INTERVIEW: Nhut Le Talks Judomaster’s Journey And The Truth Behind The Hot Cheetos In ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
- Demet Koc
- 9 hours ago
- 9 min read
James Gunn’s Peacemaker has been a wild and irreverent extension of the DC Universe, becoming a fan-favorite for absurd humor, chaotic violence, and surprising heart. Among its breakout stars was Nhut Le’s Judomaster, a pint-sized powerhouse with an unpredictable temper and an endless supply of Hot Cheetos. Initially introduced as a sharp-tongued antagonist in season one, Judomaster became a favorite following the penultimate episode of season two.
We spoke with Nhut Le about his journey from season one’s enigmatic fighter to season two’s unlikely hero, how James Gunn allowed him to help shape Judomaster’s evolution, the challenges of performing in full costume, the truth behind those now-iconic Hot Cheetos and his future in the DCU.
Demet: You had quite a journey from season 1 to season 2. Were you expecting Judomaster to become more of a hero when you first signed on?
Nhut Le: After the first season, I really didn't know what to expect. I was actually a little bit nervous of how the fans are going to react to him just because he's such a weird, annoying, cockroach of a character - you can't really get rid of them. So, to have him come back in this capacity and to join with the 11th Street Kids to create Checkmate, I couldn't have imagined it when I first read it. I'm happy that's where things are going.
Alex: His motivations also evolved a lot from vengeance to purpose. Was there a particular scene or moment that clicked for you emotionally?
Nhut Le: I think for Judomaster, it has always been what he thinks is his duty to save the world. So even in season one, history is written by the people who win, and because you are aligned with the Peacemaker crowd, you think that Judomaster is the bad guy. It's his way of thinking that maybe the Butterflies had the right idea of protecting the world through alien control, and Judomaster happens to agree with that. Then in the second season, he joins ARGUS because he wants to hunt down Peacemaker. He thinks Peacemaker is a threat to this world and then having gone through Earth X and trying to find other worlds, he sees that Rick Flag isn't after the best intentions, so he jumps that ship and joins with the 11th Street Kids.
Alex: Within the season, how much input did you have shaping Judomaster? Did James [Gunn] give you any room to play with the character?
Nhut Le: One thing that I think is really fun about Judomaster is he's so unpredictable, and James did a great job of writing the show. In season one, you really don't know anything about Judomaster. I didn't have a lot to go on so a lot of the character, I just infuse either myself or just creatively what I would imagine this character to do. James wrote season two with a little more of myself in mind, and I think he's evolved as a character because I have put so much of my sass, or personality, or whatever it is into it.
Alex: Representation have been a strong a line with James's work. When you read Judomaster is finally out in this season, how did that conversation unfold behind the scenes? Did James talk to you about the approach on authenticity?
Nhut Le: I first found out about it when I was reading the script in episode 7 so there wasn't a conversation about it. We spoke after the fact, him being queer, and Buddhist, and all that. We didn't talk about what my religious affiliations were. In my normal life, I'm just out as gay, and James sort of took that and infused it in with Judomaster.
Demet: Were there any spontaneous moments or lines that made it into the final cut?
Nhut Le: There were a bunch of things that we did that didn't make it into the cut, but it was always a lot of fun to do. I remember in the van scene in episode 4; when I'm going back with Red Saint Wild, instead of saying, "I'm Vietnamese Wild Bill Suckcock," I say in one of the takes, "I'm Vietnamese Dances With Bro Shit," or, "I'm Vietnamese Long John Silver." You know, calling him random names back and forth, that was a really fun day.
Demet: Yeah, that's so fun! You also have such great chemistry with the cast. Who did you love working with most this season and what made that dynamic special for you?
Nhut Le: I really enjoyed my scenes with Danielle Brooks, who plays Adebayo. I think a lot of Judomaster leading up to this was always a fight, or just like aggression. In all of season one, every single time I'm on the screen, I had a fight scene. It's nice for season two to have that quiet moment of conversation with her and a heart to heart. You get to peel away some of that tough exterior that Judomaster has so it was nice to be able to share moments like that.
Demet: Another thing about your character is that you're almost always in costume. Did you ever think, "Oh, that's a bummer," or did you actually enjoy that aspect of the character?
Nhut Le: We actually had a conversation about that for the second season during the scene with Adebayo when they're playing scrabble. I thought possibly that would be a time where he takes off his mask just to let some of his guard down, but then it became a running bit that he's always in costume, and I think it's so funny. Even in season one when he got shot, they bandaged him up over his costume. Then in this season when they're doing the exploration of the other dimensions, he's wearing his costume underneath a full hazmat suit. And then at the very end when they're doing the lineup for Checkmate, everyone's in their civilian clothes except Judomaster.
Alex: I don't know how you did it, especially wearing something so skin tight throughout the whole season, but you were in a hazmat suit wearing that mask. Was that your idea, or was that something that James put in? How did it feel going about that?
