As lean, haunted lawman Rick Grimes, the character at the center of the apocalyptic horrors that unspool on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” Andrew Lincoln has been tasked with embodying the tormented hero, the wounded husband, the emotionally unavailable father aspiring to do better by his young son, sometimes in the course of a single episode.

In the show’s third season, grief brought Rick to his knees. The character who had made grave sacrifices to protect and lead a small band of survivors ultimately failed to save his wife, Lori, and when he learns of her death, he collapses in agony.

“When she went, I said, ‘He has to fall,’” Lincoln explained. “You’ve got to see the man that’s been so strong for three years fall, gone. It was just too much for him to bear.”

“One of the great attractions of the project is the fact that these people start in one place and the world changes them significantly, episode by episode, until they end up in a completely new place,” Lincoln said. “The great struggle with Rick is whether he can maintain the vestiges of the old world and his moral code from there and allow it to play out in this new world and whether or not that is realistic. Many times it’s not.”

This season, he sought to retain a hold on his sanity after losing Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) while she was giving birth to a daughter, a child who might actually have been fathered by Rick’s best friend and former partner Shane. Tormented by visions of his dead wife, he pulled away from everyone, including his son Carl (Chandler Riggs), even as the survivors became the target of a cruel foe known as the Governor (David Morrissey).

The challenge moving forward is finding hope amid the carnage. “It’s brutal, the world we inhabit, but the thing that always kept me into doing it was the fact that it’s the pockets of humanity that resonate, that sort of chime,” Lincoln said.

Read more of the article at LA Timates

Congratulations to Andrew, this is old news but I hadn’t realized it wasn’t posted! The awards will take place on June 10th, just four days away.

AMC’s nominations include:
· Best Drama Series: Breaking Bad
· Best Actor in a Drama Series: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)
· Best Actress in a Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
· Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad)
· Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
· Best Reality Series: Small Town Security

This marks the second nomination for Breaking Bad in the Best Drama Series category. In the Best Actor – Drama category, this marks the second nomination for Bryan Cranston for his portrayal of Walter White, with Cranston garnering one win in 2012; and the first nomination for The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln for his portrayal of Rick Grimes.

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A bit of a spoiler here for the upcoming Season 3 finale of “The Walking Dead”: Andrew Lincoln revealed the body count for Sunday’s episode, and it sounds as if said tombs will be overflowing. Read on if you dare.

Lincoln tells Rolling Stone, “Twenty-seven people die. It’s safe to say it is all hands to pumps. It’s a crazy season finale.” Now yes, the majority of the fallen will undoubtedly be a good portion of Woodbury, but everyone is on the menu at all times. “The reality is nobody is safe,” says David Morrissey, who plays the evil Governor. “But that’s the ticket we bought.”

According to creator Robert Kirkman viewers should expect changes in Season 4. “We’re not going to slow things down, but if I had a criticism of Season 3, it would be that we didn’t focus on character development,” he says. “We’re going to try to step it up a notch in that department.“

Source: Dead Central.

There are only two episodes left in this season of The Walking Dead! Only two more episodes for us to learn what will befall the beleaguered denizens of the prison! Only two more episodes for the Governor to execute his nefarious plans…and maybe Andrea, too!

So what can we expect? We tracked down Rick Grimes himself, Andrew Lincoln, to give us a tease.

What can you tell us about Sunday’s episode?

It’s an incredibly emotional episode. And heroic. There are two performances in it that, when I was watching actors do it, I just loved it. It was perfect. Like a lot of the writing this season, it goes in a way I never anticipated, and it’s very surprising. It’s a great episode. It felt like clockwork. Every scene earned its place and moved the story along like clockwork.

Does that leave any room for drama in the finale?

That episode doesn’t pull any punches. It’s pretty much what everyone has grown accustomed to in our season finale. It’s carnage, and there is death. Something happens that I find incredibly shocking that relates directly to my character and the prison family. It really came out of left field for me and I never expected it. When I read the script, I was really shocked.

Someone’s gonna die? Is it a series regular? Day player? Who dies? Who dies, Andy????

It’s safe to say there are deaths. I’m not gonna be the person who is quoted saying more than that! Leslie, if you were showrunner, and you wanted to finish strongly and shock people, what would you do?

Dig into the source material and come up with an ending that diverges from the comics.

We need you in the writers’ room, Leslie!

Don’t say that. I’ll be on the first plane to Georgia. Do not say that to me, man. So what else should fans know about the finale then? Is this a wrapping-things-up kind of finale or a cliffhanger finale?

I will say that there are satisfying things—storylines resolved—but also, it’s heartbreaking.

