Were you aware of the original comic prior to being cast as Rick?
"I had no knowledge of the comic book at all. I didn't even get a script the first time - I got sides, because it was so top-secret. I was really intrigued and put myself on tape. They got back very quickly from Hollywood and gave me the script. That's when I went to a comic-book store in Camden, and said 'Have you heard of this comic book?'. The owner showed me this shrine they had to the comic, and said 'This is our most popular and successful comic, and in my opinion, one of the greatest graphic novels of the last ten years'. That's when I got into it."
A lot of bad things happen to Rick later in the comic, such as the loss of his hand. How much of the character's future were you aware of while filming these six episodes?
"I stopped reading the comic after a while, because I was working from the script, and there are variations in it. But the executives from AMC gave me the comic compendium. I hadn't signed at this point, but it was very close and they were very enthusiastic about me playing Rick. I had breakfast with them and said, 'Guys, this picture on the compendium - where's Rick's hand?' and they said, 'We've been meaning to tell you about that'. There was just a stump! But I think one of the great things about the comic is that no-one's safe. I think the mere fact that the central character loses a limb is a very important part of that. That's probably why it's been so successful, because Robert Kirkman's really continued this tension and the fact that nobody is safe. It's extraordinary how brutal and uncompromising he's been with that."
What kind of character is Rick?
"Rick is someone that is driven by a moral goodness. His intentions are good, though his decisions may be bad many times. He's complicated and flawed, which I find fascinating because it makes him human. He sort of erodes over time because of the world he lives in, and there's nothing more satisfying than playing a character that changes irrevocably, so I embrace all of that. For an actor, it's an amazing opportunity."
How would you describe Rick's relationship with his family and with his partner Shane?
"It's a love affair between his wife and their old friend. The backstory we've developed is that Rick and Lori were young lovers and Shane is his greatest, oldest friend. It's a triangle and at the heart of it is this poison, this thing that's happened. We've only scratched the surface in the six episodes. It's only six days since I woke up from my coma, so there's a long way to go."
Were you spooked on set or was it easy to divide fantasy and reality?
"I did a lot of physical preparation before entering into scenes just to get really jacked up, because it required it. If I don't make it as truthful, raw and emotional as it should be, the world doesn't work. It made our job as actors more vital, to really root it down in truth. It was helped by the fact that we had such an incredible team of people. For the sequence where I come into Atlanta, they shut down four blocks of downtown Atlanta. It was extraordinary because I've been in quite a few big movies, but nothing came close to what they did on this. That helped me as an actor."
Aside from the comics, was there anything else that inspired how you played Rick?
"Frank [Darabont] was very keen for me to rewatch Breaking Bad. What they do so beautifully on that show is they ask the audience to come to the show. They don't try to deceive them with lots of jump-cutting. They wanted it to soak into the bones of the audience, which I think is what Frank has also achieved beautifully in this. This atmosphere just envelops you, as it does Rick. I also watched High Noon, which I found very useful. The Walking Dead feels like a modern Western, and it gets more like that. There's a lot of classic old cinematography that Frank has brought to it. Also, the moral centre of Gary Cooper in High Noon inspired me. He's a divided man, between his responsibilities and his marriage. He's not like the Clint Eastwood figure, the loner. It's more complicated than that. He's got a softer heart, so that was definitely an inspiration for me as well."
Was there any training required for the role?
"I'd done weapons training with Chris Ryan's Strike Back so I was pretty good with military weaponry. I'd done quite a bit of work with that, which was really useful because there's so much shooting in this show! And it gets busier! The head of props on this show was an armourer on The Wire. We went shooting and it was hilarious because we went to a shooting range where you can shoot mock-up zombies! Every weapon that I used, I would know the recoil, because obviously we're using blanks. I practised with shotguns as well, because they make a very strong appearance."
Have you had much interraction yet with Walking Dead fans?
"We went to Comic-Con in San Diego, during the shoot, which was absolutely nuts. In my whole 16-year career, I have never seen the like, apart from maybe Glastonbury on a Saturday night! I've seen more middle-aged men in Lycra than is probably sensible! But it was a brilliant experience. It's really lovely being involved in something where you're working incredibly long hours and putting everything into it, and you know that there's already people who really care about the end product. It means that you know people want to watch it, and their reaction to the teaser trailer was so brilliant for all of us. It really helped us to get through the rest of the shoot. So thank you, San Diego!"
Was it a challenge playing an American character?
"I worked really hard on the accent. I suppose if you're asked by one of the great channels in America to lead their show, you want to start off getting that right. I worked hard on not just the accent, but also on being American and getting into the feel of that."
Are you hopeful that the show will be a hit in the UK?
"I want as many people to watch this as possible, because I'm deeply proud of it. I just don't think there's anything out there like it, and I think it's always good to be challenged in new areas. Also, I think that people will be surprised by this show. The thing that really surprised me about the pilot was that it was very moving and also very funny in amongst all of this thrilling, exciting tension. I think all of those things combined make for a good drama."
Source: digitalspy
