SCOTS actor Pollyanna McIntosh has told of her experience of appearing in US horror drama The Walking Dead – including sneaking past fans camped outside the set and having her haircut mocked.
The 37-year-old, a former supermodel who grew up in Edinburgh, is appearing in the global smash hit show which tells the story of a group of survivors in a world hit by a zombie apocalypse.
The series is known for its dedicated fanbase and McIntosh said she has even had to sneak past fans who camp out on the perimeters of the set location in Georgia, USA.
She told the Sunday Herald: “I hear that there are some fans who get quite brutal with the actors on the show if they don't like where their characters are going which is totally bizarre to me – but so far I've been lucky enough to just feel the excitement of this new character connecting with people so I have no complaints.”
McIntosh plays the role of Jadis, the leader of a mysterious group who live in the middle of a junkyard.
She added: “They [the fans] do love to take the piss out of Jadis' haircut but that's been done quite creatively and funnily too. So far I'm getting a lot of 'who wore it best' memes comparing Jadis' cut to He-Man, Planet of the Apes, Spock etc.
“The funny thing is that that was my haircut already. It's not for everybody but it's her's now and I think the jokes would amuse her too.”
McIntosh said she was “pleased as punch” after securing an audition for the show, which also stars English actor Andrew Lincoln as the lead character Rick Grimes.
She said: “The role was to be cast as either a man or a woman which I thought was very forward thinking and I liked the challenge of Jadis' fragmented way of speaking and the mystery that she fostered with it.
“I knew little about the role, story-wise, but I was enticed by both those elements and by the regal attitude Jadis had towards Rick.
“There was a sense of fun about her despite her coolness and I felt oddly comfortable in her skin.
“I really enjoyed the audition so I was hopeful but of course the show is huge, the net was wide and so I was taken aback when I was told it was "looking good" the very next day.
“The day after that they offered me the role. Those guys don't mess around - I was shooting in Georgia a week or so later.”
McIntosh has taken on a variety of different roles during her acting career, ranging from a drug addict in Irvine Welsh’s The Acid House to roles in horror films such as White Settlers – the story of an English couple terrorised by Scots after they move to the Borders which was dubbed ‘indyref horror’ when it was released in 2014.
She said she was attracted to the role in The Walking Dead by the strength of writing in the series.
“I tend to look for something different to what I've played before, to portray characters I can get my teeth into and to work with creatives I respect and admire on something I expect to be proud to be part of when it comes out,” she added. “This had everything going for it.”
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