When Terry Crews read the script for his episode of “Tales of the Walking Dead,” the third “TWD” spin-off, he was elated to learn his character survived the episode’s end.
“Believe me when I read it and I was like, ‘I don’t die.’ I said, ‘Oh my God.'” Crews told Insider over a Zoom call Thursday. “I’m so in love with this character. I love who he is and I would just love to see him somehow mixed up in the actual flagship world of ‘The Walking Dead.”
Crews’ involvement in “Tales” was initially explained to him as a one-off, but he’s not ready to leave the dead. He’s itching to dive back into the universe.
“I want that very, very bad,” Crews said, adding, “I’m keeping everything open for that door. That door is wide open and if they let me back in, I’d be welcoming.”
Joining “The Walking Dead” universe means a lot to the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor who has been a die-hard fan of the AMC series since its first episode in 2010. It’s a bit unreal for Crews to be starring in the newest spin-off, an anthology series of six individual apocalyptic stories, which debuted Sunday on AMC.
The series kicks off with Crews’ episode which follows his character Joe (whose last name is conveniently never given), a doomsday prepper who holed up with his beloved Doberman when the walker apocalypse occurred.
After the death of his dog — a very good boy named Gilligan — Joe gets the courage to venture out into the world to find a fellow doomsday pal he met online. On his journey, he winds up taking a bit of a detour when he runs into Olivia Munn’s Evie before having a near-death encounter with his online friend.
Insider spoke with Crews about when exactly his episode of “Tales” takes place in relation to “TWD,” whether or not his character is related to anyone, wanting to work with Melissa McBride (who he loves) now that she doesn’t have that Daryl spin-off, his reaction to the Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) spin-off, and more.
Crews was just as shocked about the Rick and Michonne spin-off as the rest of us
I was at the San Diego Comic-Con panel and you were making me a little emotional with how you were talking about your love for “TWD.” Were you surprised by the Rick and Michonne spin-off news?
They said nothing. They said nothing to no one. We had actually moved on to do more press and I got a buzz on my phone and I saw them walk in. I saw Andrew and Danai walk in and I was like, “Oh my God, I was just there!”
You were just like the rest of us.
I freaked out! Here’s the thing. The fact that Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira’s Michonne are coming back into this world re-energizes the whole franchise, from the spin-offs to “Tales,” to “Fear,” to everything. It’s just amazing. It was the best thing. I didn’t know it was happening. I didn’t know what was coming and it was the best thing in the world. Now, I’m even happier that I’m in this world.
Crews believes his episode of ‘Tales’ takes place during the days of the Governor
David Morrissey played The Governor on “TWD.” Gene Page/AMC
I know you’re a fan so I’m going to put your knowledge to the test a little. At the start of your episode, there’s a sign that says it’s been 402 days since “the whole world blew the game.”
Did showrunner Channing Powell or “TWD” chief Scott M. Gimple tell you when exactly in “The Walking Dead” universe your episode takes place? Were you curious to know when your episode took place alongside “TWD” or “Fear the Walking Dead”? I have a very detailed spreadsheet on “TWD” apocalypse timeline. According to my calculations, I feel like your episode takes place maybe during season three or a little later.
We’re a little past a year. I do see season three happening there. This is what’s so cool because there’s been a lot of different theories about where I end up, who was I with, and the whole thing. You’re also talking about an anthology where we’re also in different states.
I’m in Ohio. That’s where we are here. I love the fact that it’s way before communities are built. It’s way before there were any Whisperers or the Saviors or the Wolves or anything like that. I see it somewhere around when the Governor starts coming around.
When I saw you were in Ohio I was wondering: Are they going to drive by the Commonwealth? And then you guys didn’t.
You see what I mean? Yes. [Laughs.]
Crews doesn’t know if his character Joe is related to anyone, but would love to wind up being the brother of Tyreese (Chad Coleman)
Terry Crews came up with a backstory for his character Joe. Gene Page/AMC, Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC
Do you know if your “Walking Dead” character is related to any other character? We never learned Joe’s last name. One of the biggest surprises to me is that neither Joe nor Olivia Munn’s character, Evie, seems to be related to people we may know.
