Talking to Steven Yeun is always an enlightening experience.
The guy tends to be quite thoughtful and candid when discussingThe Walking Dead.
Yeun has plenty to say about all of that (as evidenced by the headline above).
Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
But he also enjoys veering the conversation into other directions, and they are always interesting.
Good stuff, folks.
(Click through both pages to read the entire interview.)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Lets start by talking about what we saw in the season 5 trailer.
How does Glenn feel about Abrahams mission to Washington D.C. to cure the zombie plague?
Is he on board with that plan?
STEVEN YEUN: We gotta see.
I think the first call to action is to see if they really truly make it out of Terminus.
I think he sees it as the ability to fix everything.
He sees it as the ability tohavea life.
I know early in season 4, the worry for Glenn for having a baby.
But if he can fix this world, then he can live that life.
And I think thats something that Glenn is also fighting too.
Give us the Glenn and Maggie status update.
How are they as a couple?
I think theyre solid.
I think theyre sound.
I think nothings really gonna get in between those two.
I think we established that very well in their journey last season.
What else do you want to say about Glenn this season?
I always mention to people that he is on his course to be a leader.
And I think it is no longer a course to be a leaderI think he is a leader.
I think he is now a sounding board for big, big questions.
Hes listened to, hes respected in the group.
He showed his gumption and he showed his resilience.
I mean, he almost gets killed every single season and somehow he makes it through.
And I think thats a testament to who he is and what hes become.
Youre bouncing things off of so many different personalities and so many people.
Its always good to have the gang together.
It feels most natural on our show when its the O.G.s, you know.
Not to say that the people that are new arent great theyre fantastic.
But it just feels right, and it feels like the backbone is solidified there when that happens.
And as it gets bigger it gets more and more exciting.
That can pose challenges, but it can also be fun.
[Laughs]Absolutely.
It still feels like our little show.
But for me, I want the fans to be surprised.
Or even really discuss it.
I just want people to watch and just be shocked as they do watch.
But moving around new territory is always a joy.
Our first season, the beauty of it was Georgia became a character.
It became part of the cast.
And thats always fun because it gives you something to work off of.
Showrunner Scott Gimple always says he looks at the show as being in eight-episode cycles.
One cycle might be a bit more action, and another one might be more introspective and thoughtful.
Hes been talking about how this next cycle is going to be pretty crazy right off the bat.
What can you say about that?
I think were still dedicated to our character study.
Were still dedicated to the stories that were telling with these people.
And I know you know that, and I know a lot of people do know that.
Or like, Why are you a badass now?
and its like, you know this show is interesting because theres a plethora of characters.
I remember going throughout these press things at ComicCon, and people saying like Why is Abraham crying?
And its like…what?
Were not just meat machines with muscles.
Thats a character, Thats a person that were trying to convey.
Some people say, Its too slow!
and other people say We need to slow down!
But our show really tries and strives to push each character.
I am not even close to the actor I was when I started this.
I was like, How do I hide behind this shrub so I dont screw this up?
And I think those are the things I do want to build as an actor.
If I learn something onI Origins, Ill bring it to this show.
If I learn something here, Ill bring it toI Originsor any other thing that I might do.
And I think to me that is a greater journey as opposed to kind of getting over something.
How long do you think the show can go on?
Obviously with the way comics are set up, it could go on seemingly forever.
I think we do need a finite endpoint.
I think all good television should have a finite endpoint.
Unless youre doing procedurals.
You gotta cap this at some point.
And I think we have the right minds in place that are completely aware of that.
And it might take ten seasons, it might take whatever.
But I think really what were focused on is trying to tell a great story.
And if that happens in six seasons or seven seasons, awesome.
If that happens in ten seasons, then whoevers behind the helm is a frickin genius.
And we have that person, so well see what happens.
Do you think that the show gets enough industry respect?
Do you guys feel like outsiders in any way?
I dont know, I think that is a genuine thing to look at.
I havent really thought about it too much.
Excuse my French, but I mean, like, seriously.
And I think for us, that is something that we take great pride in.
And I think thats validation enough to be quite honest.
What can you do with an award?
I mean, even if you win one, youll forget the next year when somebody else wins one.
I think clearly were really happy with whats going on.
Check out our Walking Dead: One-Minute Refresher below.
And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
