Rama's Screen: Obviously we can't talk about 'Into The Badlands' without talking about the martial art on this show, which I think is just mindblowing. So can you talk a bit about the training for those fight sequences, who did the choreography and how challenging was that for you?
Oliver Stark: "It was hugely challenging at the beginning because out of the cast of the show, only one of us had martial arts training so everybody was kind of finding their feet. But the fight was directed by a man called Stephen Fung who has a huge following in China and the choreography was done by Master DeeDee who is the martial art choreographer for films like ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ or ‘Kill Bill’ which I consider to be some of the most revolutionary martial art films of this generation so we knew we were in very very safe hands, he used to be Jet Li’s stunt double. So it gave us this huge confidence to trust in whatever we’re being told. And don’t get me wrong, we were waking up every morning, muscles aching but we kinda developed this stamina and I think every one of us made improvements across the six weeks, very rewarding to see."

Rama's Screen: Your character, Ryder, I kinda empathize with him because even though you can sense that he's cookin' up some bad stuff, he's just a guy trying to prove himself. So how did you approach this character in a way that makes you not want to completely hate him?
Oliver Stark: "I really appreciate you saying that actually because he is this kind of petulant child at the beginning and I think it may be quite difficult to find a reason to like him at the start but as the season goes on, I think you see the humanity coming out of him. And for me it’s about finding a way to channel his resentment and his bitterness without it becoming a caricature of this spoiled brat and kind of make you understand why he’s like this rather than just judging. And trying to understand what it is that made him the way that he is, his father’s lack of love."

Rama's Screen: Another thing that appeals to me about this show is its post-apocalyptic setting, this barren wasteland where any type of violence can happen to anyone at any time.
Oliver Stark: "When I first read it, it was unlike anything I read in a long time, it’s like Mad Max meets Downton Abbey, a mashup of completely different genres and that was interesting to me. And I find myself more and more interested in stories that comment on society. Huge element of ‘Into The Badlands’ is this is a reality where guns have been outlawed, that is the current topic, discussion of the moment. So I want to be involved in projects that are commenting on current affairs and using post-apocalyptic setting to do that as a vehicle. So that was really interesting to me. And yes, the martial art is something that hasn’t been seen in that respect on American TV for years."

Rama's Screen: Are you one of those actors who'd raise their hands and want to do the stunts yourself and then the director would say that it's best for such and such sequence to be done by a stunt double instead?
Oliver Stark: "I didn't have to do too much across the first season, so everything I did do was within my capabilities but I think across the entire cast, everybody wanted to do as much of their own stunts as they could because there’s authenticity that comes with that and you want to sell it to the audience. So the whole cast, as much as possible, as much as insurance would allow, would push to do their own stunts."

Rama's Screen: So.. what can we the fans anticipate from season 2? Tell us a bit without revealing too much, what's going to happen in season 2?
Oliver Stark: "The story as a whole, it’s so much bigger, the world is bigger. We meet more characters, we meet seven barons now instead of just three. Everything is expanded out, across the badlands now, and it’s about kind of everybody trying to get back together so it’s much more aesthetic because we’re looking at a whole different landscape. And as for Ryder, you see if he’s going to live up to the potential that he always claims he has. It’s kind of sink or swim for him, he’s either going to prove himself or he’s in real trouble."

Rama's Screen: And what about Ryder's arc in season 2? Will he finally reach his ultimate desire to be respected, because I kinda sense he's like Annakin becoming Darth Vader sort of, or will he encounter a moment or another character that humanizes him again?
Oliver Stark: "I think there’s a real progression in season 2 coming from a boy into a man or into an adult and with that comes an empathetic side and a caring side and a loving side of him that comes out that wasn’t on display in season 1. I hope he becomes more likable as the season progresses."

Rama's Screen: What's it like to be a part of one of my favorite networks, AMC, home to some of my favorite shows like "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," I mean those guys at AMC really know how to bust out some great shows, "Into The Badlands" is their latest, so how does it feel to be a part of that?
Oliver Stark: "It’s wonderful. It’s amazing because you know you’re in such incredibly safe hands. I think what AMC has done and they’ve done so well is they find niche shows, they’ve taken a zombie show and taken that to the very top, they’ve taken the drug themed Breaking Bad and taken that to the top. So I feel lucky to get to be a part of that network. There was a moment when I found out that I’ve gotten the job and I was walking down the street and started laughing to myself because I couldn’t quite believe that I was going to be on the network that has my favorite shows. So ya, I’m still walking on air when I think about that."