Naturi Naughton and Bonko Cosmo Khoza sat down with BET Current to discuss “The Nowhere Man,” Starz’s six-episode action drama that pairs cinematic thrills with intimate character depth, and does so while centering Black women’s safety, introducing a new Black action hero with moral complexity, and showcasing South Africa as a storytelling home.

“I wanted Lucas to be like a sense of safety for the audience,” Naughton told BET of Khoza’s character, Lucas — the calm at the eye of the storm. “If he’s calm, I can carry on watching because I feel like if everyone is emotional and getting crazy, the audience would kind of be, you know, they wouldn’t feel safe.” 

That intention to make a Black man who protects and fiercely cares for the Black women around him runs through the series. Naughton, who plays Ruby, said the show highlights that protective dynamic in ways too rarely seen on screen. “He does care for [the women] deeply and he protects them viciously.” The protection is not performative, it’s textured. Naughton noted Ruby “sees the good in him. I think more than he even saw it in himself,” a relationship that reframes the frequent “strong Black woman” trope by showing reciprocal care and emotional labor in community. 

Khoza, speaking from a diasporic perspective, emphasized the significance of a Black action leading with depth. “It’s refreshing to see a Black man in that position,” he said, explaining that “The Nowhere Man” balances a “deep emotive drama” with high-octane action. That blend gives viewers an action hero who is fierce and flawed, capable of protecting loved ones while wrestling with inner demons.

Filming in South Africa is more than a location, it’s an essential element. Naughton called shooting there “an honor” and called it diasporic storytelling that brings people “home.”

“This global relevance shows people that we can make great content in Africa,” Khoza agreed, saying Johannesburg and Cape Town serve almost like characters themselves and signal that South Africa is “showcasing Africa as a hotspot for talent.”

Beyond spectacle, both actors said the series aims to be restorative. Naughton described the story as offering “the gift of renewal, the gift of redemption,” a theme that undergirds the action. For Khoza and Naughton alike, “The Nowhere Man” is a reminder that heroism can be protective rather than performative, and that filming on African soil amplifies narratives of diaspora, dignity, and reclamation. 

Both lead actors hope viewers take away something restorative. Naughton said the story offers “the gift of renewal, the gift of redemption,” and the reminder that second chances are possible even after trauma. Khoza and Naughton both stressed the cultural importance of seeing Black lives in Africa and across the diaspora portrayed with scale, dignity, and care.