Nhut Le: I believe it was written in the script that Judomaster is in a hazmat suit, and underneath he’s wearing his full costume. So I had a black underdress thing on, and then I was wearing the cowl, so I didn’t have to put on the green shell, which was nice because of the shoulder pads and all that. But the black underlayer was still very form-fitting and skin-tight, so it wasn’t much of a relief. I will say, the worst part of the hazmat suit, surprisingly, were the gloves. Everything else I’d gotten used to, but because my hands were covered, it felt very claustrophobic, and I lost my sense of touch. Every inch of my body was covered in some sort of material except for my eyes and mouth. During those days, I had to take a breather and calm my thoughts, because if you think too much about it, it feels very claustrophobic. Even if you’re feeling super restrained, it takes two or three people to get out of everything. It’s just about taking everything in stride. I’ve had a full season to get used to the Judomaster costume, but the hazmat suit on top of that was extra challenging.
Demet: So now that we’ve talked about the costume, we have to talk about Hot Cheetos. How many did you actually eat on set? Be honest - are you sick of them now, or were they fake Cheetos made by the prop team?
Alex: I hope you got a sponsorship from Cheetos after the fact.
Nhut Le: For the second season, they actually brought me in a few days earlier to do a Cheeto test. They had a bunch of different types of Cheetos: normal ones they colored into different versions, and each had a different taste. I went through the line and taste-tested each one, and I actually chose the most bland one because some of the others were really good and flavorful. But I knew if I had to eat a lot of them, I’d get sick of it, so I picked the simplest one possible. There was a day on set when I ate so many that my teeth turned red from them. So yeah, I’ve had a lot.
Demet: I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Nhut Le: There are worse things in life. (Laughs)
Demet: Let’s talk about teams: if Judomaster were to team up or go toe-to-toe with another DCU hero, who would you want that to be and why?
Nhut Le: Judomaster has history with Bane. In the comics, Bane snaps Judomaster’s back as his finishing move. I’d love to see that fight, but I don’t love that it could potentially mean the end of Judomaster. Maybe a decade down the line, we could have that matchup. Otherwise, I really like that Judomaster is small in stature and goes up against these huge guys like Peacemaker. John Cena’s 6'3 or 6'4, and even Vigilante is super tall. Freddie is like 6 feet. These big guys fighting a little guy, it’s funny, but Judomaster can hold his own. Maybe someone like Deathstroke, or even Wildcat... Those really huge, hulking guys. I think it’s funny.
Alex: It’s interesting you mention Deathstroke and Bane because I think they’re working on a project with both of those characters very soon. Hopefully we get to see you there, but given Bane’s history, we really want Judomaster to be okay.
With the season two finale, it officially sets up Checkmate and hints at the bigger future of the DCU, especially with Planet Salvation. Were you given any insights into where it might be headed — or your character as well?
Nhut Le: I think there are maybe a dozen people who know what’s happening next. I’m not one of them. Even up to when we were shooting episode 8, there were things the cast didn’t really know. In the script, we were told that these characters were forming a new agency of some sort and we had no idea it was Checkmate until episode 8 released. When we shot that day, they panned up to the building, and it was just an empty building. The Checkmate sign was CGI’d in afterward.
Reading the scripts, you don’t hear anything about Salvation either. We knew Peacemaker was sent to another world but we didn’t know it was called Salvation. So you guys have just as much information as I do.
Demet: What else is on the horizon for you?
Nhut Le: Right now, I’m doing a few more auditions and circling a few projects that are really fun and exciting. I think after people saw me in Peacemaker, I’ve been getting a lot of roles for assassins and fighters, which is so different from who I am as a person, but those films are always super fun for me.
Demet: We were also talking about your pottery. How’s that going? I was looking at your Instagram. You have some great work.
Nhut Le: Oh, thank you! If I wasn’t going to do acting, I was going to pursue pottery full-time. When it came down to the wire, I booked Peacemaker, so now I get to do both, which is really nice. After the show came out, pottery sales went crazy, so I’m very fortunate for that too.
Demet: One last thing: how are you finding this new fan love? After the season finale, people are really loving Judomaster.
Nhut Le: It’s been really nice getting all the audience interactions. I will say, it was a little overwhelming at first. After episode seven came out, I got about 20,000 followers overnight. Before this, I always made it a point to answer every comment, because I know as a fan myself, after you finish watching a show, you’re really excited and want to talk about it and watch interviews.
Now, being on the other side, I wanted to have a safe place for fans to come and interact with people from the show. But with so many followers and comments now, I’m super appreciative, but that first week was really stressful and gave me a lot of anxiety. I felt like I was constantly on my phone. I also have a publicist now, and we’ve been doing tons of interviews, collaborations, and posts. It was a little touch-and-go for a bit and a bit stressful, but I appreciate it. I’ve been working super hard all these years to get to moments like this: to do interviews and have these kinds of fan interactions. I’m super grateful. I’m taking it in stride, and at the end of the day, I’m just a person. I take moments for myself, eat good food, and talk to people I love. It’s been really good so far.
Demet: We’re very happy for you!