It came as quite a surprise to me the other night when I was approached to interview Ross Marquand from AMC’s The Walking Dead, 2am with Coffee at the ready we rocked the interview.
I hope you guys like it and make sure to give Ross a follow on Twitter @RossMarquand.
Welcome to the UK Ross, It’s nice to see you taking the time off from fighting zombies to speak to me today.
What do you like the most about the UK in comparison to the good ol USA, and have you gone for the old fashioned tea and crumpets on your arrival
Well I think Eddie Izzard said it best…Europe is where the history comes from and I’m a massive history buff so I feel like a kid in a candy store in the UK. Castles and cobblestones everywhere, I love it. Tea and crumpets? Don’t mind if I do.
What brings you to the UK and where have you been so far on your travels?
Aside from promoting the last few episodes of The Walking Dead series six I’m also appearing at two conventions for Showmasters – last week I was in Bournemouth and this weekend I’ll be in Newcastle.
With all the various Comic Cons you attend have you ever met someone that went just that little bit over the top? I heard Norman Reedus was bitten by a fan once which is just insane..
I’ve luckily not been on the receiving end of anything like that, the fans are very welcoming all over the world and I’m always so grateful for the chance to meet them.
My take on the Walking Dead is that it’s a very dark story of love and family surrounded by flesh eating zombies, with you experiencing it yourself, what would be your interpretation of the show?
I think the show is actually an allegory about fighting ennui, spiritual boredom…the walkers represent that slow, relentless march towards lifeless apathy and the living represent a life full of passion. I think it’s a brilliant social commentary on modern society.
What do you like the most about Comic Cons? Is it meeting the fans or is it exploring your inner geek with all the activities to do at the events?
It’s a bit of both, actually – I will always be a geek myself and I love meeting some of my heroes at these conventions but truly, the fan interaction is such a rewarding experience that you just can’t get from communicating via social media.
With Deadpool being a strong presence at Comic Con this year after the success of the movie could you imagine yourself in a superhero role or is spandex just a HELL NO!?
Oh, most definitely! I rather like the feel of spandex and have always wanted to portray one of my favorite characters from childhood. I’d love to play Omega Red or Gambit…
So with Back to the Movies being a film site we’re going to shy away from anymore questions about that TV show you’re always talking about and ask you this.
What are your favorite films and what Actors / Actress’s did you take inspiration from to learn your craft?
2001: A Space Odyssey is my all time favorite but I loved so many films in the 90s…from Se7en to LA Confidential, I think Kevin Spacey was the most inspirational actor for me because he tried his luck as an impressionist for years before getting his big break.
If you were to be any memorable character in film history who would you be and why?
Jack Torrance from The Shining. I just love how that character falls apart so beautifully.
Without searching on the net I’m going to hazard a guess that someone was very happy with this years Superbowl winners, where were you when Peyton Manning lifted that trophy?
I was quite happy indeed! Luckily, my friend scored last minute tickets to the big game so I was about 100 yards away from Peyton when he lifted the trophy. Couldn’t be happier for him – he’s a total class act.
We’ve all seen the Vanity Fair video but aside from the countless impressions you perform is there one person you’ve never quite managed to get perfected or one person you’ve always wanted to mimic?
For years, I’ve tried to get Leonardo Dicaprio down but he has such a subtle voice. I suppose he’ll always be elusive to me…won’t stop me from trying, though.
I noticed that you are currently working with a good friend of mine Thomas Ian Nicholas on the animation picture Sheep and Wolves, how did you get on-board the movie and is it harder to portray a character vocally, that is going to be animated rather than having your own facial features displaying emotion on screen?
Ah, I love Thomas’ work – he’s brilliant! I was first introduced to the project by my good friend and vocal director, Todd Resnick, and yes…it is much more challenging to convey a character when you aren’t allowed to use your face and body.
When is Sheep and Wolves due for release and what other projects are you working on that you can discuss with us today?
I believe it will be arriving in cinemas later this spring! Very excited to see it. Aside from that, I’ll be appearing in two Hulu programs – Deadbeat and The Mindy Project.
So there we have it, Our interview with Ross Marquand, go and meet Ross at Showmasters in Newcastle Upon Tyne THIS WEEKEND.