There’s an intentionality to Sterling K. Brown that extends far beyond the screen. As an artist, he moves with purpose, thoughtful about the stories he tells, precise about the emotions he reveals, and deeply aware of the audiences who see themselves reflected in his work. 

Brown doesn’t chase spectacle, but he leans into substance. He gravitates toward layered narratives that examine identity, power, intimacy, and consequences, with these characters forced to confront who they are as everything around them shifts.

That commitment deepens in season two of “Paradise.” This time, the stakes expand beyond the bunker walls. Xavier searches for Teri across the world and learns how people have survived the three years since The Day, stepping into unfamiliar terrain that challenges everything he thought he understood about survival and loyalty.

When BET.com sat down with Brown and his co-star Julianne Nicholson, the conversation balanced intensity with levity. 

In one particularly visceral scene, Xavier literally pops his knee back into place, which is a moment that makes viewers wince through the screen. 

Asked what he’d “pop back into place” in his own life just as easily, he didn’t hesitate. 

“My Achilles tendon, bro,” he laughed, revealing he tore it nearly six months ago. “It’s such a slow recovery… It’s a full 12 months to get back to 100%. If I could pop it back into place, I would.”

Nicholson’s character, Samantha, coolly conquers a lie detector test despite suspicions she’s telling a few selective truths. 

So what “white lie” should we retire?

 “When someone says, ‘How are you doing?’ and you’re a wreck and you’re like, ‘I’m good,’” Nicholson shared. 

The “This Is Us” actor added thoughtfully, “We’ve accepted in polite society not burdening people with your things. But that doesn’t mean you have to not tell the truth.”

The tenderness of “Paradise” also shows up in flashbacks of Xavier meeting his wife and those moments feel foundational for the series. 

For the “American Fiction” actor, art mirrors life. 

He and his wife, Ryan Michelle Bathé, met as freshmen at Stanford in 1994 during a production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. They don’t remember their first hello, but they remember admiring each other’s work, biking to rehearsals, and discovering they were both born in St. Louis — even in the same hospital. 

“It wasn’t super cute,” he said, smiling, “but it was meaningful.” 

The bike rides were where friendship turned into something lasting.

As for what paradise looks like now for their characters in season two? 

For Nicholson, it’s simple, which is safety and loved ones close, preferably far from environmental danger.

For Brown, the answer is even clearer. “It’s all about the partner and the children. As long as they are close by,” he said, “I will be in heaven.”

You can stream season two of “Paradise” now.