SDCC Report - SFX had brekkie with Andrew Lincoln, star of AMC and FX's The Walking Dead
What a bizarre way to start a day. After a big night out on the town yesterday, I pretty much felt like the walking dead myself, so I fitted in well at The Walking Dead breakfast. Held at the swanky Omni Hotel, the event thankfully didn't offer up brains for breakfast. Instead, re-fuelled by coffee, bacon and eggs, I had the chance to chat to two stars of AMC's new six-part TV adaptation of infamous comic book The Walking Dead - Andrew Lincoln (who plays cop Rick Grimes) and Sarah Wayne Callies (as his wife Lori).
They revealed that the first episode will be an hour and a half pilot, and that it's not going to shy away from the horror. In fact, even filming the series is giving Callies nightmares: "I haven't slept well since starting work on it. I have nightmares. Our FX guy Greg Nicotero has ruined my life."
Andrew Lincoln also revealed that this was the kind of role he'd he always wanted to play: "I am a massive comics fan. When I hit puberty, I got into sex and death." He lists 2000 AD and Alan Moore among his favourites, but prefers From Hell To Watchmen .
He's also been receiving some tips from a celebrity pal: "I met Simon Pegg and Simon gave me a primer in zombie lore. Zombies represent our fear of death."
The show is going to be full of action, Lincoln describing it as "kinetic and physical" adding that it was "extremely sweaty working in the Atlanta heat. I lost 10 pounds!"
He will also be using an American accent, but won't be attempting the deep Southern drawl of his character in the comic, as they've moved the action from Kentucky to Georgia to make the accent "slightly less rural."
