Andrew Lincoln And Frank Darabont On The Past, Present And Future Of The Walking Dead!

"I remember thinking, 'Please! This is not what I signed up for!'" Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) said of the moment in the second episode of the hit TV show when his character hatches a plan to escape the zombie horde by trying to look, and smell, like one of them. The actor went on to reveal that he improvised the line that effectively stops the scene ("We need more guts") only because he wanted the scene to end! As for what it was like for him and Steven Yeun (Glenn) to walk through Atlanta covered in intestines and severed limbs: "Afterward, Steven asks me, 'Is this normal for Hollywood?' And I said, 'Far from normal, my friend. Far from normal.'"

While fans and critics alike have so far been very positive towards the show, it looks like there will be even more changes from the comic book in the final two episodes of the season when the survivors trek to the Centers for Disease Control. "The end of the season brings our characters—and the audience— to key questions," said Frank Darabont. "Are there answers? Is there hope? Is there any structure or authority or government working on our behalf? That’s a pretty legitimate question even without a zombie apocalypse."

Looking back to before the show even hit screens though, Darabont shared his thoughts on how he felt when the casting director approached him with the suggestion that little known British actor Andrew Lincoln should play Rick Grimes. "I was like, 'Are you kidding me? I’m looking for a cross between Gary Cooper and Sam Shepard and you’re giving me the Love Actually guy?' What’s weird for me now is that whenever I hear him talk with his English accent, I’m like, 'Where’s Rick? Stop pretending you’re British!'" It seems that Lincoln was just as surprised to get the job though. However, he still reveals that it was nothing short of a dream come true. "I got an e-mail outlining the project. The first thing I read was 'AMC.' I went, 'Great! I’ve been waiting for an AMC opportunity!' Then it said 'The Walking Dead.' Terrific title. Then the names. 'Frank Darabont.' 'Gale Anne Hurd.' Great. And then it said 'Zombie survival horror.' I think I actually did a literal double take. I was like, 'Really?!' I was a bit reticent. It was only the next day, when they sent me this top secret script, that it really dawned on me what the show had a chance to do, and I got very excited."

But what of the future of the show? Well, it turns out that before he begins hashing out next season, Darabont would like to figure how the series will ultimately end. "My next big conversation with Robert, now that we’ve gotten through the first six, will be: ‘What is your endgame, Robert? I can’t believe I have not asked you this!’ I kinda wanna know Robert’s idea, for my own sanity and purposes. I’ll let you know what he tells me."

No worries. We’re not in a rush for The Walking Dead to die anytime soon. For more, be sure to check out the next issue of Entertainment Weekly!

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