Andrew Lincoln says his kids won’t speak to him after taking on steamy role at 50
The Walking Dead star has confessed he is proud audiences still want to see him in the buff at the ripe age of 50, but his teenage children are less than happy with the prospect
Andrew Lincoln has admitted that while he’s “delighted” fans still want to see him strip off on screen at the age of 50, his teenage children are far less enthusiastic about his risqué career choices.
The Walking Dead star, who is best known for playing Rick Grimes in the hit zombie series, has taken on a role in the new ITV thriller Coldwater. The six-part drama marks his first return to British television in 15 years – but it comes with a scene that has left some of his family members horrified.
Lincoln revealed that at one point in the show his character is shown masturbating on screen, and he felt obliged to warn his children about this scene in advance. Unfortunately, that conversation didn’t go according to plan.
“I said to Arthur: ‘How would you feel about me pleasuring myself on national television?’ And he said: ‘What do you think?’,” Lincoln shared.
The actor, who shares children Matilda, 17, and Arthur, 15, with wife Gael Anderson, added: “My children haven’t talked to me since I did the job. My son just said: ‘Can you just not have waited for three years until I was through school?’”
Despite the backlash he is facing from his teens, Lincoln has made no secret of his excitement to be propositioned for such a daring role. “Look, I’m just thrilled that people are still asking me to get naked at 50,” he told The Times.
It won't be the first time the actor has stripped down for the camera, as he was previously featured running down a hallway only wearing a tiny red pair of Speedos during an episode of Channel 4 comedy-drama Teachers.
While his children may be unimpressed, Lincoln says his wife Gael has given the performance her seal of approval. Gael is the daughter of Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson and a former assistant to Gwyneth Paltrow. She married Lincoln in 2006 in a star-studded ceremony where Paltrow and Chris Martin’s daughter Apple performed the duties of flower girl.
In Coldwater, Lincoln plays John, a middle-aged Londoner secretly raging at his life as a stay-at-home dad. After a violent confrontation at a playground forces him to question his identity, John moves his family to the fictional Scottish village of Coldwater, hoping for a fresh start.
But what begins as a retreat to the countryside soon spirals into a twisted tale of betrayal. The series also features Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting) as John’s neighbour Tommy, Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi) as John’s wife Fiona, and Eve Myles (Keeping Faith) as local vicar Rebecca.
Fiona hopes their new life in Coldwater will help rebuild their fractured marriage, but she quickly grows suspicious of Tommy – their confident, charismatic neighbour who seems too good to be true.
Writer and creator David Ireland previously spoke about his inspiration for the series, explaining: “Coldwater started with a question I was asking myself. Where do I want to live – the countryside or the city? Such an innocent beginning, but from it came this dark, funny, twisted thriller.
“I was delighted when Sister loved the script and thrilled when ITV decided to commission it. And I’m amazed we’ve managed to attract such a peerless cast, led by the formidable Andrew Lincoln. I hope viewers will find it intoxicating.”
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