In August 2017, a group of fellow journalists and I went to the Atlanta set of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The upcoming sequel has a well-funded Monarch going up against a villain who wants to use the kaiju as living atomic weapons, and humanity must once again rely on Godzilla to save us from other monsters.

During our visit, we got a chance to talk to O’Shea Jackson Jr., who plays one of the soldiers of G-Force, a unit tasked with assisting Monarch in their endeavors. During our conversation, we talked about his character, how he got involved with the movie, why he’s a lifelong Godzilla fan, monsters he wished had showed up in the sequel, if he would ever do his character’s job for real, and more.

Check out the interview below, and click on the respective links for our set visit report and interviews with director Michael Dougherty and star Kyle Chander.

So tell us a bit about your character.

O’SHEA JACKSON JR.: He’s, how do you say it, the more experienced soldier of the crew. He’s the leader and kind of the old timer, but it’s just more about my ranking. I’m the highest-ranking officer and I’m the colonel of course. And can’t really show too much emotion when you chase monsters, like, this is what I signed up for.

What’s your special focus on the monsters?

JACKSON: Yeah, I’m focused on the bigger picture. Yep.

What is your responsibility – to take down monsters? To protect the city? What are your challenges?

JACKSON: Just to see the mission through. Whatever is passed down from the admiral to the colonel. She passes it down to me and we get it done. Whether it be an evac, whether it be to get plans – whatever we’re called to do, I make sure I get it done, and I understand the environment may have three-hundred-foot monsters.

What does your character think of the Titans?

JACKSON: We eat Titans for breakfast. Yeah, I mean they’re cool, but as long as I survive.

We’ve been told there are a few Easter eggs in the film to spot. Have there been any that you’ve spotted?

JACKSON: Oh yeah, I’ve been nerding out really hard. There’s some I can’t really speak of – but we definitely give you – you get that monster in the movie, and you’re going to go on the internet immediately after.

So were you a fan of Godzilla before?

JACKSON: Well, that’s the whole reason I got the part. Whether it’s the Hanna Barbara cartoon or that weird Ferris Bueller one, I love all Godzillas. I love Godzilla.

I got the call right after Straight Outta Compton, and I was like I have to. Certain things you feel destined for. And Godzilla’s only happening because of the little kid version of O’Shea. Before Straight Outta Compton I was asked to list my five heroes, and Godzilla was one of them. Reporters constantly ask to list my five heroes and Godzilla’s one of them. So I’m loving it. I got to touch his skin the other day. It was a pretty big moment for me. So that’s as close as I’ll ever get. So it’s been fun. Taking pictures of the set – I mean, legally taking pictures of the set, and just having a ball on the biggest monster pay-per-view ever.

What has been the coolest scene you think so far in the movie?

JACKSON: Just to speak as a Godzilla fan for a minute, there’s no way in the world Ghidorah is supposed to be in the second movie, and I’m in it? I’m losing my mind, like anytime Ghidorah gets mentioned, I’m like, ‘No way. No way! He’s going down. He’s not going up.’

Were there any other monsters from Godzilla movies, who are like, how come this one isn’t in the movie?

JACKSON: I’m gonna’ tell you about my most feared Godzilla monster. One time as a kid, Godzilla was about to die and it was Gigan. Gigan is a problem. There’s like – there’s no way Godzilla should have won. Gigan is a real problem, so I hope we don’t see him, because this is going to be way worse nowadays. But you know, MechaGodzilla. MechaGodzilla is like a hidden gem right now.

Have they given you any indication of how much time has passed since the first movie because obviously the director said that these movies have to take place in real time. G Force has to be kind of a new thing in this world. Have they given you any kind of background on that?

JACKSON: Oh, just that there’s certain divisions of military and then there’s G Force. There’s G Team. There’s the cream of the crop and there’s the crazy cream of the crop that makes it to G Team. You’ve got to get up on a different side of the bed to hunt monsters willingly. Yeah, if I haven’t seen my family in years, I know the requirements to become G Team. But to be a high-ranking officer on G Team, warrants a little crazy.

Michael said that if someone came in tomorrow and said, ‘OK, monsters are real and we want you to be a part of the team, you would have to leave your life behind,’ he said you would be doing that in a second. Would you?

JACKSON: As long as I can watch the Lakers, I’m good.

Is there any conflict between the soldiers and the scientists – a scientist wants to study what’s happening and a soldier’s like, no we are just here to get...

JACKSON: If the mission is called for to get some DNA samples, I might risk my life sure, but as I now know, it’s all about saving the world at the end of the day. And if we can’t agree on that, what the heck.

Is Godzilla still viewed on the same terms as the other monsters or is there that thing where he’s also kind of the hero, you know that maybe you would side with him to fight to the death?

JACKSON: Once again, speaking as a Godzilla fan, I always hated those humans (in the films) who acted like didn’t Godzilla didn’t just save their ass, but with the realm that we’re in now, what happened in San Francisco in 2014 - from what I can see, he holds down the Pacific, so California seems safe. So I’m down with that.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters opens May 31st.