ANDREW LINCOLN “Rick”
Andrew Lincoln recently earned a nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series at the 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Awards for his role on “The Walking Dead,” in addition to 2011 and 2013 Saturn Awards nominations for his work on the series.
Lincoln made his television debut in the 1994 series “Drop the Dead Donkey.” His first major role was in BBC’s drama “This Life.” Since then, his television credits have included “This Woman in White,” “Bomber,” “A Likeness in Stone,” “Trevor’s World of Sport,” “Canterbury Tales,” “Whose Baby?,” “Lie with Me” and “Teachers,” on which Lincoln also made his directorial debut and was nominated for BAFTA TV Award for Best New Director (Fiction). More recently, Lincoln has played major roles in Stephen Volk’s “Afterlife,” for which he won a Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, and “Strike Back.”
Lincoln made his big-screen debut as “Ted” in Paul Hills’ 1995 drama Boston Kickout. However, he is perhaps best known to film audiences for his role in Richard Curtis’ Love Actually. Other film credits include Enduring Love, Human Traffic, These Foolish Things, Hey Good Looking!, Scenes of a Sexual Nature, Heartbreaker and Made in Dagenham. In addition, he appeared in “Moonshot,” a movie for American television, and “Wuthering Heights” for ITV.
A veteran of the theater, Lincoln has also starred in many theatrical productions, including Jez Butterworth’s Parlour Song at London’s Almeida Theatre; Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange at the National Theatre; Jonathan Harvey’s AIDS drama, Hushabye Mountain; and Sam Shepard’s The Late Henry Moss.
NORMAN REEDUS “Daryl”
Reedus recently completed production on director Wayne Kramer’s Pawn Shop Chronicles, with Matt Dillon and Elijah Wood, and Hello Herman from director Michelle Danner.
He also appeared in the indie drama Sunlight Jr., with Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In film, Reedus is best known for his role in the cult movie The Boondock Saints with Sean Patrick Flanery and Willem Dafoe. Reedus starred opposite Flanery again in the sequel, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. Additional past film credits include the sci-fi feature thriller Pandorum with Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster; the Sony feature Cadillac Records, opposite Adrien Brody; Six Ways to Sunday, 8mm, Beat, Deuces Wild, Blade II, Gossip, The Notorious Bettie Page and American Gangster.
He was recently seen in Robert Redford’s The Conspirator.
Reedus is also an accomplished photographer as well as a burgeoning director, having directed three short films.
STEVEN YEUN “Glenn”
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in the city of Troy, MI, Steven Yeun began his foray into acting while studying psychology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. After seeing a performance of the school’s improv group, he decided to switch his focus to acting and, following graduation, moved to Chicago to study improvisational theatre. There he performed with the famed Second City theatre in various shows with their Touring Company as well as their NCL Boat Company, and the Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of Kafka on the Shore, understudying the roles of Kafka and Crow.
He has also been part of several other improvisational/sketch comedy groups, including Stir- Friday Night, Hands and Detective Detective.
Yeun’s television credits include roles on “NTSF:SD:SUV::,” “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Warehouse 13,” “The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
Yeun recently completed production on the film I Origins, with Michael Pitt and Brit Marling, and has also appeared in the independent film My Name is Jerry.
CHANDLER RIGGS “Carl”
An Atlanta native, Chandler Riggs began acting at age 4. Riggs’ early work included local stage productions of The Wizard of Oz and Oklahoma at Atlanta’s Fox Theater. When he was 9 years old, he landed his first two film roles simultaneously: “The Wronged Man” with Julia Ormond and Get Low with Robert Duvall.
Most recently Riggs filmed Blumhouse Productions’ supernatural thriller Mercy with Shirley Knight, Frances O’Connor, Joel Courtney, Mark Duplass and Dylan McDermott. In 2012 and 2013 Chandler Riggs was nominated for Hollywood’s Young Artist Award for his role on The Walking Dead. In his spare time he enjoys playing video games, hanging out at the lake, and participating in church youth group activities.
