Best known for playing Rick Grimes in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln made his professional debut in 1994 as Terry in an episode of Drop the Dead Donkey, a British television sitcom that aired on Channel 4. The English actor gradually built his acting resume in the following years, showcasing his talent on screen and stage. His breakthrough came in the 2000s with his Simon Casey role in Teachers, Mark in Love Actually, and then Robert Bridge in Stephen Volk’s Afterlife. None of these measures up to his Rick Grimes role, which remains the major highlight of his career.
Beyond acting, Andrew Lincoln is also a director and producer. He directed at least two episodes of Teachers in 2003, which earned him the BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best New Director the following year. While The Walking Dead is his most-awarded work, he has received other coveted awards for his parts in Afterlife and Love Actually. The latter earned him nominations for the PFCS and Empire Awards in 2004 for Best Ensemble Acting and Best Newcomer, respectively. In 2007, he received the Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival—this was for his performance in Afterlife.
Andrew Lincoln Began Acting At Age 14 In High School
Andrew James Clutterbuck was born in London, England, on September 14, 1973. Born to a South African mother and English father, he was raised alongside a brother named Richard Clutterbuck. Andrew Lincoln is the only performer in his family: his brother is a teacher, his mother is a nurse, and his father a civil engineer. His family moved to Bath in Somerset when he was 10, and he spent most of his childhood there. He attended Beechen Cliff School, where he discovered acting at age 14.
Lincoln’s first acting role was in his school’s production of Oliver! His portrayal of Jack Dawkins (the Artful Dodger) fueled his passion for acting; with the encouragement of his teachers, he opted to study drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Although Andrew Lincoln’s family supported his career choice, they were displeased he had to change his surname. Recalling this, he told The Scotsman that his agent insisted on the name change. “He told me it sounded ridiculous like I was some Dickensian poorhouse worker,” he said. “My dad was really upset, and my grandad didn’t speak to me for a while,” added the actor.
Career Beginnings And Rise To Stardom
Andrew Lincoln’s first role as a professional actor was in the “Births and Deaths” episode of Drop the Dead Donkey in 1994. He pulled off his big screen debut the following year, playing Ted in Paul Hills’ Boston Kickout. After that, he was cast for his first significant role in BBC’s This Life; he portrayed Edgar “Egg” Cooke in at least 32 episodes between 1996 and 1997. This paved the way for him to star in more British television series, which popularized his name in the movie industry. Lincoln gained more exposure in the 2000s, portraying diverse characters in films and television productions like Love Actually, Hey Good Looking!, Teachers, Afterlife, and Moonshot. He also performed on stage in various London theatres.
The English actor stormed the global scene in 2010 after he was cast as the protagonist of The Walking Dead, a post-apocalyptic series that attracted millions of viewers worldwide. As the lead actor, he became the face of one of the most followed television shows in TV history. Andrew Lincoln received numerous nominations for his portrayal of Rick Grimes, winning a few. This includes the 2010 IGN Award for Best TV Hero, the 2014 People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Anti-Hero, and the 2015 and 2017 Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television.
Acting Style On The Walking Dead
His excellent portrayal of Rick Grimes can be attributed to his devotion to studying the comic book that inspired the series. After he was cast for the role, he sought out The Walking Dead comic books to familiarize himself with the premise and peculiar nuances of the series. Andrew Lincoln also studied AMC’s Breaking Bad and Fred Zinnemann’s 1952 Western Film High Noon in preparation for the role. He believed The Walking Dead leaned towards the Western genre and was especially inspired by Gary Cooper’s portrayal of Marshal Will Kane in High Noon.
Commenting on Andrew Lincoln’s performance on the show, his co-star Andrew J. West told Talk Dead to Me that Lincoln is a method actor. “He is so method…he’s so committed to what he’s doing, and he’s so intense,” stated West. Despite the criticisms the emotional acting technique receives from professionals, The Walking Dead actor doesn’t mind being called a method actor. He referred to that during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter following his departure from the show. Disclosing that Norman Reedus had to tickle his feet to make him giggle for his last scene, Lincoln said: “After nine years of really committed, method acting, it finished with Norman Reedus tickling my feet.”
Andrew Lincoln’s Future Projects And Personal Life
Andrew Lincoln left The Walking Dead in 2018 during Season 9 but returned for the last episode of the 11th and final season in 2022. He’s set to reprise Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, an upcoming spinoff to the franchise scheduled to premiere on AMC in 2024. Lincoln is executing the production of the upcoming miniseries starring Danai Gurira, Pollyanna McIntosh, and Lesley-Ann Brandt.
The English actor is happily married with two kids. His family was the reason he left The Walking Dead before its final season. He had spent so much time filming in the United States and wanted to create more time for his family in England. Andrew Lincoln married his wife, Gael Anderson, in June 2006. She is the daughter of Ian Anderson, a British musician and member of the rock band Jethro Tull. Andrew and Gael welcomed their first child, Matilda Clutterbuck, in 2007 and then Arthur Clutterbuck in 2010.
Follow Us
