I am actor J. August Richards. You may know me from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Mike Peterson/Deathlok, or Charles Dunn on ANGEL, or Ford from "Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce," AMA!

Greeting Deathlok from myself and the other mods over on /r/SHIELD. You should stop over there so we can get you your lanyard.

My question is how much have you begged the powers that be to put Deathlok in the movies? Or maybe perhaps get your own mini series on Netflix?

OK, first of all, thank you so much for your support & supporting the show.

Secondly, I haven't begged for anything regarding the character, because I understand that there's a larger - I mean, there's a huge plan in place, and I trust that if i fit in there, that I'll be put in. I'm a fan of the whole Marvel cinematic universe. And I trust that they know where they're going.

But I appreciate you asking, because I would love to play this character as much as I can.

What is the process of getting into the Deathlok costume? What's the hardest thing to do in the suit?

Interestingly enough, we did about 8 fittings for the new costume.

And fittings occur before you even start shooting. There are so many elements to the costume, so many layers, there are parts that have to be screwed on, parts that have to be slithered into, there's a lot going on there. But once I have it on, it really makes me feel like this cyborg super-powered character. So it really helps.

And it's really hard to pee in the suit.

We've had to organize / make my breaks official, because on my first day in the new costume, my skin turned completely white - i'm talking Gwyneth Paltrow white - because it sucks the moisture out of your body. So my first day, I had to do all these elaborate fight scenes, and I did my own stunts, so I was in the costume for 12-14 hours straight. And when I took it off, every part of my body that was covered was white. I'm thinking of instagramming a picture I took of myself like that. It was scary.

J., did you expect to become such a big part of Agents of SHIELD when you first signed up for the pilot?

NO. CLUE.

No clue whatsoever. When I got the part, it was for one episode - the pilot.

And I didn't expect to do anything other than that. I was so stoked to get the part. I genuinely didn't expect it to continue. But when it did, I was so incredibly happy.

Deathlok! Thanks for doing this AMA! What is your best Clark Gregg story and how awesome is it to work on Agents of SHIELD?

Firstly, obviously, it's TOTALLY AWESOME because I was a huge comic book collector as a kid, so obviously, playing a superhero as an adult is a childhood dream come true. Working with Clark is amazing, because he is the most generous, supportive and kind actor I've ever worked with.

And that's true!

Huge fan and squealed in excitement when you showed up as Deathlock again.

Any chance you are going to be one of those cameos in Age of Ultron? Or will Joss ban you from future projects if you tell? And speaking of future projects, if Joss did another "let's make a Shakespeare movie" would you want in?

OH MY GOD YES. I saw "Much Ado About Nothing" and was so jealous that I wasn't in it! Because we used to do Shakespeare readings at Joss' house on the weekends, when we were doing ANGEL...and I was lucky enough to play Othello to Joss' Iago... and I pray that he'll want to make that into a movie someday.

And as far as Age of Ultron goes, I would do anything Joss asked me to be a part of.

What was your reaction when you found out that Gunn was going to undergo the knowledge implant in Season 5 of Angel? Do you agree that before that, Gunn's role was expendable?

No, I don't think Gunn was ever expendable.

I thinK Gunn thought of himself as the muscle of the group, but I don't think that's what the other characters perceived him to be.

When I heard my character was going to become a lawyer, I was very excited, because it was going to give me the chance to do something completely different with the character.

And it turned out to be very beneficial to me, because i ended up playing lawyers in the two series I did after that.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I've been following you on Twitter for a couple years now. I'm the guy that lost a ton of weight and was showing you some updates using the #doepicshit

I want to thank you for your positivity every time you post online. It's refreshing to see somebody that has such a positive outlook on life and their successes. Thank you.

I have two questions for you if you don't mind. Any chance you'll be making it out to Phoenix comic con this year? A lot of Buffy and Angel alumni are going to be there and it would be great to finally get a chance to meet you and say thank you in person.