DANAI GURIRA “Michonne”
Danai Gurira was born in the U.S. and raised in Zimbabwe. She earned an MFA in theater from NYU after moving back to the U.S. Her initial success was as the co-lead of In the Continuum, a play she co-created and co-wrote while in the acting program at NYU. Gurira performed the play Off-Broadway, in numerous theaters around the U.S. and in Africa. She received numerous accolades, including an Obie, the Outer Circle Critics John Gassner Award, the Global Tolerance Award (Friends of the United Nations) and the Theater Hall of Fame honors. Gurira also received the Helen Hayes Award
(Woolly Mammoth).
Gurira won Best Playwright at the NAACP Theater Awards and Best New Play at the Helen Hayes Awards for her second play, Eclipsed. On Broadway, Gurira starred in Bartlett Sher’s award-winning revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. She also earned the Actor’s Equity Callaway Award for her performance as Isabella in the 2011 Shakespeare in the Park production of Measure for Measure.
In film, Gurira recently appeared in the independent drama Mother of George, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She also starred in the multiple-award winning film The Visitor opposite Richard Jenkins, as well as 3 Backyards and Restless City. Her television credits include roles on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Lie to Me,” as well as a recurring role on the HBO David Simon series “Treme.”
An award-winning playwright, her most recent play The Convert (Stavis Award) ran at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C., in early 2013.
Gurira is also a Hodder Fellow at Princeton, a commissioned playwright with Yale Rep, and a co-founder of Almasi (Al-ma-see), a Zimbabwean American Dramatic Arts Collaborative Organization.
MELISSA MCBRIDE “Carol”
A veteran commercial, voice and television actress, Melissa McBride began acting after college. She made her prime-time network television debut guest-starring on “Matlock” opposite the late Andy Griffith in a two-part special.
Additional credits include the festival award-winning films Lost Crossing directed by Eric Blue, and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys directed by Peter Care and produced by Jodie Foster. For television, McBride’s appearances include the television series “Dawson’s Creek;” “Walker, Texas Ranger;” “Profiler;” and “American Gothic;” the television movies “Living Proof” with Harry Connick Jr.; “Pirates of Silicon Valley” with Noah Wyle; and “A Season in Purgatory,” based on the book written by Dominick Dunne, with Patrick Dempsey; along with numerous television commercials.
In the music scene, McBride played “Lucy, the messed-up dressed-up waitress” opposite Martin Sheen in Diamond Rio’s music video “It’s All in Your Head.” She was the voice double for Anne Bancroft in the 2008 animated feature Delgo.
In addition to her on-camera and voice acting, McBride has worked behind the camera as a commercial casting director.
LAUREN COHAN “Maggie”
Born in the U.S. and raised in the U.K., Lauren Cohan studied Drama and English Literature at university. While there, she co-founded and toured with a theater company called No Man’s Land.
Cohan recently appeared in a one-episode guest-spot for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Her additional television credits include a series-regular role on “Supernatural,” pivotal guest arcs on “Chuck” and “The Vampire Diaries,” and guest appearances on “Modern Family,” “CSI: New York” and “Cold Case.”
Earlier this year, Cohan finished filming the John Herzfeld-directed independent film, Reach Me alongside Sylvester Stallone, Kyra Sedgwick and Kelsey Grammer. Her additional film credits include Casanova with Heath Ledger; Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj; and Death Race 2.
SCOTT WILSON “Hershel”
In a diverse motion picture career that has spanned more than four decades, Scott Wilson has worked with some of the film industry’s most admired directors, such as Norman Jewison, Richard Brooks, John Frankenheimer, Robert Aldrich, Jack Clayton, Sydney Pollack, William Peter Blatty, Krzysztof Zanussi, Phil Kaufman, Ridley Scott and Michael Bay. Jewison gave Wilson an early break, casting him as a murder-suspect-proved-innocent in the classic In the Heat of the Night and opening the door for Richard Brooks to cast him in the Truman Capote classic In Cold Blood.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Wilson found his professional destiny when he was taken to Elliot Fayod’s acting class by a friend and given a scene from the Eugene O’Neill play The Long Voyage Home.
