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Norman Reedus Teases “Darker” Times Ahead

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:44:10 +0000

The Walking Dead isn’t exactly a show known for its upbeat, sunny disposition.

But, following events from Sunday’s midseason finale, Norman Reedus says life in this zombie-filled universe is about to get very dark. Isn’t it already pretty dark, I asked over the phone.

“It’s about to get even darker,” the actor said. “For everybody.”

“Sophia represented this other way of life to Daryl,” Reedus explained, referring to the 12-year old who was revealed to be a walker in the final few moments of the 2011 finale. “She was his hope for a new new beginning. If he could find this little girl, he could put a lot behind him… with that gone, let’s just say Daryl is gonna be really pissed.”

Does her death signal the end of farm life for this cast of survivors?

“I think it’s kaput, yes,” Reedus said.

While The Walking Dead has enjoyed massive ratings, some have criticized the drama for moving too slowly throughout its opening set of season two episodes. Reedus isn’t among them, but he does admit that he prefers action to conversation.

“I’m always moving on set,” Reedus says. “I don’t like to play this character with my two feet in the same spot for very long. I don’t think Daryl is someone who wants to just sit and talk very much. He wants to get out there and do something.”

Fortunately for Reedus and for millions of viewers, there will be plenty of opportunities for just that when season two resumes in February.

“The second half is just crazy,” says the actor. “People are done talking. When we come back, trust me, there’s nothing but fireworks.”

Reedus goes deep as Dixon in ‘The Walking Dead’

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:03:50 +0000

Norman Reedus never wanted Daryl Dixon, the redneck he plays in AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” to be a younger version of Daryl’s racist brother, Merle.

He’s definitely showing more sides of Daryl in Season 2 of the hit series, making the fan favorite both tender and tough. He’s still a loner, but he’s slowly opening up to individuals in the group.

He’s also become a real hero in the face of the zombie apocalypse. While other members of his group are ready to hang up the search for young Sophia, Daryl remains committed to finding Carol’s daughter—most likely because he feels a kinship as the survivor of abuse himself.

“You feel for Daryl,” Reedus told me at the beginning of the season. “He’s just as ferocious as ever, but you understand why he’s not just a nut, he’s not just Merle again.

“He’s a guy that’s just incredibly emotionally and spiritually damaged.”

It’s a standout portrayal by Reedus, one that Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes, called “phenomenal.”

“What he’s done with this role is beautiful and bewitching, and really intelligent as well,” Lincoln said in a separate interview. “Norman’s a great, great actor.”

In the two most recent episodes (spoilers if you haven’t seen them), Reedus showed the depth he’s found in Daryl, who last week told Carol a lovely story about the Cherokee Rose and, in Sunday’s “Chupacabra,” went all badass again, pulling an arrow out of his own side to use it to kill a zombie, eating squirrel sushi and making a necklace out of zombie ears.

Read the rest of the article along with the interview here.

Norman Reedus Interviewed By Time Out Dubai

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:41:29 +0000

Norman Reedus recently did an interview with Time Out Dubai talking about his character Daryl Dixon on the hit series The Walking Dead, check it out:

For those of you yet to discover the post-apocolyptic drama The Walking Dead, it’s a seat-squirming US horror series based on the comic books, first published in 2003, that revolve around the lives of a small group of survivors as they struggle to live in a zombie-dominated world. Luckily for UAE fans of the show, the second season airs every Wednesday on FX at 9.30pm – the same time as in the rest of the world. Here, Norman Reedus tells us about the show and his character, Atlanta survivor Daryl Dixon.

Do you have to get fit to run away from zombies at the beginning of each summer?
I did a film in between, but you lose weight and get fit just being in Atlanta because it’s 100 billion degrees here. Atlanta is definitely a character in the show. I think it helps constantly sweating, because you’re constantly uncomfortable.

Was Daryl always designed to be a regular on the show?
That’s the bad thing about being on a zombie show. You never know when you’re going to get bit, but I knew if I did a good job I’d be here for a while. It’s my favourite job I’ve ever been on. So I hope it lasts a long time.

What makes it your favourite?
I like the crew and the cast. I had fears going into television that it might become boring to me and I always like to be challenged and push myself. With this, I try to make the best of every single day and I try to find the nuances that make Daryl a unique guy and not just a hero or antihero.

Daryl has a particular way of offing zombies, is that something that carries on and does he branch out and try new ways?
I have a couple of cool kills. The double axe is one. He’s sort of like MacGyver when it comes to murder. He’ll kill you with whatever is around.

Are you going to keep killing zombies with the arrow?
Oh yeah. I’m not going to let that go. I’m going to try and hold on to that as much as possible. The thing with the crossbow is that it’s quiet so you don’t attract other zombies. The only bad part is that I’ve got to get my arrow back after they’ve been killed.

To read the entire interview visit Time In.

