Walker Stalker Nashville: Interview with Kevin Zegers who plays Mel on FTWD

Walker Stalker Nashville gathered so many great actors from Fear The Walking Dead. I had the pleasure of meeting new cast member Kevin Zegers who plays Mel of The Vultures.

Kevin Zegers enjoyed his first time at Walker Stalker Con, greeting fans, posing for photos and participating in the Fear The Walking Dead panel on Sunday. I was so excited that Kevin was able to carve out some time to share some great intel about one of the newest villains on the series.

Are you new to the convention scene?

Kevin: This is my very first convention. I mean, I’ve been to Comic-Con a couple of times with movies and stuff, and WonderCon where you do about a minute of meeting fans and stuff, but it’s pretty quick. They kind of shuffle people through. But, no, this is the first, I guess, convention that I’ve really been to. It’s great though.

Do people who come to your table seem intimidated by you at all because of your character? Have you had any of that?

Kevin: No, I mean, I think interestingly, I think it’s new enough that most people cannot quite place me yet. There’s only been a couple of episodes that I’ve been in so far.

So, I think that most people, like with the character, don’t think they can quite figure me out yet.

I don’t think they quite know what’s going on exactly. More questions than answers at this point.

As I’ve told you before, Mel and the Vultures have a really creepy vibe. Good job there!

Kevin: Thank you.

What do you focus on as an actor to get that creepy vibe. What are you going for?

Kevin: Well, I think the thing I like most about the character, and what they are supportive of me doing is the idea that he is very practical about whether people live or die. I think he approaches it very much like a business.

As I said on the Talking Dead a couple of weeks ago, I’m not a very physically intimidating guy. You don’t see me and go, ‘That’s a scary guy’.

Like Mel says ‘You can all sit in there and die and I’m fine to wait.” I like the fact that he doesn’t posture to be menacing.

The guys who I find the most terrifying are like the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. He’s terrifying because he’s like a normal guy. You see him talk and he’s like going to work every day. And to me, those are the guys who are terrifying because it’s like at some point something changes.

Even in episode 403, the stuff with Kim, where Mel is cooking hotdogs and stuff, he’s very affable, you know. He’s not socially strange.

Mel almost makes you laugh sometimes, but then you’re so scared at the same time.

Kevin: Right, I mean ultimately he feels like he has some leverage. But I like that he doesn’t try to be scary. He’s just kind of is who he is.

Tell me a little about Mel’s wardrobe. In episode  403, his outfit is a little flashy.

Kevin: Yeah.

What’s going on there? Is that by choice or just what’s available to him?

Kevin: Jo Katsaras, our costume designer, is great. So, when we found the pants, they were so clearly Mel’s pants. I thought they were great.

Again, I think he still likes to look nice. I mean, I think it’s part of his drive to, sort of, keep some semblance of a life. And he’s not doing what they’re doing, insulating and trying to recreate the world. But I think he gets up in the morning and I think he still reads. I think he’s still pretending the world is going on.

There’s still some kind of order to his day.

Kevin: Yes. Obviously, the way he dresses is over the top. But I think he likes the idea that he gets up in the morning, he gets dressed . . .

Like ‘what am I going to pick out today?’

Kevin: Yes.

I have to say, it’s kind of snazzy.

Kevin: Yes, thank you, thank you. It’s not very practical or necessarily comfortable but [it is snazzy]. 

Mel wants stuff. You talked about looking at it like a business.

We know he’s motivated by things. What else might motivate him or what else does he want? Power? Control?

Does he want people to fear him? Or is it just about the stuff?

Kevin:  I don’t think he wants people to fear him. I mean, when he says, ‘If you guys want to tag along, if you guys want to join us’, I think he’s genuine. I think he means that.

I think the more the merrier, as far as he’s concerned. I think the way he lives is moving around and you gather shit up and you build up your world a little bit. And then you move on to the next thing.

But I don’t think it’s just about collecting stuff. I mean, I think he’s doing what Madison’s doing but just in a different way.

I think he’s trying to create a world, where there’s interpersonal [pauses] I think you’ll see in future episodes that he likes having a community of people, and his brother’s there, I mean, was there, obviously not in the present timeline. Mel doesn’t know Ennis is dead yet.

So, I think he’s easy. I don’t think he’s that complicated, I think he likes Madison. I think he respects that she’s trying to do something, but he doesn’t agree with it. I think he knows it’s a faulty plan.

And much more of that kind of comes to light. But I don’t think he’s beating his chest and trying to be terrifying.

There are obviously these factions, there’s the Vultures, there’s Madison’s group. Does any of that sort of play out in any funny way off-camera? Do you tease each other?

Kevin: (Laughs) No, because the funny thing about Mel is, and it’s sort of just the way that the script is written, I don’t really interact with the Vultures either.

True.

Kevin: He’s kind of a loner.

That’s right, he’s sitting at his own table.

Kevin: He’s kind of always doing his own thing.

I have kids at home, so I would fly in, do my thing and kind of bounce.

So, there wasn’t a ton of interaction. I mean, I’ve gotten to know them a lot as time has passed. But with Kim, Colman, Alycia and everyone else, especially at the beginning (which is what the show has been so far), we didn’t really know each other.

I kind of popped in, Kim and I would knock out six or seven pages, and then I’d get on a plane and go back home.

So, I think that was good, in terms of her not really know who I was either, like in our scenes.

Next: Catching up with Colman Domingo of FTWD at WSC Nashville

I find the character of Mel to be very intriguing, even more so after speaking with Kevin. I love how Kevin helped define his character and that he brings a unique approach to the role of Mel.

I am hoping we see more of Mel this Sunday 5/20 on Fear The Walking Dead. On the one hand, I am scared of what he may do, but on the other hand, I feel like I have to find out what has happened in the flashback timeline.

Maybe Mel will be wearing some snazzy pants, too! Thank you to Kevin Zegers for spending some time with Undead Walking at Walker Stalker Con Nashville.