Source: E Online.

According to ComicBook.com on March 17, in AMC’s “The Walking Dead’s” third season have been riddled with rumors of two characters dying off on the season finale. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth as Andrew Lincoln, the actor who plays Rick Grimes, revealed that’s not necessarily the case.

In an interview with Lincoln, he had stated that 27 characters will be killed off. To clarify, these are not walkers either, but actual living characters on the show. So, just like a major lay off in a company buy out, so begins “The Walking Dead” version of its own restructuring.

According to Digital Spy, there are theories that Andrea could be one of them. Holden had recently admitted that she could very well answer to her indecisiveness for choosing sides. Being torn will have its downfall in her case.

“She’s walking on a tightrope, and it’s very dangerous,” Holden explained. “I don’t think anybody is safe on this show, to be honest”. The only person who’s really safe is Carl [Chandler Riggs]. I know that people don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. There’s going to be more major deaths before the end of the season and no one is safe”.

Considering the fact that Rick’s behavior patterns as of late and his recent decision to take action against The Governor was possibly due to his previous law enforcement profession. He simply and easily doesn’t trust whatever was being said to him and intends to strike first.

The Governor, thinking his deception was effective against Rick, is also making his move thinking Rick is sitting tight for the next two days.

That being said, it is going to be a major blood bath sense both of them are taking a seriously aggressive stance.

Source: Examiner.

Andrew Lincoln has hinted that an epic war will end The Walking Dead‘s third season.

The Walking Dead‘s third season has seen Lincoln’s character Rick experience haunting hallucinations of his dead wife Lori (Sarah Callies).

Discussing the AMC show with MTV News, Lincoln suggested that Rick may be permanently traumatised by the loss of his wife.”I don’t know if he’ll ever be the man he was, and that’s one of the great joys of playing this part,” the actor said. “He does keep changing and building up in other areas of his psyche, but he’s deteriorating in others. I do think he’s one of these animals who is galvanised by action.”Lincoln continued: “I think if Rick had been alone, he might not have been this tenacious survivor. But he has this family now, this incredibly tight family. In spite of losing his wife, he has this incredibly loyal unit he calls his family.

That’s his driving force. And certainly his son is pulling him very much back into reality. “In the last episodes before we finish this season, you see a man coming out of the darkness and hopefully returning. I don’t think he can return the complete man that he was, but he realises the enormous responsibility on his shoulders. He has to step up.”

The actor went on to describe The Walking Dead‘s final season three episodes as “epic”.”I won’t be amiss in saying that not everybody gets out alive,” he hinted. “Of course – we are The Walking Dead, after all! And it’s season three.”The Walking Dead continues in the US on Sundays on AMC. The series airs in the UK on Fridays on FOX.

Source: Digital Spy.

WARNING: Spoilers for the latest “Walking Dead” lie ahead.

Like winter in Westeros, war is coming for the cast of “The Walking Dead.” On one end of the battlefield is Rick Grimes, the former lawman rapidly losing his sanity as he tries to keep his fellow survivors alive within the walls of a semi-secure prison. On the other end is the ruthless Governor and his walled-in community of Woodbury. Blood has been spilled on both sides of the conflict, leading the two leaders to their first-ever face-to-face sit-down in the latest episode of “Walking Dead,” titled “Arrow in the Doorpost.”

During their encounter, the Governor offers Rick a solution to their mutual problem: in exchange for a ceasefire, Rick must offer up Michonne, the sword-slinging survivor who destroyed the Governor’s eye and killed his zombified daughter, Penny. But even as Rick seriously considers the offer, the Governor is already preparing plans to betray and slaughter the leader of the prison and his people.

With much on his mind — including visions of his dead wife Lori — Rick’s stress levels are at an all-time high, and his sanity is quite possibly at an all-time low. To hash things out further, MTV News reached out to “Walking Dead” leading man Andrew Lincoln for more on Rick’s current situation and the inevitable showdown in the final few episodes of season three.

MTV: After building up to this moment all season long, it was very exciting to finally see Rick and The Governor in the same room, face to face. What was your reaction to their initial meeting?

Andrew Lincoln: I’ve been champing at the bit since [Governor actor David Morrissey] arrived on set. The first time we even saw each other on a filming day was the episode where he shot Axel. The only bit of filming I witnessed was him spraying his gun and bullets in the air as he rode away. I just looked at the rest of the cast and crew and went, “What an a–hole. I hate that guy.” [Laughs] It was great to finally get a chance to work with David. I’ve been a huge admirer of his and, like [Morgan Jones actor] Lennie James, I never had the chance to work with him in my own country, so we did it here in America. It was thrilling. The script was not what I anticipated; I thought it would be much more combative, almost closer to the Shane-Rick confrontation, much more of a clash. But it turned into something really interesting.