Right. Well, listen, I don’t wanna put myself in a hole here. I wanna let the writers go for broke. I have no idea and I love the way they just left it so open-ended, but that is something I would welcome if I was related to a former character in that world.
Is there someone you’d love to be related to?
One of my favorite guys is Tyrese. He played that role so beautifully and it was so tender. Our personalities are a lot different. I saw him hold that baby. He was just really a caretaker and he didn’t want to kill.
The thing I want people to understand, even as an actor is that you’re creating real people. When I create a character from Julius in “Everybody Hates Chris” to President Camacho in “Idiocracy,” I have a full story for them, and creating Joe, he’s a real person. There was a time when he actually distanced himself from his family. He had sisters, brothers, mothers, but he was prepping for this for a long, long time.
When the pandemic happened, for a moment Crews thought we were living a real-life ‘The Walking Dead’ situation
Terry Crews as Joe on “Tales of TWD.” Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC
We’ve seen the different ways that people responded to the end of the world in “TWD” universe and Joe’s response was staying isolated. And I think that’s something many people can now relate to from the pandemic. Were you in isolation at all during the pandemic and were you able to apply any personal experiences from the pandemic or elsewhere to play Joe?
When the pandemic hit, I was thinking, “Holy cow, this is like ‘The Walking Dead.'” The first thing I thought was, “Oh my God, is this the end of the world?” because it was unprecedented.
The only thing I can really compare the pandemic to was 9/11, when there were no planes flying and everything changed. Those are those moments when you’re like, the world has shifted into a different place and you don’t feel safe.
During 9/11, I didn’t feel safe. During the pandemic, I didn’t feel safe. And this is where I put Joe. He’s in a place where he doesn’t feel safe, but also, at the same time, no man’s an island. We are social creatures. He has to have connection. When he loses Gilligan, now he’s nothing. There’s nothing for him.
It’s almost like if a tree falls in the forest, did it really fall? Did it even exist? You have to have contact with some other living thing to know that you exist or you’ll just fade away.
To see him really going back and trying to find this woman and just reconnect, he’s got to risk his life to get that connection again. My wife and I, we sat through this pandemic, wondering, are we ever going to be able to meet people again? We need that connection.
Crews wants to be back in ‘The Walking Dead’ universe and would love to mix things up with Daryl Dixon
Terry Crews told Insider he’d love to throw down with Norman Reedus. Jace Downs/AMC
What do you think happened to Joe and Evie after the episode? It sounds like Joe would’ve been really great at creating a fortified zombie shelter for others. It seems like if there’s ever a season two, we could revisit their story at some point down the line because it is left open-ended.
Is that something you’ve discussed at all or something you’d be interested in revisiting? When this role was offered to you, was it explained as a one-off or an episode with the potential to return and do more seasons?
It was explained as a one-off because everyone had to see how this thing would go. I have to give it up to Ron Underwood, who was the director of my episode, because he really just gave it the tone that it needed.
I didn’t want to do a rehash of other episodes. I wanted Joe and Evie to feel like a whole new thing. It’s almost like Dolly Parton sings “I Will Always Love You,” and then Whitney Houston’s version is a total different thing. It was like we were singing “The Walking Dead” song, but much differently.
Listen, just meeting Norman Reedus, I was like, “Man, we could get down.” I was like, “We can do some real damage.”
Well, he has that spin-off show. There are other shows. We have the Rick and Michonne show.
Yes.
Terry Crews would be ‘devastated’ if Carol is killed off ‘TWD’
Terry Crews wants time to shine with Melissa McBride. Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC, Josh Stringer/AMC
I know you’re a fan of “The Walking Dead.” Do you have a prediction for how it all ends? Is there someone you would be devastated to see die or who you’re really pulling to make it to the end of the show?
Carol, I would be devastated if something happened to her. Melissa McBride is just so beautiful and so awesome.
The way she was an abused wife and then she found her strength and became a super leader. It was like, wow. Your personality isn’t permanent is what I love about her character. It’s a beautiful arc. I would hate if anything happened to her. I don’t know what to say.
She may not be in this Daryl spinoff as they originally planned. But what would be welcoming is if there was some way she could do something — if I come back and we do some more things. [Laughs.]
Oh my gosh, let’s get Joe and Carol together.
I’m already seeing it. It’s so, so amazing.