Gaga Was ‘Spontaneous’ On ‘Judas’ Set, Norman Reedus Says

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 23:49:56 +0000

When Norman Reedus, who played the title character in Lady Gaga’s “Judas” video, stopped by the MTV News offices Friday (May 6), he told us Gaga had everyone on their toes on set — in the best way possible.

“I like the lipstick part, because that was sort of last minute,” the “Walking Dead” star said. “She just jumped up [and was like], ‘I have this great idea. I’m gonna put lipstick in front of you, and right before you kiss Jesus, I’m going to pull out this gun, and I’m gonna pull the trigger, and then a lipstick’s [gonna come out], and then I’m going to put it on you like I’m enabling the kiss!’

“She looked at me like, ‘Is that cool?’ ” he continued. “And I’m like, ‘Rad.’ And we did it. I liked how she was so spontaneous.”

Reedus’ other favorite scene is the opening shot, where Judas, Mary Magdalene (Gaga) and Jesus (Rick Gonzalez) are all on the road with their biker-gang disciples. “We got there the first day, and we all took motorcycle lessons [in a parking lot and] one of the disciples trashed his motorcycle up against the curb, which was hysterical,” he recalled. “So we did that, and then they cut off part of the freeway and actually cops would fly by us and section off the road. So we rode in a pack.”

While Gaga didn’t actually have to drive one of the bikes, he said her stunts were quite awe-inspiring. “She wasn’t driving the bike, but she was riding on the back. … We were flying down the freeway, and she got up on the back … and was way off the back of the seat and hanging backwards and stuff,” he said. “Which was a daredevil move; it was pretty intense. She had all these jewels all over her, and every once and a while, you could see behind her bike just a trail of jewels dropping on the freeway. It was kind of magic.”

Since Reedus has had about 24 hours to think about the video, he said it gets his seal of approval. “My reaction when I saw it? I was excited to see my motorcycle in it first off, ’cause that’s my bike that I ride, and I thought it was really good,” he said. “I thought that [co-director] Laurieann [Gibson] did a really good job and Gaga did a good job, and I know there’s a lot of work put into it, and I could see all the work on the screen, so I liked it.”

‘Judas’ Star Norman Reedus: ‘Lady Gaga Is a Machine’

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:07:04 +0000

Lady Gaga’s controversial “Judas” music video has finally arrived, complete with biker gangs, lingerie, and a crown of thorns.

From killer dance sequences to outrageous costumes, Gaga didn’t disappoint fans with her far-from-traditional portrayal of Mary Magdalene. Parade.com talked to the video’s second biggest star, The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, who plays Judas. The 42-year-old actor dished on what Lady Gaga was like behind-the-scenes and what he thinks about the controversy surrounding the video.

He watched the premiere along with everyone else.
“I hadn’t seen anything! I was totally nervous and excited all at the same time. But I kind of knew what to expect.”

How he came to the role of Judas.
“I was in Los Angeles doing a movie called Hello Herman and I had a weekend off and it just sort of fit together. I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be fun. I don’t know who first had me in mind, but I didn’t audition. I just kind of showed up.”

He’s a Gaga fan himself.
Her videos are cool. I’m a fan of what she does. I like people who push the envelope. We have a lot of mutual friends in New York and everyone says good things about her. I was just excited to work with her. I’ve seen her performances and she’s super talented and she always goes for it. Her work ethic was completely infectious. I felt so lazy around her. That girl is a machine.”

What working with Gaga was really like.
“It was late at night and I could barely keep my eyes open and the directors were like, ‘OK, Gaga, dance with all the guys!’ And she’s out there doing her thing, nonstop sweating. And then they’re like, ‘Dance with all the girls!’ and then ‘Dance solo!’ And she’s doing it and I was like, ‘If this little girl can get up and do all that, than I can walk around and look mean.”

His take on Judas.
“The video is about being drawn toward the darker side and your feelings go one way and you get pushed another way. It’s sort of like the inner struggle of dealing with good and bad. The thing with Judas was his decisions were sort of made for him, his fate was his fate, so you can’t really blame him because you wouldn’t have all the good stuff Jesus did if you didn’t have Judas do what he did. You can’t have the good without the bad.”

Lady Gaga behind-the-scenes.
“She’s the coolest girl ever. She’s super chill, she’s very into what she’s doing, and she’s very personable with everyone around her. Her work ethic is nonstop. It’s kind of amazing to watch. She’s actually just super cool and she’s just a chick from New York.”

On being seen by millions of Gaga fans on the Internet.
“Wow, I haven’t really thought about it like that, but right on! I’m really proud of the video and I’m proud to have worked with Gaga. Bring it!

On the controversy that surrounded the video before it was released.
“I think it’s so bull—-. All of these people have all these opinions about a video they’ve never seen or even fully understand. All artists since the beginning of time have used religious imagery and controversial imagery. That’s sort of the point of art, to make something that people talk about and think about. I think for people just to point fingers and say whatever they’re going to say before they even know what they’re talking about just makes them look like fools.”