There were more mind games, two men sizing each other up, and trying to come to some semblance of an agreement. It was fun. We didn’t really talk so much when we were working together because of the nature of the atmosphere in the room, but it was great to get these two men in the same room, to see how they respond to each other. There was almost a bond of common understanding; these are two leaders who have had leadership thrust upon them, for whatever reason. In spite of all of the conflict and confrontations, they can speak to each other like they can speak to no one else in their world. It was quite an enjoyable experience to play around with that. I think it was vital that Rick almost, almost, has sympathy for the guy.

READ MORE @ MTV.

If the previews are anything to go by, this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” will finally feature the long-awaited face-off between Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and David Morrissey’s The Governor.

“There is a face-off coming,” Andrew told Access Hollywood last Friday at the PaleyFest 2013’s event honoring the show. “The writers have done a terrific job in just making a few twists and turns that you wouldn’t anticipate.”

David also hinted the face-off likely won’t go down the way viewers might predict.

“I think the main thing to say about that is what the show has done in the last half of the season is been full of surprises and twists and turns and I think people have been pleasantly surprised about how the show develops, and it’ll carry on in that way,” David told Access, when asked about the face-off back in January. “So the meeting that I think you’re expecting – it might have a little bit of an edge to it or something different anyway. It won’t be exactly the meeting you were hoping for.”

For Andrea, who is currently back in Woodbury, and sleeping with the enemy, she may return to her pre-zombie apocalypse roots to try and help both groups, following her failed assassination attempt of The Governor.

“Let me just be clear, she was sleeping with the enemy in [Episode 311] because she’s working on the inside. She did not sleep with him because it was like, ‘Oh, you’re so handsome, and I’m having a weak moment,’” Laurie Holden explained to Access on the PaleyFest red carpet. “She really thought that she could pull off what Carol asked of her — and that was her intention — but Andrea’s never killed a human being before and it’s very different to think that you can kill someone in cold blood and then actually stand over someone when they’re sleeping and slit their throat. So I think that you’re going to see in future episodes that she’s going to try for peace in the ways that she knows how. She was a lawyer prior to the apocalypse.”

Michonne certainly seemed to finally get a foothold in the group after going on the supply mission with Rick and Carl in last week’s episode, “Clear,” and to keep her spot going forward and inch her way toward becoming a fully-fledged member of Rick’s camp, Danai Gurira said her character will need to work on herself.

“I think working her way into the group is a lot about working on herself,” Danai told Access. “[For a long time], she was on her own, she developed her own survival skills, which she’s very dependent on. She learned how to live without human attachment, except when she took Andrea in, so the idea of having to open up to a group — and she knows that this where she should be — but it’s that journey into really embracing somewhat of her old self really, who she was before the apocalypse, because she became quite a different chick. But now it’s about being that formidable woman, but also going back to the woman she was before and trusting that it’s safe for her or worth the risk for her to let that part of her out.”

And could Merle have found a friend in Hershel? Asked if they’ll become pals – of sorts – after sharing a moment over scripture in Episode 311, Scott Wilson, who plays Hershel, hinted Merle might not be unwelcome in his prison bed any longer.

“It was an interesting scene. I think it shows how multi-dimensional Merle is. A lot of people have been surprised by his finishing off a verse in The Bible and knowing chapter and verse,” Scott said. “He’s a very interesting, entertaining character. I think it’s just interesting how all of the characters are evolving and sometimes they bump into each other. But then, they’re still in this same mix and they’re still pulling for each other”

Source: Access Hollywood.

AMC announced today that the cast and crew of “The Walking Dead“ return to Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, May 6th to begin production on season four.

AMC also confirms Scott M. Gimple as showrunner and executive producer for the series’ fourth season to premiere in October with 16 episodes. Gimple has been on the show’s writing staff since season two. Co-Executive Producer, Emmy Award-winning Special Effects Makeup Supervisor and Director Greg Nicotero and Producer Tom Luse have also been elevated to executive producers. “The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series created and written by Robert Kirkman and published by Skybound, Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert continue to serve as executive producers for season four.

Get the full release inside. What do you guys want to see in the show’s fourth season?

“Scott has been an essential part of this show since he came aboard at the very beginning of season two. He’s contributed to guiding this show in a substantial way that has resulted in a lot of the key scenes and storylines fans have dubbed signature moments of ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Kirkman. “I am thrilled to begin work on a brand new season of ‘The Walking Dead’ with Scott at the helm, and I truly believe we could be embarking on what will be the best season of this show yet.”

