TWDFC:    How long have you been acting for? 

STEVE:     It's my second time around, my "midlife crisis career."  I started in a third grade production of The Nutcracker and continued through high school and into college, before I realized I sucked at it.  What I really needed was to grow into it and become comfortable in my own body, a longer process for some than others.  After a couple of decades off a friend invited me to go along on an extra gig.  He didn't like it and didn't go back for the second night, but I got hooked and have been doing it ever since.  I worked sporadically in San Francisco and Miami for a few years, then moved back to Atlanta.  People are friendlier here and on my first extra job (Boycott) people started encouraging me to go up for speaking parts.  Some of them cast me in their own independent projects.  By then I knew I felt comfortable in front of a camera, and one thing led to another.

TWDFC:    What made you get into acting?

STEVE:    I saw my first movie when I was five and it couldn't have been long after that that I decided to be a movie star, with as much understanding as most five-year-olds have of what that entails.  In school I liked to make the other kids laugh.  I couldn't fight so it was partly a defense mechanism, but I enjoyed entertaining people.  I'm not sure if I connected it to my movie star ambition at the time, but it was probably a combination of the two that led me to act.

TWDFC:    What type of acting roles are your favorite? 

 STEVE:   Paying roles.  (Pause for laughter to die down)  Seriously, there are a lot of independent filmmakers who are undercapitalized, to put it mildly.  I did a lot of freebies to build my resume and still do some occasionally to help friends or youngsters getting started.  Some offer "deferred payment," which means you get nothing later instead of now.  But I don't think that's what you meant.  I've been pleasantly surprised at the variety of parts I've been offered, from priests and presidents to homeless men, cops to serial killers.  I've done quite a bit of horror, partly because that's what young filmmakers are interested in and partly because I have a face for it; but I still like to make people laugh and I'd like to do more comedy.  Sometimes, if the director approves, I'll make a character funnier than he was in the script.

TWDFC:   What is your most prized film endeavor?

 STEVE:   That's easy, because I've only received top billing in one feature.  Several shorts, but only one feature.  That's a Canadian horror flick called Scarce, in which I played Ivan, a sweet old man who lived in a rural cabin where he tortured and ate people.  Making it was a great experience, despite spending a month in Canada during a record cold winter.  I loved the part, I loved the people I worked with, and if it never happens again, I achieved my boyhood ambition of being a movie star!

TWDFC:    What was it like the first time you saw yourself on film and realized, that's me! How did that feel? 

 STEVE:    Often when you work as an extra you don't get to see yourself in the finished product.  When you do, it's not always a pleasant experience.  I've got a bald spot in the back that I don't see when I look in the mirror, but when I'm photographed from behind it's up there for the world to see.  In the movie Striptease I had a little featured bit where I shook Burt Reynolds' hand and did a comic reaction because his hand was covered with Vaseline.  One day I got out of another movie a few minutes before that scene was coming on in the same multiplex, so I slipped in.  There were only three other people in the theater but one of them laughed out loud at my bit.  It felt as good as an Academy Award!  (OK, I'm speculating.  I don't have an Oscar yet to compare it to.)

TWDFC:    Who would you say has been the most influential on your career? 

 STEVE:    I don't have an answer to that one.  Everyone I work with influences me to some degree, for better or worse - usually better.  I didn't use to be a "people person."  I worked in radio for almost 20 years because I liked sitting alone in a little studio where the audience couldn't see me.  It was coming out of that shell that made me ready to be an actor.  If you're talking about actors who have inspired me, I'd have to say Vincent Price for horror because he was the Man during my formative years.  The ones I aspire to be like now would be Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood.  (I don't have much hope of being the next Zac Efron.)  I get compared to Eastwood and Charlton Heston a lot, but I much prefer Eastwood.

TWDFC:    What is your favorite movie and your favorite horror movie?

 STEVE:    Besides Scarce?  I hate questions like that because the answer's always changing.  I usually fall back on Citizen Kane.  For horror I'd have to go back to my early favorites: House of Wax, The Fly, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Psycho.  Eli Roth is probably my favorite of the current crop of horror directors I haven't worked with.  Hostel was great!

 TWDFC:    Do you have any hobbies? like collecting comics or stamps? anything like that? and if so whats your most prized possession? 

 STEVE:   I'm more of a pack rat than a hobbyist.  I've got a big collection of all kinds of music on vinyl (mostly from my radio days) and CD, and several hundred movie t-shirts.

TWDFC:   How many times have you played a zombie or flesh eating humanoid of some sort and what were the movies? 

 STEVE:   Three and a half.  Before The Walking Dead there was a short called Necromancer that unfortunately never got finished, and Zombieland.  I was originally set to play the zombie who attacks Mike White in the rest room stall, but the shoot date got changed and I couldn't make it.  They gave me another scene that got cut out, but I'm in the DVD extras because I worked on a zombie training film in pre-production.  The "half" is a movie called Lynch Mob, in which I was some kind of cannibal zombie.  It's a horror comedy that turned out really well but got a botched theatrical release so no one saw it.  I hope it comes out on DVD.  Ivan in Scarce is a flesh-eater but he's strictly human.

