From playing Cutty, the reformed criminal who now trains young boys to be boxers at the local gym in HBO’s “The Wire”, to representing the voice of reason in a group of stragglers who have resorted to violence to solve all of their problems in “The Walking Dead”, actor Chad L. Coleman has often found himself to be in challenging roles where he stands at the center of an emotional tornado, and calmly embodies the personification of justice in the swarming midst of chaos. When it came time to cast the man who would play one of the most impactful characters from the graphic novels, Tyreese, series creator and comic book writer Robert Kirkman apparently insisted that Chad L. Coleman was the man he wanted, and the only actor truly suitable for the job. Looking back over the course of the past few seasons, it’s easy to understand why Kirkman fought so valiantly to have Coleman in his show. His ability to embody a rough, weathered intimidating exterior, while still maintaining a deeply ingrained sense of humanity behind his hammer, makes Coleman the perfect balance to play such a layered character.

Sadly, despite the fact that season five introduced many exciting moments, it also brought viewers to the end of Coleman’s time on the program, as his character Tyreese fell prey to a member of the undead. Although it’s sad to see him leave, the rest Rick’s motley crew will carry on the legacy of Tyreese and all that he stood for throughout the course of their journey, as will the viewers, many to whom Tyreese became a personal favorite. I was lucky enough to chat with busy budding actor Coleman briefly about his upcoming roles, and pay tribute to his time as one of the most iconic characters of “The Walking Dead”, just in time for the Blu-ray release of arguably the show’s most prolific season to date.

In episode nine of the fifth season of “The Walking Dead”, aptly titled “What Happened and What’s Going On”, Tyreese, a character that has come to be as much of a leader to the group as their head honcho Rick, sadly and abruptly met his demise. A few episodes prior to the event, show runner Scott M. Gimple brought in Coleman to discuss his character’s leaving the show. “He called me in and he just said, ‘Hey, your time has come’ and I was like ‘Wow.’ I thought he was joking at first!” Comments Coleman, “But he began to explain exactly how my final episode was going to play out, and then I was excited, I was like, ‘Let’s do it, let’s go’, because I knew that it was going to be a very memorable episode. At the end of the day, only a few are going to hang around for so long, so to be able to do some memorable work, you know it makes the landing a little softer”.

Tyreese’s booming presence may have physically left the show, but the effects of his selflessness, his determination, and his never-ending attempts to hold on to his compassion in spite of all the terror around him will forever remain with the group, and reflect in the actions of those who must now carry on without him. “I think he was challenging everybody’s humanity, and challenging everybody to really check in with that part of themselves. You know, not like foot-on-the-gas violence, just kill, kill, kill — let’s hold on to a piece of ourselves, and remember who we were before this thing went down,” says actor Coleman of the wisdom his character has imparted onto the group. “So just hang on to that humanity, question, yourself, and really work on that aspect of yourself and see that as valuable, as opposed to weak”.

Part of the reason Coleman has always enjoyed playing Tyreese so much is because of his reliability, and even at times, his admiration for the character he portrays. “People think that just because you have size that you want or choose to be this threatening person” remarks the five-foot-eleven, broad-shouldered actor, “but it’s nice when you get to see him play this soft type.” Coleman goes on to explain how it was this inner sensitivity, guarded by an iron curtain of sour experiences and survival skills, was the type of complex challenge that caught his eye in the first place. “What I found in common with him was his heart. His care and concern for humanity, that was what was so captivating about him, as well as his strength and his willingness to take time to be good, but I guess I inspire to be who this man was”. In a role that started out as a complicated comic book character and eventually evolved into a well-rounded, fascinating member of the apocalypse, Coleman found that in the end, even has been affected by the legacy that Tyreese has left behind.

When it came time to talk about saying goodbye to “The Walking Dead”, Coleman had nothing but the kindest words to express about his former cast and crew mates: “It’s just like hanging with the cool kids” Coleman says sweetly, looking back on old times on set in Georgia. “It didn’t even feel like work because everyone got along so well. Everyone’s so fun and smart”. When asked if there was one person in particular that he had developed a stronger bond with over the course of the series, Coleman energetically replied, “Michael Satrazemis, the guy who directed [the episode] “The Grove”. Man, he’s just a ball of passion. You really couldn’t ask for a better DP or director”.

He may be bidding adieu to one television program, but fans of Chad L. Coleman will be overjoyed to learn that he has tons of upcoming projects ahead. First, he’ll star in a futuristic new show opposite Thomas Jane, called “The Expanse”, set to air on the Syfy channel this December. “I think it’s going to fill that void, you know, we don’t have that spaceship drama out there right now” speculates Coleman, who will be playing Colonel Frederick Lucius Johnson in a series based on the New York Times bestseller “Leviathan Wakes” novels. “You don’t know for sure where he’s coming from, but he’s placed in a very precarious situation and he’s got to find his way through it and seek his own kind of justice”. Coleman comments further, describing the role as putting you “in the mind of Colin Powell when he worked for the Bush Administration”. If anything, this comparison suggests that the character of Colonel Johnson will be a war vet, and an extremely decorated officer.

As far as other work on the horizon, Coleman will also be playing a key role along with Laurence Fishburne, in the re-imagining of “Roots”, the iconic mini-series from the 1970s based on author Alex Haley’s family tree. Eager to show his new development to all of his fans, which is set to air in 2016, Coleman proudly comments how “It’s great to revisit that for a new generation”, and how happy he is to be a part of it. A release date hasn’t been revealed yet, but Coleman is also signed on to be the executive producer of”Treadwater”, a transmedia interactive franchise adapted from a brand new graphic novel.

“The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season” is available for purchase on August 25th, 2015 on Blu-ray, Digital HD, and DVD.