The second question is, if you could be in Star Wars what type of character would you want to play?

Okay, so first of all, I remember our exchange regarding your weight loss, and congratulations. It's humbling to hear you say that...

And keep up the work. Keep doing #doepicshit!

At the present moment, I have no present plans to attend Phoenix Comic-Con. But if my schedule permits, and they have availability, I would attend just to meet you...

And I would OBVIOUSLY be a Jedi.

What color would your light saber be?

Great question.

Let's go with... purple.

Thank you so much for the reply. Even if you can't make it out this year I'm sure our paths will cross sometime in the future. Thanks again for taking the time to talk to us today!

Thank you for joining me. It's awesome to get to talk to you this way.

How does working on S.H.I.E.L.D. compare to working on Angel? Any significant differences?

First of all, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D shoots mostly during the daylight hours. On ANGEL, it was nothing for us to wrap at 6 AM. The hours are just as long, but they are usually during the daytime or early evening, so that difference is primary.

The second difference is - there is a handful of people who were on both crews, so it can feel very similar at times.

What's a memorable moment from Angel for you? Thanks!

One moment I'll never forget is the very last scene we shot for the entire series, which was the last scene in the story, on the last day. And I'll never forget that, because it was very hard to say goodbye to everyone, and to say goodbye to the characters at the same time. It was difficult. I remember having the feeling of "I think the best job I will ever have in my life just ended."

But turns out I was wrong.

Any funny stories with James Marsters from Angel? I loved having Spike be on the last season. Also, is there anything you wish you could have done with Gunn that didn't happen?

Yes. I wish I could've played Gunn as a vampire, if he got turned into a vampire, I would love to play that scene. I don't actually have any funny stories about James. Not that he's not funny, but when he's working, he's very serious.

What was it like working with David Boreanaz on Angel and do you still keep in contact with him?

Working with David was so much fun. He's the coolest guy ever!

He likes to kid and joke a lot, which makes the days go by faster.

I saw him last year in Chicago, and loved seeing him again, but I don't see him very often.

Can you tell us what it was like working on Diagnosis Murder, especially with Dick Van Dyke and the cast?

HahahaHA!

First of all, I love that you're reaching into the deep cuts!

Well, all of my scenes were with Victoria Rowell, and I died before the first commercial break, but as a young, recently graduated college student, I was really excited about it. And Victoria Rowell was SO incredibly generous to me - I was so incredibly green, a novice, I was so young & impressionable, and she was so kind to me and patient with me. Unfortunately I didn't get to work with the great Dick Van Dyke, but I would've LOVED to, because I grew up watching him!

What's your best memories on the set of Angel?

TOO many to mention...

But as far as laughter is concerned, it always centered about Andy Hallett. Andy was the life of the set. And could make anybody laugh, at any given time.

I love your social media presence and how you always try to connect with your fans, but there are other actors and actresses that don't go down this route or are not as focused on social media as you are, so my question is how it impacted you and why do you think it's important for you to interact with your fans?

Wow, first of all, thank you.

For me, it's all very organic. I don't have a plan or a strategy when I'm doing social media. I feel like I just respond to the energy, and if good energy is being thrown at me, I want to throw it right back.

So I think I'm really lucky, because I get just wonderful energy on social media, so it's not a chore for me to interact or have conversations. I've met a lot of people who follow me, and I'm just grateful, I guess.

Deathlok! If you had Deathlok's suit in real life, how would you use it?

Hahaha!

I would use it in the same way the character does - to fight evil.

What is it like playing Deathlok?

Believe it or not, it's very difficult, because the character's circumstances are so dark.

But I genuinely approach it as a comedy role, because I'm always trying to find levity in the circumstances. But obviously, when I get to do cool stunts and fire rockets out of my arm, on a scale from 1-10, it's about 100.

You are the reason I love Angel so much! Gunn will always be my favorite character. Who was your favorite guest star on Angel?

Oooh, great question!

I would have to say Julie Benz.

