In 2015, Chad L. Coleman took to Reddit to answer fan questions about his career. User u/SSTTDID asked, "What is it about 'The Walking Dead' that has attracted so many 'Wire' refugees?" They said that they were a huge fan of Tyreese and the redemption arc that Cutty got in "The Wire," so they wanted to know what brought so many actors from the HBO series to "The Walking Dead."
In addition to hyping up the quality of work, Coleman also elaborated on the creative powerhouses of "The Walking Dead" and how that factored into their decision to join the show. "Robert Kirkman is a huge fan of The Wire,'" Coleman said. Kirkman is one of the co-creators of "The Walking Dead," so being a huge fan of another successful series would bring his eyes to the talent displayed there.
"Our [showrunner] is, Scott Gimple, the mad genius, it was amazing storytelling, uncompromising storytelling," Coleman continued. "It wasn't like we were influenced by any advertisers. We were able to tell a very pure, honest story, and people appreciate that."
The sincerity of the praise Coleman gave "The Walking Dead" was certainly well-earned back in 2015. After Tyreese's death on the show, fans and critics complained "The Walking Dead" leaned too heavily into shock value and baiting its audience. But for Seasons 3 through 5, while Coleman was part of the ensemble, "The Walking Dead" was peak TV — unapologetic and gripping.
