The Walking Dead Interview – TV.com Interviews IronE
Look how serious IronE is in the above scene (which is the exact opposite of how you see him responding to the questions below.) So that’s right, TV.com scores a fun interview with IronE (that guy who plays T-Dog) from The Walking Dead. Seriously a fun interview and you can just picture cracking up if you were seeing this live instead of reading it.
Adam: First off, congratulations on a successful first season of The Walking Dead. How does it feel now the season is done?
IronE: Thanks! It’s a bit depressing, but there’s always season 2 which brings instant excitement. I’m looking forward to getting back on set with The Walking Dead cast and crew.
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Adam: Going into the season, what did you think the reception would be?
IronE: I thought the reception would be nice but had no idea that word about the show would reach Mars. (laughs).. This reception is fantastically insane. The fans of the show are incredible and I like interacting with them on Twitter.
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Adam: Being the new show on AMC, the network with gems like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, did you feel there was an added pressure for The Walking Dead to succeed?
IronE: No more than the average pressure regardless of which show it’s akin. There’s extra pressure now because of the elevated expectations stemming from the success of season 1.
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Adam: You were cast as “T-Dog”. Tell me how that came about. How did you get involved with the show?
IronE: My agent contacted me about it and I read for it. Frank Darabont liked it but wanted me to perform it differently, so I did. And the rest is, as we say… a WGA nomination. (laughs)
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Adam: Were you a fan of the Zombie movies before starting the show? If so, got any favorites?
IronE: Shamefully, I was not a fan but I am, now. Night of the Living Dead is a classic and, of course, The Walking Dead.
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Adam: Did you read the comic books that The Walking Dead was based on?
IronE: I have the thick compendium and am reading it, now but hadn’t before production began. However, I did extensive internet research on the series.
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Adam: The Walking Dead pilot airs on Halloween night. The episode breaks the AMC record as most watched premiere in network history. Again, AMC is home of Breaking Bad and Mad Men. How did you find out about this impressive feat, and what were your first thoughts?
IronE: I think the boss lady, Gale Ann Hurd, Exec. Producer sent the cast and crew an email. My thought was GOD is blessing me profoundly. I was in an Oscar nominated movie, The Blind Side, one year prior to… and now this!!! WOW, this is amazing!!!
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Adam: T-Dog makes his first appearance in Episode 2 as one of the survivors in Atlanta . And within your first scenes, you get into a scuffle with Merle. Tell me about working with Michael Rooker.
IronE: A scuffle? I guess that’s a thoughtful way of saying BEAT DOWN! (laughs). If it weren’t Michael Rooker, I would have taken it personally. (laughs). No, but Michael Rooker is a brilliant actor and it was an honor to play opposite him.
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Adam: Rooker did a great job making people “Merle him” that’s for sure! (laughs)
IronE: (laughs) “Merle him” could be a definite synonym given how well he played the role. It would surprise people to know he’s the complete opposite. He has lots of love in his heart.
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Adam: By accident or not, T-Dog seemed to got the last laugh by dropping the key. You think part of him meant to do it?
IronE: I don’t think it was an intentional drop. Whether T-Dogs’ dropping the key was sub- conscious or not, he was seriously distraught about it, because like Rick said, “That’s no way for anything to die, let alone a human being.”
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Adam: After leaving Merle on the roof, you had to deal with his brother Daryl. Tell me about working with Norman Reedus.
IronE: Norman is brilliant, also. He’s as great a guy as he is an actor. Truth be told, the Dixon Brothers are my favorite characters because they have no inhibitions and respond, seemingly, only by impulse and irrationality. It doesn’t work for real life but it’s great for TV.
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Adam: Here’s something I noticed while watching. I counted at least three different times T-Dog needed to hold Daryl back because he was about to go **** on someone. (laughs)
IronE: See previous comments. (laughs)
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Adam: All these questions and I haven’t even mentioned the Zombies yet! This is fitting for this show because it’s much more than just a bloods and gore fest. I think The Walking Dead tips into several genres, including Horror and Drama. How important do you think character development is in a show like this?
IronE: Character development is the key to any successful show. The zombies would get old if we know nothing about who they’re out to get. We need to care about them if we are to care about their survival and that happens through development.
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Adam: Alright, let’s get to the Zombies. How awesome are they? (laughs)
IronE: They’re pretty awesome and scary. They keep ME running.
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Adam: I have to give props to the make-up and special FX screw for the incredible job with the surreal looking Zombies. How weird it is working with hundreds of extras looking like they’re willing to feast on your brain? (laughs)
IronE: It’s a very interesting experience…one of the reasons I signed up to be an actor. I want to experience all that life has to offer…non-fiction and fiction. Hence, acting.
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Adam: So does the Zombie crew hang with the main cast backstage?
IronE: The zombie crew was as much part of the main cast as we were. Without the zombies, there’s no show. We’re all family. As much as they could hang out, they did, but they were busy working hard throughout the day and did a great job.
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Adam: Another thing I noticed about the show is that the word “Zombie” has never been used. They are always referred as “The Dead”, “Walkers”, or “Geeks”. Is this a coincidence, or is there a ban on the “Z” word on the set? (laughs)
IronE: As Robert Kirkman so eloquently put it, to paraphrase, “zombies” is a common term. The survivors are in a world where we’ve never heard of that term, so we create terms that closely identify the undead because in that world we don’t know exactly what to call them.
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Adam: One of my favorite scenes of the series so far, and probable the sickest, is when Rick and Glenn slathered themselves in Dead-guts. Tell me about shooting that scene.
IronE: I can’t. It traumatized me too much to talk about it. It was one of the most disgusting scenes. This scene told me that AMC was about to go where no other network had gone before. Grotesque-ville, here we come. (laughs)
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Adam: What’s the toughest part of working of The Walking Dead, except of course the sight of hundreds of Walkers that no doubt haunt your dreams at night?
IronE: The general consensus would have probably been working in the Georgia summer heat.
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Adam: Season 1 ended with a BANG! Where did you watch the finale from?
IronE: Literally, right? I watched from home as I did all the others. My wife and I like to watch together plus we have young children that needed to be in bed for school the following day. Therefore, we were limited to home.
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Adam: Season 2 is unfortunately a long time away. But can you tell me anything about what to expect? Maybe some more background of T-Dog?
IronE: I wish I knew but it’s all up to Frank Darabont and his think tank of writers. If you find out, give me a tweet.
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Adam: Will we ever know his real name? (laughs)
IronE: (laughs) Probably. I hope so before I die. It wouldn’t be pretty seeing T-Dog on my tombstone.
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Adam: Ok, before we wrap up I have to ask this. In case of a Zombie Apocalypse (because let’s face it, it’s coming!), what’s IronE’s Guide to Zombie Kick-Assery? (laughs)
IronE: Lots of squats, leg extensions and curls.
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Adam: Finally, I ask this to all my interviewees. What have you been watching on TV lately?
IronE: THE WALKING DEAD, THE WALKING DEAD, THE WALKING DEAD…. and sports. Oh… and did I say The Walking Dead? (laughs) I love you guys, thanks for the support and until next season… WE ARE THE WALKING DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[via: TV.com.]
