The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

On or off screen, The Walking Dead stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus have each other's backs.

TWO things come to mind after meeting actors Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus – you either want to be part of their bromance or date them … at the same time. The latter, well, that's a story for another day.

At The Walking Dead promotional tour in Singapore last month, Lincoln and Reedus – who play Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon respectively in the hit TV series – were absolutely at ease and finished each other's sentences like best friends do.

"We mix perfumes together," Lincoln deadpanned when asked about their friendship off screen.

On screen however, they have fought zombies, scrambled for their lives, separated, re-grouped, separated again, kill bad guys and find ways to survive each day – sometimes without even saying a word to one another.

"He's my brother," said Lincoln of Reedus. "Most of your life, you avoid emoting. We put up faces all the time. I go to work and take the mask off and he's seen me make a fool of myself many times and still continues to be my friend. It's not always the case you meet someone you just dig, but we do."

What about the rest of the cast, which includes Steven Yuen, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride and Lauren Cohan, then?

"We hate those guys," Reedus joked.

If that is indeed true, then these gentlemen are really good at hiding their true emotions from the rest of the cast in the show about a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies.

Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead premiered in 2010 and is currently the highest rated television series on cable in the United States. It's Season Four premiere in October last year became the most-watched drama series in American basic cable history, with 16.1 million viewers tuning in to see the fate of Rick, Daryl and the rest of the gang.

Norman Reedus (left) and Andrew Lincoln were in Singapore recently to promote their hit TV series, The Walking Dead.

Lincoln (right) and Norman Reedus were in Singapore recently to promote The Walking Dead.

The show is back on air in Malaysia tomorrow after a two-month hiatus and fans are dying to know how everything works out after the epic mid-season finale last December, in which several vital characters were killed and the gang got separated.

"The back eight are some of the strongest episodes we have done. It's very character driven. We sort of get to know the characters and see why they fight what they fight for and what they don't," said Reedus on what is in store for fans.

The actors are well aware that during its four-year presence, the television series has taken on a larger-than-life persona and that fans hold them accountable for how the storyline pans out.

"I went to my local coffee shop the day after (a specific episode) aired and they wouldn't serve me coffee. That's how upset they were. They asked, 'You're going to stand by that decision?' and I said, 'It's not me … I just say the words!'," shared Lincoln of his experience facing hardcore fans.

"(Rick) makes instantaneous decisions and they're not right or wrong – they are just decisions. This is also what I like about the show; the guy is a hero and in the next episode he's a villain and vice versa."

To be fair, Lincoln admits that Rick is not exactly popular for making great decisions anyway.

"Pretty much every decision he makes is questionable. He's a man who has made terrible decisions but one of the great qualities about him is that when he does, he's certain. And I think people follow people like that because they're so certain."

So people like to follow people who make bad decisions? Right.

"It happens all the time. Think about it. We're all part of governments and they make decisions for us constantly. As soon as the nuclear arms race happens – this is getting into a much bigger idea – then all of us are on the line, aren't we? That wasn't a decision made by me, ever. But it happens to be a fact of life," Lincoln explained, to which Reedus gave another example of a bad decision: "Look at those rubber sandals, Crocs. Those were huge."

Speaking of decisions, has executive producer and creator of the comic series Robert Kirkman decided to introduce Daryl in the comics? Reedus' character is currently television-exclusive and fans have petitioned to have him included in the ongoing comic series as well.

"I have offered to wash Robert's car, offered to sleep with him … whatever it takes. I would love to be in it but that's Robert's decision. He told me to stop asking him about it, so I don't know," said Reedus.

Whether Daryl makes it to the comic series or not, one thing is for sure, he is staying in the television show, at least for now, as the producers realise the character's value on it. In fact, the remaining episodes of the series proves just that, without compromising Rick's position in The Walking Dead, of course.

"Daryl will kill something and feed it to you or kill somebody for you or kill you, but he doesn't want to give you a hug and talk about things. I think people need that sort of emotional connection and they will look to Rick for leadership," Reedus offered.

Fans are advised not to have too much hope as the showrunners are known to mercilessly kill off favourite characters with few or no regrets.

And Lincoln didn't exactly help ease fans' minds when asked about the show's upcoming fifth season.

"We might not be alive … think about that," he said cryptically.

> To know the fate of Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, catch the Season Four Part Two premiere on FOX Movies Premium (Astro Ch 413 / HD Ch 433) on Feb 10 at 12.30pm and the encore at 9.10pm.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 9 Februari 2014