Because I love the character Darla, and I loved the way she played it. And every time she worked, I was just mesmerized by how far she would go with the reality of this fictional character. She impressed me every time we worked together.

Hey J! I recall seeing you on Wil Wheatons table top recently. Was the show fun and how was he in person? Have you done any more table gaming?

Yes, I'm a HUGE table gamer. I grew up playing board games, and I play them as an adult. I love social games, like Taboo!, Pictionary, Boggle, and Scrabble. TABLE TOP was loads of fun. Wil is just... a very generous and great guy. He allows you to make fun of him while you're beating him.

What was your first reaction to seeing the Deathlok suit on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D?

Feel free to stop by at /r/shield you'll need a lanyard though

Well, the first time I saw it was in a drawing. I thought it was badass. Shoutout to Ann Foley, the costume designer for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D! I love it, and i love that it's a work in progress. I love that every time we see the character, he's further processing with the story.

I'm a huge Gunn fan. How'd you get the role? What's the coolest thing you've gotten to keep from the set of Angel?

HAHAHAHA!

Well, the coolest thing I got to keep from the set of ANGEL is visible on my instagram, and it's the first tweet I ever tweeted.

And I don't know if I got to keep it so much as I have it.

Does that make sense?

Well, it came to me as a standard audition. My manager called, and said I had an audition for a spinoff of BUFFY - I had never seen the show at that point. I auditioned for the casting director first, she liked what I did, and asked me to come back later in the day to meet Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, and I read for them, they liked what I did, and the next thing you know I had the part.

So first thanks a lot for doing this. Second, the movement I saw you appearing again while taking down the squad in quinn jet as back up of the Coulson, I was jumping around saying "Deathlok is back".

My only question: On the show there has been a lot of talk about Coulson providing upgrade to Deathlok's system? would it be possible for you to give any insight on those upgrades? Saw in teaser that Fitz was fascinated by it, must be something really good :)

So far, the upgrades will unfold over the course of tonight's episode. But a lot of the upgrades are visual. And if you notice, this year, Deathlok takes bullets without pause. Last year, when I got shot, it would cause me to fall back, but this year, not so much.

How long does it take to get into the full Dethlok outfit & makeup? Love you on Agents of Shield!

Thank you!

The makeup, first year took about an hour and a half. This year, we're down to 40 minutes for the makeup. The outfit I can get into in 15 minutes flat.

Have you seen Age of Ultron yet? Is the hype as good as everyone says it its?

I have not seen it. I had to miss the premiere because I was in Australia. But I will see it the MINUTE it opens.

Have you read the Angel After the fall comics? And if so, did you like what happened to Gunn in that series?

I have not read the comics. I do know what happened, though, because I've been told. And I do approve of what happened in the comics, although I can't bring myself to read it.

What's your opinion on what they did with Gunn? Going from a "hood" guy to the "muscle" to a Lawyer... what's your feedback on the changes he went through ad a character? 'Cus I feel like the lawyer part was too much and outside of who Gunn was as a person... what do you think?,

I actually loved it.

I thought all of the characters went through huge transformations over the years, and I was happy that Gunn got to have his transformation as well. It was obviously really out of character, but I think that really served the story and served the character. Because we were so used to seeing him a certain way. That it was refreshing to see him in a new light. And it was refreshing for me, as an actor, because i was always kept on my toes on ANGEL.

I always say this - every year, there was one day I was afraid to go to work, because i had to do something I had never done before.

What up J.! I was curious to what you did to get shredded once you found out you got the roll on Agents? The time line was short but your results were great. Care to elaborate on that?

Okay, so I found out on one Friday the 13th that I was going to have to get in the best shape of my life, and I had 6 weeks to do it.

I took one week to eat everything. And then I started a 5 week workout program with my amazing trainer, his name is Eric Thomas Wilson, and we went on an incredible journey together. We worked out about 5 times a week, totally changed my eating habits, and had to actually meditate and pray a lot in order to get through it.