Wilson has also appeared in Phil Kaufman’s The Right Stuff, HBO’s “The Tracker,” Walter Hill‘s Johnny Handsome, John Frankenheimer’s The Gypsy Moths, Sydney Pollack’s Castle Keep, Robert Aldrich’s The Grissom Gang, Jack Clayton’s The Great Gatsby, Tim Robbins‘ Dead Man Walking, Dale Rosenbloom’s Shiloh, Steve Kloves’ Flesh and Bone, Christopher Macquarrie’s The Way of the Gun, Ridley Scott’s G.I. Jane, Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor, Krzysztof Zanussi’s A Year of the Quiet Sun and Our God’s Brother. He also appeared as casino owner Sam Braun on the TV series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
He received a Golden Globe® nomination as Best Supporting Actor for The Ninth Configuration and an Exemplary Achievement award from the Floating Film Festival, amongst other film festival awards.
DAVID MORRISSEY “The Governor”
David Morrissey is a versatile actor, having performed in an eclectic range of productions for film, television and stage.
Born in Liverpool, Morrissey left to study in London at RADA. Most recently, Morissey finished filming the new BBC program “The 7.39.” Prior, Morrissey starred opposite Mark Strong and Andrea Riseborough in Eran Creev’s Welcome to the Punch, and in Rupert Goold’s “Richard II” and in Dominic Savage’s improvised drama “True Love” for the BBC.
Morrissey has appeared in some of the most critically acclaimed television dramas, such as “Our Mutual Friend”; “Clocking Off”; “Holding On,” which earned him a prestigious RTS nomination; the six-part BBC political drama “State of Play,” a role for which he received a BAFTA nomination; and one of Channel 4’s most controversial dramas, “The Deal,” directed by Stephen Frears, for which Morrissey won an RTS Award. In 2006, audiences saw Morrissey in “Viva Blackpool” on BBC One. Morrissey received the Best Television Actor Award at the Arena Awards, and the series received a Golden Globe® Award nomination. Recent television credits include “Red Riding,” “The Field of Blood” and “South Riding,” as well as Thorne: Sleepyhead and Thorne: Scaredycat – two films based on the hugely popular Mark Billingham’s crime novels for Sky1 – in which he played the lead role and also served as an executive producer.
His stage work has included a number of productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National, and he has worked with highly regarded stage directors, including Adrian Noble, Deborah Warner and Declan Donnellan. Most recently, he performed in Neil LaBute’s In a Dark Dark House at the Almeida Theatre.
In film Morrissey has acted in Hilary and Jackie; Some Voices; Born Romantic; Captain Correlli’s Mandolin; Miramax’s Derailed; Stephen Woolley’s Stoned; The Reaping, opposite Hilary Swank; The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep; The Other Boleyn Girl; Neil Marshall’s Centurion; Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Nowhere Boy and Earthbound.
In addition to his acting career, Morrissey founded his own production company, Tubedale Films, which co-produced Patrice Leconte’s film L’Homme du train, starring Johnny Hallyday and Jean Rochefort. David Morrissey also directed the short TV project “Sweet Revenge,” the two-part BBC drama “Passer By” and the feature film Don’t Worry About Me.
EMILY KENNY “Beth”
Emily Kinney, originally from Nebraska, has been seen in films, on television and on stage. Her television credits include “The Big C,” “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order: Specials Victims Unit,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “The Unusuals,” and “The Gamekillers.”
In film, Kinney has appeared in the Universal Pictures feature film It’s Complicated, directed by Nancy Meyers, and will next be seen in the independent film Concussion, directed by Stacie Passon.
Her theater credits include the Off-Broadway production of Iphigenia 2.0 at the Signature Theatre and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s annual production of Peter Pan. On Broadway, Kinney held the role of Anna in the Tony Award®-winning Production of Spring Awakening, and starred opposite Estelle Parsons in the first national tour of August: Osage County.
