Sunny, with his dark Chi, and Pilgrim with the opposite power, which is the ability to switch it off – they represent a kind of yin and yang. Together, they are meant to bring harmony to the earth. As far as the Azra mythology is concerned, Sunny is everything to Pilgrim. What Pilgrim has is this nostalgia about who Sunny is. How would you describe the dynamic at play?Ī: I think there’s actually a lot of ambiguity there. Q: Both Sunny and Pilgrim have something the other needs. The moment where you think, “I have come to the place that all of my intentions has led me to.” It’s amazing. Can you imagine? That’s decades on the road of death, destruction, hope, sadness, doubt – you name it. Pilgrim has been looking for this place since he was 10. In our mind, an evolution has happened just as someone might meditate until their mind advances. There are computers in there and we have found a way, using technology, to harness a buried deep power inside the universe. There is this sense of the room not only reflecting whatever mysticism there is, but it also reflects the way in which humanity has strived for things. We discovered it not only as characters but as the actors. When we walked into the Meridian Chamber, it was quite something. What was it like getting to the Finale?Ī: We were aware that we would discover this chamber, but until you actually walk into the chamber itself and see the art design, there’s an element of your brain that tries to imagine what it is. Q: This whole half season has been following Pilgrim’s journey to find this chamber of Azra. I wouldn’t have done it with anyone else. Lorraine and I had to go there over and over. In those moments, there’s tension, but it doesn’t mean they hold back on the honesty.
That’s what happened with Castor – Cressida sees weakness in his volatility and thinks he’s a liability whereas Pilgrim’s heart won’t let him kill what is essentially his child. Between them, they occasionally disagree. Pilgrim and Cressida have come a long way on this journey and they’ve been single-minded in what they’re doing. We’re not afraid to put expectations on each other. In a way, our off-screen relationship started reflecting on screen in some moments because what it was is pure honesty and pure trust. Let’s work together to find it.” I can’t thank her enough. She wasn’t scared to tell me, “This moment has more in it. If it has meaning, we have to dig it out. She will not allow a moment to slip by under the radar. The thing that distinguishes her is her fearlessness. Q: What's it been like working with Lorraine Toussaint to form the relationship between Cressida and Pilgrim? How would you describe it?Ī: Lorraine is easily one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with. People do play their roles, but if you choose to no longer be a Cog, then you must be allowed to leave. In his ideal world, everything has to be transparent. They had a choice, but they started circling and wanted to kill him. He’s giving them the opportunity to choose in that moment while he’s blindfolded and knelt down to show you how much faith he’s got in what he believes in.
#Babou ceesay into the badlands season 3 free
You now have the opportunity to punish me for that.” Because you have free will, you also have the right to defend yourself which means he will defend himself.
You could say he killed three people when he had the blindfold on, but what he’s actually saying is, “If you have doubt, I take the blame. If you give him the time of day and listen and you’re still unconvinced, you may leave. Q: When we first meet him, he makes it clear that all of his followers have free will to leave, but is there something to be said about his way with words and his power over his followers?Ī: It is free will.
As time goes by, you get the episodes as you shoot them, and I ended up discovering in each new episode how far he is willing to go to achieve his dream. Those are the things I needed to figure out initially. How far back does it go in his own history? Also, to think about what length he is willing to go to create this vision of what the world should be. For Pilgrim, I tried to understand the Azra storyline and why he believes in it so strongly. We all try to simplify the world in some shape or form. Some people have the idea of communism, other people have the idea of capitalism. Q: What it’s like playing such a dynamic character like Pilgrim? Did you use any real-life inspiration to help you bring him to the screen?Ī: I tried to focus on any of the thinkers in the past who tried to understand the world in a specific way. Babou Ceesay, who plays Pilgrim on AMC's Into the Badlands, talks about Sunny's arrival at the fortress and what's on the horizon for Pilgrim now that he's the most powerful person in the Badlands.