Central to Netflix's Cursed, a dramatic overhaul of Arthurian legend from Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller, is a battle between magic and religion. These two elements coexist within the original myth -- which began as fairy tales about enchantresses in lakes and magical swords that drew men to both greatness and ruin and, as Christianity seeped into Medieval Britain, evolved into quests for legendary artifacts and knightly parables about chivalry, empire and purity. In Wheeler and Miller's retelling, the two become opposing forces, with the magic Fey race on one side and the Church's colonizing Red Paladins on the other.

RELATED: Netflix's Cursed Reforges Arthurian Legend For A New Generation

Right in the thick of this struggle between the ancient, natural world and the modern religious institution is the quiet and deadly Weeping Monk played by Daniel Sharman (Teen Wolf, The Originals, Fear the Walking Dead). With his heavy hood and stained face, the Weeping Monk -- his only identifier for most of the first season -- is used as an instrument of death by the Paladins' leader, Father Carden, a cold man whom the Monk considers a mentor. Under Carden's direction, he has a particular set of Fey tracking tools, and he uses them with brutal precision.

Cursed Father Carden

None of these traits sound especially monk-like, of course, which Sharman is well aware of. "He’s, I think, one of the most Frank Miller-esque characters in [Cursed]," the actor told CBR and other members of the press on set last summer. "He’s got these tattoos -- well, they’re kind of like birthmarks that go down from his eyes like tears. And he’s constantly in this grey cowl. So he's got this priest-like appearance but underneath are these birthmarks that scar his face, and so the legend is that he looks like he’s crying."

Though Cursed revolves around the ownership of the king-making Sword of Power, the Weeping Monk isn't as precious about his weapons of choice. "I got this incredible sword -- Frank [Miller] was very specific about a giant sword. And now I seem to have been doing a lot of archery," Sharman laughed. "So, I think he's a bit multifaceted. I mean, he kills in any way. But he comes up with new and inventive ways because I think he's bored with just how easy it is. But there are certain techniques and certain codes that he lives by. He’s been plucked by Father Carden out of a clan of people and he's often alone… his character’s arc is completely separate from everybody else’s. I quite like that."

That isn't to say that the Weeping Monk isn't without style. When asked about his points of reference, Sharman spoke enthusiastically about Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, praising "the efficiency of movement" of samurai cinema that he tried to bring into the physicality of the role. "I just think it's the most beautiful kind of representation. [...] I'm trying [..] to make sure that there’s never that feeling of it being overdone." Much like the stereotypical stoicism of the Japanese sword fighters, Sharman says that his character takes no pleasure in killing. "It's just this way that he’s looking at the world. I thought that was way more interesting to me than a bloodthirsty version of that. The way people kill people informs how they are, and that’s what informs, to me, his relationship with the world. That was my way into the character -- both the fight stuff and his interactions with people."

Sharman also underwent some martial arts weeks before filming started, including some "rigorous" muay tai, but he lamented that once on set, he struggled at times to maintain the cool and controlled persona he was meant to be embodying.

Cursed Weeping Monk

"It's one thing to [practice] a great fight sequence but then you get [on set], and I’ve got this hood and I can't see a fucking thing and I’m just swinging around [...] I remember we did a stunt with this whole flipping a horse over a horse and doing this fight on uneven ground. And I thought, I’ll do this, it’ll be great! I rehearse for two and a half weeks, get there, and I’m just flailing around, the hoods coming down, you know. And that, I think, is really taxing because usually, I really love the physicality of doing these things, but after the first time, I was like, I just don't know if I can do this. It’s one of the most frustrating things."

RELATED: Netflix’s Cursed: Every Arthurian Character In The Series

The actor also suffered an injury for his troubles, though the incident itself wasn't quite the epic war story worthy of Arthurian legend. However, he did get to test his costume out on some unsuspecting hospital patients. "[After] all that training, I was walking to set and cracked my ankle [chuckles]. So I was sitting there in A&E, full grim reaper, just with these tears [going down my face] and these people [around me] going, ‘Oh fuck, it’s finally happening!’"

Having a background in teen-oriented supernatural dramas, Sharman was deadset against continuing his typecasting. "It’s the only ones they’ll give me," he jokes. "I’m trying, you know?" But, following a meeting with Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller, he felt that despite swearing off "horses, swords and fantasy" for good, he had no other choice but to board the project. "I'm glad I did because I feel like it’s something you can’t really turn down because of what this character is, and I want to see where this character goes and what Tom’s planned for it."

The true nature of the Weeping Monk is a riddle that goes unanswered until Season 1's remaining few minutes -- a tease that undoubtedly lays the groundwork for a very different future for the character. "Tom [Wheeler] told me a big spoiler early on. And I just went oh, okay, that totally makes sense, and it all kind of clicked in and I thought, it makes sense why he looks the way he does. So, for me, it was really important that all those things lined up. And so there's kind of a bit of a relief because I know that when it happens, people are going to go, ‘oh, that really made sense.’"

Cursed Weeping Monk

Though the hood comes off by the end, viewers shouldn't expect a clear origin story just yet, which Sharman prefers. "I like that the effect is kind of physical and it’s not said and it's not overly explained." In fact, playing the conflicted assassin taught the actor a valuable lesson in understatement.

"There’s not really a lot of acting required… When you see what Frank [Miller] drew, it does tell an enormous amount of story for you. So, one of the biggest pleasures of it is that sometimes I just have to get out of the way. Just allow that to tell the story. It's quite nice to learn to not do as much learn to be efficient. You can let the imagery do a lot of the work. It’s definitely a challenge." He laughs. "I feel like you’ve got people doing really hard work whereas I just come in, look ominous, kill some people and then I leave."

Based on the novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, Cursed stars Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård, Peter Mullan, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Daniel Sharman, Sebastian Armesto, Ella Prebble, Scarlett Rock and Daniella Gad. The series is available for streaming on Netflix now.

KEEP READING: Cursed: Netflix Video Explains What The F--K The Show Is About