Emily Kinney is also a singer/songwriter, recently releasing a five song EP entitled Blue Toothbrush. An aspiring writer, Kinney often shares her acting and NYC adventures in Backstage Magazine.
CHAD L. COLEMAN “Tyreese”
An accomplished television, film and stage actor, Chad L. Coleman received critical acclaim for his work on HBO’s Peabody Award-winning drama series “The Wire.” He previously starred on the series “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” produced by Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer, and held a recurring role on “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Additional credits include “Lie To Me,” “The Good Wife,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the TV movie “Boldly Going Nowhere” and the 2007 pilot, “Wifey” directed by Reginald Hudlin and produced by Queen Latifah.
On the big screen, Coleman was seen in New Line Cinema’s Horrible Bosses – directed by Seth Gordon and starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Colin Farrell and Kevin Spacey and The Green Hornet directed by Michel Gondry. Other film credits include Brother to Brother, with Anthony Mackie; Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power with Jay Hernandez; and the independent feature Confessions of a Call Girl with Lynn Whitfield and Bokeem Woodbine.
Coleman made his Broadway debut in Lincoln Center Theater’s 2009 revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, which was nominated for six Tony Awards®. Additional Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include the 1999 Wooster Group production of North Atlantic with Willem Dafoe and Steve Buscemi; Elle with Alan Cumming in 2002; and the world premieres of Force Continuum, Atlantic Theater Company; and Living in the Wind, American Place Theatre. He also appeared in Watch of the Nightingales, Naked Angels; Man in the Polyester Suit directed by Pam Berlin at Playwrights Horizons; and Miss Evers’ Boys directed by Kent Gash.
Coleman is involved with various causes, including Tim & Daphne Reid’s Virginia Scholarship & Youth Development Foundation and the Special Olympics of Northern California.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN “Sasha”
Sonequa Martin-Green is known for her roles in “Once Upon a Time,” “The Good Wife,” “NYC 22” and “Army Wives.” Her television credits also include “Gossip Girl” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
In film, Martin-Green starred in Emily Abt’s Sundance hit Toe to Toe and Victoria Mahoney’s film Yelling to the Sky with Gabourey Sidibe and Zoë Kravitz.
On stage, Martin-Green is best known for her critically acclaimed performances in Des McAnuff’s Fetch Clay, Make Man and Outside People.
MELISSA PONZIO “Karen”
Melissa Ponzio is perhaps best known for her role as the hardworking and devoted mother on the MTV hit series “Teen Wolf,” as well as recurring roles on “Banshee” and “Army Wives,” and for guest appearances on “The Following,” “Touch,” “NCIS,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Franklin & Bash,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
Ponzio recently starred opposite Hilary Swank in the HBO original film “Mary and Martha” directed by Phillip Noyce. Other film credits include HBO’s historical drama “Warm Springs” opposite Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon, and Life as We Know It with Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl.
Growing up around the U.S., Ponzio moved to Atlanta for college. She graduated with honors from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in theater.
LAWRENCE GILLIARD JR. “Bob”
Lawrence Gilliard Jr. has appeared in many films since shooting onto the scene with his performance in the independent film Straight Out of Brooklyn. Since then, Gilliard has appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York; The Machinist with Christian Bale; and The Waterboy opposite Adam Sandler.
A trained actor for the stage and screen, Gilliard has an extensive history of New York theater credits. His past stage work includes Zooman and the Sign at Second Stage Theater, Police Boys at Playwrights Horizons, Life During Wartime at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, with regional appearances in Topdog/Underdog at the Seattle Rep and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Gilliard was a series regular an HBO’s critically acclaimed series “The Wire” and appeared on the A&E network show “The Beast” opposite Patrick Swayze. Some of his guest-starring performances include “CSI: New York,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Numb3rs,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Southland,” “Army Wives” and “Longmire.”
Gilliard is a graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, has studied at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, The Actors Studio and the Baltimore School for the Arts.