“Scott’s voice has been an integral one since he joined the show. Greg Nicotero is a true artist whose work is simply brilliant. And, Tom Luse has really created the machine that allows this very large show to get made week to week. We congratulate all three in their new roles on the series and look forward to ramping up production on season four,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s EVP of original programming, production and digital content.

“I’m thrilled to continue the tradition of the spectacular, cinematic, horrifying, exciting and emotional storytelling of ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Gimple. “I’m a huge fan of the comics, and started with the show on the other side of the set, as an avid viewer. Over the past two years, it’s been an incredible privilege making such great television with the best cast and crew I’ve ever worked with – I can’t wait to make some more.”

Source: Bloody Disgusting.

Fans of the show will know that no one is safe when it comes to who lives and who dies, The Walked Dead is brutal and even a hottie like Andrew isn’t safe.

In an exclusive interview with MSN Entertainment, the actor shares his fears for his character – and says audiences should be worried too.

The British star (also known to UK audiences as Egg from cult 90s TV series This Life) plays the lead role of Rick Grimes in the hit US zombie drama.

He reveals he’s been shocked to see the demise of certain key characters and says viewers should assume no one is safe: “I worry Rick may get killed off.”

And, scarier still, Andrew says we should be worried about the future of his character, who has been looking a little worse for wear in recent episodes.

Source: Flecking Records.

What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
It would have to be my alarm clock. That’s purely because my son has a tendency to sit on my chest—he’s not yet 3—and look me square in the eye and say, “Milk.” He’s a bit like the child from The Shining. And that’s around 5:30 in the morning.

What do you read or watch or listen to at the breakfast table?
I’ve got two kids. It’s a war of attrition between Dora and Diego, and I suppose the radio. I like a little soul and funk to get my joints moving. And my wife is very much into banging trance music. So, you can imagine it’s pretty loud and chaotic. There’s no time for reading. There’s Lego. We’re fighting a losing a battle with the children.

Before bed, do you bite into a novel, graze on Twitter or fast until morning?
I am definitely a bookworm. I am one of these people that reads three books on the go. My current book, which I’m loving, is HHhH by Laurent Binet. It’s a story about Reinhard Heydrich who was [a Nazi SS general]. It’s a brilliant book. I’m a novel boy, really. And then, I’ve also got apple books…I’m fanatical about apple trees.

Apple trees?
I’m planting an orchard at the moment and have become obsessed with learning everything about apple trees.

So, which is more nutritious, print or Web?
At least you know what you’re eating with print. The difficulty with me and the Web is I get lost. I will suddenly start thinking and reading about tractors in Bavaria.

Have you read The Walking Dead comic book series?
I have up until the point where I have my hand chopped off, and then I threw it down in disgust and said what a terrible idea. Funny enough, I’m revisiting it now and am going to finish the two companions. I didn’t want to get ahead of the game when I was doing the TV show. But we’ve moved substantially away from the comic book and found our own identity. [So] it’s a good idea to revisit and mine Rick’s character from the comic book and see what I can steal for Season 4.

Does the show look as gory on set as it does on TV?
Yes, it’s more so because we have the smells attached as well. It’s actually really tough to be a zombie.

Give us the skinny on your favorite app.
You are talking to the only person left on the planet over the age of 16 who doesn’t have a smartphone. It gets me in so much trouble with all my agents. I was given an i…i…i…what’s it called? An iPad! But my children just stole it. I’ve gotten good at Fruit Ninja. I play, of course, Plants vs. Zombies.

Who wins?
It depends. If I channel Rick Grimes, they never stand a chance. If I’m me, I get eaten within minutes.

Source: Ad Week.

Andrew Lincoln is ensconced at home outside London, England, surrounded by wintry white. And yes, even though he’s nailed the accent and swagger of a deadly earnest Georgia sheriff hacking his way through the zombie apocalypse that is The Walking Dead, he is so, very, very English.

He jokes that when he comes home and sees his wife Gael, “I hop on one leg and pretend to play the flute” like his famous father-in-law, Brit prog rock legend Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.

He further quips that he only got the lead role as Sheriff Rick Grimes in the surprisingly addictive Walking Dead (which premieres the second half of Season 3, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. on AMC) because of his newborn son.

“Luckily, my son had just been born and I hadn’t slept for four nights, so on my audition tape I looked, well, apocalyptic, and I somehow bagged the gig! It’s just an extraordinary journey. I love telling this story.”

Expect the blood to continue flowing in this back half of Season 3.

READ MORE @ The Star.