TWDFC: How many times have you played a zombie or flesh eating humanoid of some sort and what were the movies?  

SW: Three and a half.  Before The Walking Dead there was a short called Necromancer that unfortunately never got finished, and Zombieland.  I was originally set to play the zombie who attacks Mike White in the rest room stall, but the shoot date got changed and I couldn't make it.  They gave me another scene that got cut out, but I'm in the DVD extras because I worked on a zombie training film in pre-production.  The "half" is a movie called Lynch Mob, in which I was some kind of cannibal zombie.  It's a horror comedy that turned out really well but got a botched theatrical release so no one saw it.  I hope it comes out on DVD.  Ivan in Scarce is a flesh-eater but he's strictly human.

Oh, and I also took a bite out of someone as the Blue Ghoul, one of several characters I played in a TV series, Witch Hunters Extraordinaire, which also featured VH-1's Rock of Love winner Ambre Lake.  You don't hear much about ghouls.  Maybe they need a better press agent.  Maybe they could be the next craze, if people get tired of zombies, vampires and werewolves.

TWDFC: How long does the makeup process for twd series usually take and how is it working with Greg Nicotero and do you ever wear it other places like Wal-mart?  (because we would). 

SW: There are different degrees of makeup, depending on how close you're going to be to the camera.  I haven't timed it but one day when I was going to be less prominent it probably took less than half an hour.  The other days I'd guess I spent about an hour in the chair, but I was done by Toby Sells and Bill Johnson, both of whom have made me up before and know my face.  They did an awesome job!

Greg supervises everything zombie and seems to be everywhere at once.  I met him when he taught our Zombie School before shooting started, and could tell right away he was a cool guy.  Lately I can't go to the movies without seeing his name in the credits: Predators, The Sorcerer's Apprentice...

I wanted to wear my makeup home, with maybe a stop or two on the way, but they wouldn't let us leave with it on.

TWDFC: Did you approach AMC or did AMC approach you for your role in TWD? 

SW: I applied through an agency, Extras Casting Atlanta, that supplies background for most of the big movies and TV shows that film here.

TWDFC: Now that you're in the show, are you going to read the comics? or watch the tv show? 

SW: Of course I'll watch the TV show!  I've been hoping to read at least some of the comics too, when I get a chance.  I hear such great things about them and I got to meet Robert Kirkman my first day on the set.  I hope he posts the picture he took with me.

TWDFC: Without telling us anything about the show, what was your favorite time while on set? 

SW: "It's all good" is such a cliche, but I've really enjoyed it all so far, even running around like a crazy person - or crazy zombie - with the temperature in the 90s.  There's been less time to get bored than on most films I've worked on.  My favorite scene so far was when I chased a couple of the main characters up a fire escape ladder, maybe 30 feet.  We shot it several times for different camera angles and such, and I had to climb clumsily like a zombie would.  I'm not sure I could have done it as myself.  I was never a great climber and while I'm not afraid of heights, I'm not fond of them either.  But when a director says, "You.  Zombie.  Climb," you do it.  That's what I love about acting!

TWDFC: Do you think fans of the comic are going to like the zombies in the show? 

SW: I can only go by hearsay on that.  A lot of extras are longtime fans and every one I've talked to has been impressed with how faithful they're being to Kirkman's original vision.  He seemed happy too, when he visited the set.

TWDFC:What is it like working with Frank Darabont? 

 SW: Of course he just directed the first episode, but the days I worked with him I was impressed with how hands-on he was.  A lot of directors will sit back in the "video village" and send their assistants out to deal with things, unless they have to discuss sensitive issues with the stars; but Frank was out there in the trenches with us, in the hot sun, and you could tell he was enjoying himself.  Well, what overgrown kid wouldn't love to have several downtown blocks of a major city to play with?

With that this interview comes to a conclusion, I want to thank Steve Warren for being such a great guy and taking the time away from his busy schedule to do this exclusive Q&A  with us.    THANKS STEVE!!

About you

1. Where are you from?

I was born in Lexington, KY. Lived in Cynthiana, KY from 4th grade through high school and currently live in Richmond, KY.

2. What got you started in the comic industry?

I started my own publishing company with a couple friends from high school, one of which was Tony Moore. I wrote Battle Pope and he drew it. That's how we both got started. That led to Image, Super Patriot, Tech Jacket, Invincible and eventually The Walking Dead.

3. Who was your biggest influence?

In comics, Erik Larsen, by far. I think Savage Dragon is a shining example of comics done right. Obviously, The Walking Dead wouldn't exist without the Romero movies... so that would also count as an influence.

