold [Perrineau],” he said. “Harold was someone I used to watch as a kid.”

From is full of mysteries, and the new townspeople have very little information about the town that has unwillingly become their home. Elgin is thrown into all kinds of mysteries and unknowns. Simmons shared that as an actor, he is kept as in the dark sometimes as well.

“I get to have kinda conversations with John [Griffin] and Jack [Bender] about certain things. But most time, I’m just as in the dark as you are,” Simmons said.

The unique thing about not having any insight is that the actor has no backstory for their character and very little information on where the story is going. I asked Simmons if this makes for any challenges.

“Absolutely,” he admitted.  “I come from like the theater [and] for me, you get the ending. So, you know where you’re going, you go through and find all the information about your character, and then you start from the beginning and build every moment. But with this, you just have to buy into whatever’s being said and come in with a plan, and allow the plan to shift and mold on the day.”

“That just makes it an even more exciting experience to be a part of, honestly.” 

Simmons also shared that there’s a very collaborative environment on From. He said the directors and showrunners “trust the actors that they cast, and they trust that they’re gonna help push the story or the show further, forward.”

The question of the day was which of the real-life cast members he would want with him if he found himself stuck in this town that nightmares are made of and without hesitation, Simmons confidently stated, “Ricky.” He was referring to castmate Ricky He, who plays Kenny Liu on the series. “Ricky can fight,” he said.

As for what fans can expect from upcoming seasons, Simmons said there would be some surprises.

“Some stuff that I’m very surprised about,” he said. “It’s gonna be wild. A lot’s gonna happen and just like certain things that you wouldn’t expect. Going from Season 1 to Season 2, I’m super excited for the possibility of a Season 3 right now. My fingers are crossed.”

“We need to support the writers right now, and also people [have] to watch the show and get our numbers up so we can get that,” he continued, adding that the upcoming episodes would be so shocking that people would be “jumping off their seats.” 

Last but not least, Simmons left us with an interesting tidbit about himself. When asked if there were any personal information fans might be surprised to hear, he noted that he has another talent. “I’m a bass player. I’m a musician as well,” he said.

Maybe one day, Elgin will get to show us a little of Simmons’ musical skills, but until then they will have to remain one of the many hidden secrets of the show. In the meantime, it sounds like what is to come is as exciting as fans hope!

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From airs Sundays at 9/8c on MGM+.

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