But everything I got from that program has stayed with me. And now I really love working out.

I heard you say in another interview that Deathlock has a particular grudge on Ward - why?

Because of Ward, the clairvoyant played by Bill Paxton had access to S.H.I.E.L.D. So everything that happened with my son, and with me, Ward had a huge responsibility in - because he was a double agent. So that's why Mike can't stand Ward. And also, Ward betrayed Coulson. And Mike is very loyal to Coulson. If you mess with Coulson, you mess with Deathlok.

Good Morning Mr. Richards! Thanks for the AMA! I have 2 questions for you. First, what is it like working with the cast of Agents of SHIELD? Second, what has it been like going through the progression of Mike Peterson's life so far?

The progression has actually been a little challenging, because so much has happened for Mike off-camera between appearances. So every time I go back, I kind of have to start all over again, finding the character. For example, this most recent appearance, the idea is that Mike is now owning his Deathlok persona, but at the same time, he still misses his son greatly, and he carries a lot of pain from that. So it's kind of difficult to find the balance. And working with the cast is fantastic. They are all really silly, so it never gets TOO serious.

Do you get over-involved with TV or movie plots at times?

OH yeah!

When Joffrey died on Game of Thrones, I screamed at the TV, and was overcome with a sense of freedom!

It seems like all the cast are pretty close knit on Agents of Shield. We, the viewers, got attached to you as Mike Peterson. Skye seemed to take fault in your fall from humanity. You've just been reintroduced to us. What's your favorite story from working on the Agents of Shield set?

Shooting the pilot was great, because Joss directed it, and getting to work with him again after all those years was great. On the first day, I had to climb up a burning building to rescue the woman trapped inside. And I actually got to do that stunt. And it was one of the most fun things I've ever gotten to do on camera.

Hey J! Do you have an open invite to come back on SHIELD whenever your schedule permits?

Not so much an open invitation, but whenever the character is needed for the story.

And I have to say, it doesn't hurt that you guys give the character so much love on social media!

Have you ever been on a set where someone farted during filming?

SO MANY TIMES.

And of course, the farts were on-purpose.

I'll let you figure out what the culprit was...

If you were a pizza, what kind of toppings would you have?

Oh, that's so easy.

Pepperoni... italian sausage... prosciutto... crushed red peppers... garlic... sopressata. That would be my pizza. It's all meat.

You have a strong social media presence and always take the time to interact with your fans. Do you do all of it personally? I know some celebrities hire people to act on their behalf. Also, what or who gave you the idea to do an AMA on reddit? Are you always so tech savvy? lol

Haha! No, I do all of my own social media. Everything is me. I do all of the responding. And my publicist gave me the idea to do this AMA, and I'm so glad he came up with the idea, because it's been really fun!

What TV shows are you watching at the moment that you enjoy?

Game of Thrones... Empire... Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore... SCANDAL... and Real Time with Bill Maher.

Thank you for doing this! My question is: What do you think is harder for you, doing action roles or playing a character like Ford on GG2D? I know that Mike Peterson is an emotional character as well as physical but I just wanted to know what's harder for you to film? Physical or emotional scenes?

Great question.

Emotional scenes. Physical scenes come very naturally to me, which is weird, because I've never really done any stunt training.

But I think all that time on the playground as a kid is really paying off now.

Who are you rooting for in the NBA playoffs?

I'm not following closely this year.

If you could use Deathlok technology to reanimate any one person from any time period, who would you choose?

MMMmm. To re-animate ANY dead person from ANY time period?

Let's go with Bruce Lee.

He would be a good Deathlok.

Do you listen to certain music before you do a scene? And what music are you currently listening to?

Right now, I'm obsessed with Kendrick Lamar's album. And oddly enough, I love Taylor Swift. Sometimes I listen to Luther Vandross ballads if I have to give a long speech, because his breathing technique inspires me.

I love your work on AOS! :) thank you for doing what you do. What's your favorite ride in Disney?

It's a Small World!