Where are they now? Walking Dead’s Oscar Vincent M Ward
By Dawn Glen
Vincent M Ward is the epitome of a self-made man. His long career and varied history show he is a man who knows how to make an impact in a short time. And that’s exactly what he did on The Walking Dead.
In a show well known for characters who live and die in a handful of episodes, he could easily be lost in the melee. Yet 8 years after his character Oscar’s on-screen death, he is still regularly brought up as a much-missed character. Ward – as Oscar – made an impact during the prison storyline of season 3. As it turned out, walkers weren’t the only inhabitants of the overrun building when Rick came across Oscar and his group of fellow inmates when he was trying to make the place secure for his own group. Oscar, Tomas, Andrew, Big Tiny, and Axel had stayed safe but oblivious to the descent of life outside their walls when a guard had locked them into a room during a riot.
It’s fair to say that Rick’s subsequent interactions with the prisoners were mixed, with Oscar very quickly standing out as someone with smarts and a willingness to work with others. He makes himself useful digging graves and helping Daryl and Carl clear out the prison after Andrew causes the walker raid that causes Lori’s death.
Oscar’s love of a good pair of slippers, which he expresses during those scenes, is a wonderful little character flavor that immediately gives Oscar a rounded, clear personality. And although Oscar dies at the hand of the Governor’s men a few short episodes after we meet him, Ward managed to get across the prisoner’s humanity, heart and heroism in that time.
Who is the man Vincent M Ward, who portrayed prisoner Oscar?
It’s the kind of impression Ward seems to make in all he does, from his youth as a stand-out basketball star to his early career as a dancer – touring with acts like Public Enemy and Heavy D and the Boys – to his long list of acting credits.
After The Walking Dead, he had roles in 2 Broke Girls, Psyche and most recently Black Jesus. However, Ward is not constrained by one genre and appears to be a man who always has his finger in many pies, making sure that he makes things happen rather than waiting for life to happen to him.
Coincidently, the day we had scheduled to featured Ward in our “Where are they now” series just happens to be his 50th birthday.
His other non-acting enterprises include motivational speaker, TV host, spoken word albums performer, and author. Ward’s horror book The Step Daddy has recently been made into a movie, starring Ward as the title character and co-starring his Walking Dead prisoner partner in crime Lew Temple (who played Axel).
Proving his ability to step into many roles, Ward also gets his first production credit for Breakup Masters, a movie currently playing on Amazon Prime, which he also stars in. The comedy tells the story of Damien (Ward), who sets up his own business titled Don’t Shoot the Messenger, which performs break-ups for reluctant and cowardly dumpers,
The world of entertainment, though, isn’t the only one that Ward is determined to conquer. Recently he announced that he had created his own brand of wine. Ward Wines will come in Peach Mango, Moscato and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties and can be bought from Ward’s website.
dark. Next. The Walking Dead’s Pollyanna McIntosh cast in Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla
In the promotional material for his wine launch, Ward elucidates that W.A.R.D stands for Warrior Audacious Resilient Distinguished, all qualities that the man himself believes in, as well as displays. Let’s hope we can all share some of Ward’s drive and a glass or two of his wine.