The Source: The Walking Dead, is of course, about zombies. Were you ever a fan of zombie/horror stuff before the show?
Chad Coleman: I’ve always loved scary movies. I grew up watching Dawn of the Dead, The Exorcist, Frankenstein, etc. So yes, but not to the degree that our fans love the show! I never dressed up like the characters. But I actually love how passionate our fans are!
TS: There was also a comic book before the show. Were you familiar with it before the show?
CC: No, I was not, but I admire what Robert Kirkman has been able to create over the last decade or so.
TS: How did you end up in the role of Tyreese?
CC: Well, speaking of Mr.Kirkman! He was a huge fan of another amazing series I had the good fortune to be a part of, called The Wire. He told AMC, “Chad Coleman is Tyreese.” AMC said, “We gotta look at other people.” Kirkman said “Ok, but Tyreese is Chad Coleman.” How awesome is that? And fans of the comics were already online saying I would be great for the part! How awesome is that!?
TS: Your character in The Walking Dead seems a little bit different than characters you’ve taken on in the past. What made Tyreese’s character of interest to you?
CC: As an African-American actor, I’m always looking to play characters who are strong, compassionate, and vulnerable, as well as characters who are rich in complexity, which gives the audience a chance to take a journey with me. They get to root for the character and really feel the character’s journey, which is what we’ve seen with Tyreese.
TS: Do you have any personal life experiences that helped you to understand Tyreese’s character better?
CC: Growing up in Richmond, VA was no walk in the park. Violence was very much a part of the landscape. Being bullied and having to fight all the time left me wanting peace and to be a peacemaker. But when I did have to go there, I was relentless! So I think I drew from that and also I’m a father, so the love and compassion I have for my children comes through on screen; it helps me as I relate to my sister (Sasha) and the kids on the show.
TS: Speaking of Sasha…Tyreese has been going through some really rough stuff as of late. Right now, he and Sasha are separated. Does he have hope that Sasha is still alive?
CC: He has faith that Sasha is alive but it’s not unwavering. There are dark moments when he thinks the worst and then has to pull himself out of it and go on. That’s very compelling to me.
TS: There’s been a lot of character development in recent episodes, particularly the last few. How has Tyreese matured and developed?
CC: Tyreese has come to realize that it’s a brutal world he’s living in and the way he lived prior to the apocalypse will not work now. Violence is incredibly necessary and diplomacy is not always possible. And humanity looks different in this world. It’s harsh, but love and forgiveness are still necessary, though not easy.
TS: In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, creator Robert Kirkman called the “The Grove” episode (Episode 14) this season’s “one to watch.” What made this episode such a must see?
CC: It’s a gut wrenching episode. It’s incredibly intense and tears your heart out, yet hope is still there. The toll this world takes on a child’s innocence and how it pushes the adults to a place most people have never seen is epic. Yet hope survives! This may sound crazy, but it’s like watching Twelve Years a Slave.
TS: In that episode, we see Tyreese making some heartbreaking decisions. What was some of the struggle with the Lizzie situation?
CC: Lizzie was a beautiful little girl whose mind became warped by the apocalypse. No human being wants to have to take the life of a child, so it was incredibly difficult to make that decision. But he knows that she is a huge threat to herself and everyone around her.
TS: We also see Tyreese teaming up with Carol. Tell me a little bit about that liaison.
CC: Scott Gimple, our amazing show runner, has crafted a story that allows Tyreese to learn from the very person that most people thought he would destroy. Through Carol, he learns what humanity really looks like in a post apocalyptic world. He’s now ready to go forward and live with all the ugly things he has to do and still love and forgive. In the past, he may have given up. Two wounded people who understand the darkness, but choose the light!
Be sure to watch Chad Coleman as Tyreese in The Walking Dead finale on AMC tonight!