He’s always been drawn to darker roles.
“I recently did The Conspirator, which Robert Redford directed. I played Lewis Payne, who was convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Lincoln and they hang me at the end and I’m total evil. Then I went straight into The Walking Dead, where I’m like this hardcore redneck with a crossbow. And then I went straight into Hello Herman, where I was pretty much covered in swastikas and SS tattoos. I showed up to the set of the Gaga video like that — covered in all these hate tattoos.

“I’ve just done nonstop dark things. I’m drawn to beauty and the darkness. I like it when you see devils being nice and angels getting pissed off. I like that contrast. I don’t know if it’s really about darker roles or just trying to find something human in the dark roles that I like.”

On his first major film, the cult classic Boondock Saints.
“That film was something of a slow grind because it wasn’t one of those films that comes out and is a big success. It was sort of passed from DVD player to DVD player over the course of a couple years and became this huge cult hit. It didn’t really change my career over night, but I think it gave me a little clout with the indie circuit and the fan base is humungous.”

Norman Reedus: Lady GaGa is a machine!

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:03:37 +0000

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Lady GaGa’s music videos don’t typically feature leading men — but just like Alexander Skarsgard (who starred in “Paparazzi”), LaGa’s latest lad was plucked from the genre pool as “Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus plays the titular “Judas.”

As it turns out, Norman was atop her Must List since auditioning wasn’t required — no shock to fans who have been obsessed with the intriguing actor since his “Saint”ly 1999 action flick became one of the biggest cult classics ever.

I rang up Norman this morning to talk about collaborating with Lady GaGa, why the religious controversy doesn’t bother him one bit and what you can expect from “Walking Dead” season two!

PopWrap: I know music video sets can be intense — but I’d imagine a Lady GaGa set is that to the nth degree.
Norman Reedus: Yea, I don’t know how she does it. That Lady is a machine. Lady GaGa is a machine [laughs]. Honestly, they sort of beat the sh** out of you on music videos. At 6am they were saying “GaGa, dance with the guys” and she’d kill it for 20 minutes, then she’d move on to the girls and then do it solo. I was amazed and thought, if this girl can do that, I can certainly step it up.

PW: What did they tell you about the concept?
Norman: They didn’t tell me much beyond, you’re Judas, the song is called “Judas,” she’s playing Mary Magdalene and another guy is playing Jesus. They asked if I could ride a motorcycle and I got to ride my own motorcycle, which was cool – that’s actually my bike. I was actually coming straight from a film where my character infiltrates a white supremacy group, so I showed up on set with these Swastikas all over my arms, so I’m sure they thought, “what the f*** is going on with this guy?!?” [laughs]

For the entire interview with NY Post click here.

Star of Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’ Reveals Secrets of the Set

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 03:15:05 +0000

Norman Reedus – best known for his roles in AMC’s The Walking Dead and the Boondock Saints movies – tells Rolling Stone what it was like playing Judas in Lady Gaga’s new video (watch below), how religious Gaga is and what it was like to have her wash his feet.

Did you have to audition to get the part?
No, no audition process, I was in L.A. doing a movie and had the weekend off and my manager had been talking to Gaga and she asked if I wanted to do the video so I said, ‘Fuck yeah, that should be fun!’

Read the full article here!

Watching the Walking Dead Finale with Its Manliest Survivor

admin — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:52:47 +0000

America’s favorite zombie soap opera ended its first season with a literal bang last night as the survivors entered the CDC in search of answers, a hot meal, and some much needed hygiene. Given this explosive goodbye, we couldn’t think of anyone better with whom to share the touchingly bleak finale than The Walking Dead’s own beloved Rage-aholic Redneck, Daryl Dixon. So, we called up the very gifted actor who plays Daryl, Norman Reedus, and asked him to walk us through the finale — and share memories of what it’s been like to go into work every day and kill zombies and feast on squirrel. Read below as we bid our favorite new show a fond farewell until next October. In the meantime, we’ll be awaiting the DVD box set and embracing our new life philosophy of WWDD: What Would Daryl Do?

ESQUIRE: Your character first appears in this series brandishing a crossbow and wearing a squirrel belt. That’s some courageous fashion statement.

NORMAN REEDUS: There’s all this stuff on the Internet, pictures of me with squirrels, saying, “Squirrel, the other white meat. Squirrel, it’s not just for dinner anymore.” You’re going to be seeing squirrels on the runway all next season.

Read the entire interview here.

Norman Reedus to join The Walking Dead Cast

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:03:55 +0000

According to various postings on Norman Reedus’ twitter, Norman Reedus will be playing an undisclosed role on The Walking Dead television show by AMC.

Norman Reedus is arguably the biggest name to be attached to the television show. He is most well known for his work on The Boondock Saints and American Gangster. It will be interesting to see what character he will be playing in the series. All the known major characters have already been cast. More then likely, he could be playing a new character created specifically for the show.