What's with 'The Walking Dead' and Jethro Tull?
Do zombies and Jethro Tull make for good bedfellows? Apparently so, as The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln just happens to be married to Gael Anderson, the daughter of legendary Jethro Tull founder Ian Anderson. The timeless rocker is busy touring with performances of Thick as a Brick 1 & 2 back-to-back, and he took time to crow about his now-famous son-in-law -- and leak a little insight into the new season of the hit AMC series, saying that although the cast is "sworn to secrecy," Andrew is "genuinely enthusiastic" about the "best stuff" they've shot yet…
Video: Sneak Peek at 'Walking Dead' Premiere
I asked Anderson if he had seen any advance episodes of The Walking Dead or if he could reveal any secrets at all, and he replied gamely, "You're talking to the wrong guy because Andy, and I would imagine all of his fellow actors, are absolutely sworn to secrecy. Anything that is teased in the media is very carefully thought through and very carefully put out there. Generally speaking, Andy never talks outside the actual shoot itself about what they've been doing that day. He doesn't tell his wife, he doesn't tell his children, he certainly doesn't tell his father-in-law, so they're all certainly locked down in terms of the development."
So what did Anderson reveal about the upcoming season, which premieres Sunday on AMC?
"What I do know is the general feeling about the show this season, is that they feel they shot some really great stuff, you know, the best stuff ever. I mean, they would say that, wouldn't they? But I think I know the difference between my son-in-law being genuinely enthusiastic and feeling that it's becoming merely repetitious, or not the fun that it was."
Pics: 'Walking Dead' Exclusive Photos
He adds, "I can tell Andy's genuinely excited about not only doing it, but actually he's becoming excited about having the opportunity to talk about things when he does press and promo because he didn't used to do that. And having finally gotten over the hurdle of doing David Letterman a few weeks ago he's now a lot more comfortable doing press and promo than he was a couple years ago when he resolutely did nothing. Now he's realized that it's not an option, you have to do it, it's part of the contract. But he's discovered he likes it, so that's good."
Since Anderson is busy touring and performing Thick as a Brick (which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year) and Thick as a Brick 2 (released this year) in concert, unfortunately he'll miss the premiere of The Walking Dead, but he knows he'll get to it soon: "I will hit the record button before I leave England again and watch it when I come back."
The Jethro Tull frontman concludes jokingly that perhaps he'll have the opportunity to work with Andrew in the future on a show about his Thick as a Brick character Gerald Bostock: "When AMC decides to contract me to a series called StCleve.com … [I'll] obviously have to make sure my son-in-law is cast as the lead role in that."
Video: Go Inside 'Walking Dead' Season Three
The Walking Dead season three premieres Sunday on AMC, and the 40th Anniversary Edition of Thick as a Brick comes out November 6.
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