4. When did you originally come up with the idea of a zombie survival comic?

About a month or so before I pitched it to Image. October 2002 or so? There was another book Tony Moore and I tried to do called Dead Planet that was a science fiction, zombies in the future thing. When that got turned down, I tried to come up with something more grounded and relatable... that became The Walking Dead.

5. Who is your favorite TWD character and who do you think you would most resemble in that universe?

Sigh... Eugene? I could totally see myself lying to stay alive. I don't know. I certainly don't see myself as some strong action hero. My favorites rotate. Rick obviously, Abraham and Andrea are favorites... but don't start thinking they're safe. Tyreese was a favorite of mine right up until he died. And I really, REALLY enjoyed Carol. She was fun to write.

6. What comic is your favorite comic book read if any besides your books?

Right now I'm most excited when an issue of Kick-Ass ships. That book is awesome. I read more TPBs than anything these days, honestly. Chew always entertains.

The Walking dead TV series.

1. Black and white or color? and which would you prefer?

Honestly, color. I want it to look like a slick, modern TV show. I don't want to give anyone an excuse not to watch it. The massive TV audience, wouldn't be receptive to black and white, I don't think. That said, I think there might be some interesting things done with the DVD s. We'll see.

2. Any actors in mind yet? (rumor has it ed neil AL BUNDY from married with children fame might be playing dale?)

I'd kill to have Ed O'Neil play Dale... but he's on Modern Family and couldn't commit to a second show, I'm sure. Casting announcements will probably start soon... so keep an ear to the ground. I wish I could give something away here but I just can't.

3. Do you know when this will hit the airwaves and the time slot they are shooting for?

AMC will make that announcement when they're ready. I don't think they'd be too happy with me spilling the beans. Also, it's still only a pilot right now, but everything looks really good for this project so far... so we'll see.

4. Will Charlie or Tony have any input on the set as far as design goes?

Aside from what's laid out in the comic, probably not. The both have full time jobs in comics and On top of that, the added exposure will make it that much more likely for the comic to be a continued success for many years to come, so that excites me almost more than anything else. TV work is often much more than a full-time job.

5. How excited are you really about having your creations come to life?

Extremely excited. AMC is the perfect home for this and if it makes it to series I see great things on the horizon for all involved. They get what makes the comic special and are adamant that the show follows the same tone, and Darabont is Frank Darabont for Christ's sake, so we know it's in the best possible hands. I have no doubt in my mind that this show will be GREAT.

These are questions that are being asked from members of the fan club and i put there user name by there question.

Juggalo ninja asks: Was there anything you wanted to write but decided not to because it was to over the top?

Not yet. I've decided not to show certain things... but I've never cut anything entirely.

I had read that you had a different direction planned for Abreham at first. Was he going to be one of the hunters and what was he going to be like?

His original arc may some day crop up, so I can't really reveal anything other than to say that he wasn't going to be around for a while--and then Charlie made him look so cool... I kind of fell in love with the character.

Dave asks: Have you ever considered a rick/Andrea hook up?

They have both suffered considerable loss recently. I don't think either of them are looking to hook up any time soon. As to whether or not I've considered it myself... no comment.

Zig asks: How are the other countries of the world managing in the zombie apocalypse? IE: china or Canada

That is ultimately unimportant to the cast of the book so it's unimportant to me. Maybe Australia is thriving and whatever caused this never got to them... maybe Canada is fine because it's so cold up there in the winter... who knows. We'll never find out unless the characters go there--or someone comes to the characters from there.

Carl grimes asks: Before taking on charlie was there anybody else you considered and if you had to take on another artist who would you have fill charlies big boots?

There were a few names considered along with Charlie but I don't think it would be fair that I name them, most of them were never contacted and may have wanted the gig. At this point I can't imagine anyone but Charlie drawing this book. When I write Walking Dead his art is what I see. Sean Phillips did a pretty great Walking Dead illustration once... but it's hard for me to imagine anyone but Charlie on this book.

The woodbury army asks: Will you ever focus on Rosita? She's been in the book for a while and we haven't learned much about her.

Everyone will get their time. Promise.

Mr zed head 2.0 asks: would you get a zombie tattoo

No tattoos for me, thanks. I don't like them.

Dane 13 asks: 1. Why haven't the survivors run into any properly insane people. There's been the governor, Thomas, and the Hunters, but we have yet to see how the group interacts with a person running around, killing zombies and singing some Boston as they describe the spaceships on the horizon.

All in due time... or maybe those types are easily picked off by zombies? We'll see.

redhollywood asks: if you rub your beard on my beard will it make my beard grow at a exponentially faster rate

Beard on beard contact is akin to crossing the streams of a proton pack, at least when my beard is involved it is. Trust me, you don't want to see what happens!

SIEKONE asks Rumor has it that You and Charlie may be working on a sci-fi book? and if so what can we expect to see there?

Currently, that is just a rumor. But I imagine there may be a public announcement on something like this before the summer.