Is Andrew Lincoln American? How 'Penguin Bloom' star became a household name in US after 'The Walking Dead'
Andrew Lincoln's tryst with films, TV, and theatre began as early as 1994, and ahead of his latest film, 'Penguin Bloom' alongside Naomi Watts, the British actor is in the spotlight again. Prior to this, Lincoln garnered attention as Rick Grimes in the AMC post-apocalyptic zombie horror drama, 'The Walking Dead'.
Lincoln's character was pretty much that of a complicated hero. BBC America best describes his character as a "mixture of British steel and American grit" with his voice playing a key role.
This brings us to the discussion and debate that fans have had over the years— Is Andrew Lincoln American? The short version of the answer: No. Lincoln was born Andrew James Clutterbuck in England and his family shifted base to Hull and then to Bath, Somerset. Lincoln's perfect nailing of the American accent makes him one of the many British actors alongside Karen Gillian, Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Damian Lewis and Kate Winslet to successfully bring out an American accent.
Lincoln is also passionate about where he's from and his family and that was one of the key reasons, according to multiple sites for leaving 'The Walking Dead'. According to EW, Lincoln made that announcement during the San Diego Comic-Con in 2018. “Let me clarify something,” Lincoln began. “Yes, it’s my last season on the TV show, 'The Walking Dead'.”
The reason was simple. He wanted to spend more time with his family back in London. 'The Walking Dead' shoots for over a good six months in Georgia, keeping him away from his family for long stretches of time. “I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older,” Lincoln said. "It was that simple. It was time for me to come home."
Lincoln has quite the acting resume. He was best known as the guy from 'Love Actually'. The 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy looks at 10 separate stories and the characters in each segment get interlinked over the course of the film. It is set five weeks before Christmas and also starred Keira Knightley. He eventually made his name in the US for 'The Walking Dead' and has been a household name since.
'Penguin Bloom' sees Lincoln play Cameron Bloom, a photographer where he and his family find solace and a rejuvenated sense of hope after his wife, Sam (Naomi Watts), has an accident that renders her paralyzed. A magpie chick goes on to become the unifying force. The film is based on the book of the same name by Bradley Trevor Grieve and is directed by Glendyn Ivin. The official synopsis reads: "A photographer and his family find hope and solace in an injured magpie chick."
'Penguin Bloom' releases on January 27, 2021, in the US.
