The most recent “The Strolling Lifeless” spinoff, “The Ones Who Stay,” premieres on AMC Feb. 25, reuniting Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and Dana Gurira’s Michonne for the primary time since 2018 and Season 9 of the long-running zombie present. However the two aren’t the one acquainted “Strolling Lifeless” faces stepping again into the fray, with generally ally-sometimes-foe Jadis becoming a member of the motion.
For Scottish actress Pollyanna McIntosh, who joined as Jadis halfway by way of Season 7, “The Ones Who Stay” offers her a novel historic accolade, along with her turning into the primary actor to star in three totally different “The Strolling Lifeless” collection, having additionally appeared in 2020’s spinoff “World Past.”
Talking to Selection, McIntosh — who not too long ago moved from Los Angeles to Dublin, Eire — explains how her profession may have taken a really totally different path from apocalyptic zombies had been it not for a online game.
We perceive you’re the primary actor to have appeared on three separate “The Strolling Lifeless” reveals. Is that true?
Sure! Effectively, so I’ve been informed by those who know. But it surely’s a extremely pretty factor. I didn’t know the present earlier than I used to be invited to be on it. So I had six seasons to catch up earlier than I joined and I used to be like, “Oh my God, that is actually nice,” however I had quite a lot of nightmares. However these folks at the moment are my household.
Your character Jadis has completed some questionable issues all through her time on the present. Is she a very good individual?
She’s a rattling high-quality individual! I is likely to be barely subjective there. However , it’s the apocalypse on the finish of the day. It is a state of affairs wherein all bets are off and life could be very totally different. I had an extended dialogue with [showrunner] Scott Gimple about whether or not she was a nasty man or not and it was undoubtedly the case of completely not, she doesn’t see herself that approach in any respect.
Once you first joined the present did you’ve gotten any concept that you simply’d make it this far?
No. I got here on at first for I feel 5 visitor episodes. After which fairly rapidly I obtained season common’d. And that was astounding for me as a working actor. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than “The Strolling Lifeless” I [was] considering I wanted to do one thing else. I used to be in my 30s and generally didn’t know whether or not my lease was going to be paid. I needed to grow to be a trainer and thought I may make my bizarre films in the summertime. I went so far as to have an interview in a faculty in London. And naturally it was like lighting a cig at a bus cease, and I obtained this online game job. I used to be contemplating whether or not I ought to go from London to LA to do it, however I believed, if I’m going to be in LA for a 10-day job nevertheless it’s unfold out over three months, let’s actually give this a bash and discover a new agent and provides it a go.
What was the online game?
“Center-Earth Shadow of Struggle” — I performed Shelob, the large spider queen. So it was the world of Tolkien, which was particularly enjoyable as a result of my grandfather was superb mates with Tolkien.
What, actually?
Yeah, they had been very shut. They had been each dons at Oxford. And in reality, my grandfather was taking part in squash with him when he bust his Achilles heel. He thought my grandpa had whacked him throughout the again of the heel together with his racquet. So Tolkien leads to the hospital and has to have bedrest for ages. And my grandpa goes and visits him and Tolkien says, “Effectively, you’ve completed it now MacIntosh, I’m going to be compelled to jot down that ebook I’ve been laying aside.” And that was “The Lord of the Rings.”
Unbelievable. So did “Center-Earth” result in “The Strolling Lifeless”?
It was that I as a result of was in LA and giving it a correct go. The safety from that job gave me the respiration house for my psychological well being to calm down. And I had all this house in between the times of capturing mo-cap and recording the voice and I obtained myself a brand new agent, and I began going out for issues by way of her and fairly rapidly I booked “Revenge Journey” and “The Strolling Lifeless” instantly after we completed capturing that.
Now you’re again dwelling in Eire, you latterly starred in “Apocalypse Clown” and “Double Blind.” So is it good to combine issues up with large studio tasks and smaller native indie movies?
Completely. It’s a giant cause why I’m moved, becayse the craft is so sturdy and the writing is so sturdy it’s been beautiful to do “Apocalypse Clown” and “Double Blind.” I shot them back-to-back. And such totally different movies. A sci-fi thriller horror and an exquisite absurdist comedy. So I feel I can swap it up a little bit bit extra on that facet of the world and hopefully I can proceed to work on American stuff too.
And with extra large U.S. reveals and movie being shot in Eire, you might not have to maneuver…
Yeah! Massive shout out to the “Wednesday” folks! You bought something for me?
