SPOILER ALERT: Read on only if you have already watched Sundays Guardians episode ofThe Walking Dead.
Read on as we break down Betas big debut with Hurst.
(Also ensure to check out ourepisode Q&A with showrunner Angela Kang.)
Gene Page/AMC
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you end up landing this part onThe Walking Dead?
What was that whole process like?RYAN HURST:It was one of those weird things.
It was probably about eight months before I was offered the role.
Gene Page/AMC
And they were like, Thats not how it works.
Usually, you have to audition for a role.
And they were like, Okay, I guess.
What a great thing.
The deal hasnt gone through yet.
So he was like, Oh, nothing.
Talk to you later.
So I was the last to know.
It was like Norman, and Jeffrey, and [Greg Nicotero] everybody knew before me!
And then two weeks went by, and then they offered me the role.
And so its just been a blessing.
Im just so amazed to be a part of it.
What was your input in terms of that?Yeah, Im a little bit of a self-diagnosed polymath.
I do a little bit of everything.
When I was on that show,The Outsiders, I designed all of the tattoos.
I just kind of stick my thumb in everybodys pie, but Elaines the costume designer.
I wanted to just steal a bit from all the best people on the show.
There are little tiny Easter eggs if you look really closely at Betas costume.
Im not gonna really reveal much more than that.
How does it feel?I wish I could say that I hate it, but I love it!
Nicotero is a master teacher when it comes to zombie stuff, and its so comfortable.
Even though youre in Atlanta in 110-degree weather, I love wearing that mask.
I really, really do.
I heard all the stories about how wonderful Andy Lincoln is, right?
And I was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Everybody sort of says that.
Of course, hes the lead guy on your show.
He says, Lets all go out to dinner.
We go out to dinner, and Im sitting here talking, chatting this guy up.
Hes welcoming me to the show.
Remember, hes not on the show anymore.
And then he sits down and teaches me how to play backgammon.
By the end of this night, Im going, I think Im in love with Andy Lincoln!
Literally, it is a really beautiful family atmosphere.
Its so unbelievably welcoming.
I was really floored by how everyone bent over backward to welcome me to the show.
I know he and Norman have some pretty high stakes games they get into.They sure do.
So who is Beta?
The guys sort of impenetrable because hes just not playing by the same set of rules as anybody else.
Only in these coming seasons do we really start to explore, Really who the hell is this guy?
Hes gonna be a bit of a mystery for quite some time.
Because we see him as an advisor and as a lieutenant almost.
But yeah, hes definitely her right hand.
We kinda come from that same school of, Its all or nothing, in terms of approaching something.
Is that whats happening here at all?
What do you think he makes of Lydia?
We dont have names, right?
Why are we calling this chick Lydia?
We have our own set of rules here, and why are we going against them?
