Sherman Augustus

Sherman Augustus is an American actor, martial artist, and former professional football player. He is best recognized for playing Nathaniel Moon in the AMC television series Into the Badlands and Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan in the fourth and fifth seasons of Netflix's Stranger Things. Beyond his work in television and film, he holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and previously played in the National Football League.

Born on January 10, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, Augustus suffered from severe asthma as a child, which initially made him afraid to go outdoors. To help him manage his health and overcome his fears, his parents introduced him to flag football. He attended Dorsey High School during the 1970s and later studied criminology at Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he played college football with Jimmy Bridges. Augustus subsequently played professional football for both the San Diego Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings.

After a knee injury ended his football career, Augustus decided to pursue acting. He contacted talent agent James Bridges Sr. and completed five years of improv training. He secured his first movie role in Dennis Hopper's 1988 film Colors. While portraying the character Rudy in the 1996 movie Space Marines, fight coordinator Philip Tan urged him to take up martial arts. Later, during the production of Gore Verbinski's 2001 film The Mexican, co-star James Gandolfini observed his rehearsals and called several talent agents to advocate for his abilities.

Augustus landed the role of Nathaniel Moon in Into the Badlands, appearing on the series from 2017 to 2019. He initially learned about the martial arts show in 2015 after his mother mentioned the pilot episode, which prompted him to replace his representatives for failing to inform him about the project. He auditioned during the second season with help from friend Tim Cogshell, received the role four weeks later, and flew to Dublin the next day for filming. The role had originally been offered to Wesley Snipes prior to scheduling conflicts.

In 2022, Augustus joined the cast of Stranger Things for its fourth season as Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan, a character he continued into the fifth season. First contacted by casting director Carmen Cuba in 2019, he prepared by watching the show's earlier seasons and drew performance inspiration from military figures Russel L. Honoré and Colin Powell, alongside Bruce Willis's performance in Last Man Standing. His portrayal earned positive feedback from creators the Duffer Brothers after his first day of shooting. In 2025, Augustus was cast as John Stewart, Sr. in the DC Universe series Lanterns.

In addition to acting, Augustus co-created and co-plotted the 2024 independent graphic novel Daughters of Django with Tim Cogshell. Published by GenSeven Comics, the book centers on three sisters—Bapoto, Eloisa, and Antonia—who search for their missing father.