Actor Glenn Stanton has credits under his name that include CW’s 4400, AMC’s The Son, Fox’s Rosewood and NBC’s Chicago Fire, but it’s his stint as Frost on The Walking Dead that most people know him from. Even though The Walking Dead is officially over, the flagship series aired its final episode in November 2022, The Walking Dead franchise continues to flourish with numerous spinoff shows, which include The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and Tales of the Walking Dead. The popularity of the show has never been deniable
When discussing his time on The Walking Dead Glenn says, “It has such a pop cultural impact and it was such a long running show that I just didn’t know what I was getting into. It all went away on day one though. The entire team of that show welcomed and embraced me so fast, and it put me at ease”. Glenn’s latest project is the crime drama/thriller, Penitentia for which he plays attorney Ale Villacano. Below, we spoke to Glenn about everything from his favorite memory on The Walking Dead to his work on Penitentia. Penitentia is available now.
-How did you first become involved with The Walking Dead? What did you do to prepare for the role of Frost?
I had the good fortune of joining the last season of Walking Dead during Covid. I had worked with the director, Kevin Dowling, on another show with AMC and we were just really excited at the chance to work together again on TWD.
The main thing I did to prepare for the role was really establishing my back stories. In any role that I take on, I always lock myself away and create memories for the character. It always helps me have deeper connections to the world I have to interact with on projects.
-Was it at all intimidating stepping into a series that already had such a huge fanbase?
I was definitely nervous coming into the show. It has such a pop cultural impact and it was such a long running show that I just didn’t know what I was getting into. It all went away on day one though. The entire team of that show welcomed and embraced me so fast and it put me at ease.
-Do you have a favorite memory from your time on The Walking Dead?
My favorite time was probably my first encounter with a hoard. It was while we were filming in the subways, which they built in a large hanger barn in the middle of rural Georgia, and it was just stunning. When the camera started rolling and the zombies started heading for us, we could hear them before we could see them. When they finally stepped into the light, every hair on the back of my neck stood up and I could feel my fight or flight kick in. It was wild.
-Can you tell us any behind the scenes secrets from your time filming?
One of the funniest days filming was during a night shoot. Seven, known on the show as “Dog”, kept attacking one of the dummies on the ground in the middle of an intense scene when we first met the Reapers. Norman and Jefferey Dean Morgan kept trying to deliver these really serious lines and Seven would just sprint off and start attacking the dummy again. It was really sad to read that Seven passed away recently. He was a wonderful dog.
-You have a new film, Penitentia, that was recently released. Can you tell us about your character, Ale Villacano?
Getting to take on the role of Ale was such an honor. He’s such a complex individual. Ale has to operate in a world not built for him at all. As a young associate attorney, who was wrongfully tried as an adult and found guilty of manslaughter as a teenager, every day is a different obstacle. He’s also fighting with himself on whether to be the lawyer he always wanted to be or the man he knows he’s supposed to be.
-Are you and your character, Ale, similar in any ways?
I loved taking on this role because of the amount of similarities. I grew up in spaces that weren’t made for me. I was in a high school graduating class with only 3 people of color and college wasn’t much different. Code switching was a way of life and I incorporated that into Ale after talking with Chris, the director.
-How was your experience making Penitentia different from some of your other films?
Shooting this film was such a blessing of a challenge and, also, a healing experience. My character walks around with scars on his wrist from a suicide attempt. While filming on set, I got news that I lost a friend of mine to suicide. This cast and crew held me together and supported me all the way through this entire project. It almost felt like productive grieving while being in the wake of the pain of loss. The movie gave me a place to put all of that.
-What was your favorite scene from the film? Why?
I think one of my favorite scenes to shoot was when Ale meets up with JD in the back of the restaurant. We really get to see Ale let his guard down a bit and it felt like you really get a sense of the history between these 2 former cell mates.
-Are you personally a horror fan? If so, what are some of your favorites?
I didn’t grow up a horror fan, but over the last 10 years I’ve come to love it more and more. I think it’s the only place in Hollywood where there’s truly inventive story telling. I really love what the Purge movies did in exploring the human condition. I especially loved the origin film, “The First Purge”. It just really felt like it was something that I could see us falling into in our political climate now.
-Is there a type of horror film you would like to star in one day?
I would love to do a horror film in which we know there’s a monster, but you don’t really see it. The suspense and pure horror of only seeing the wake a monster leaves behind, and the fear of the unknown is really enticing for me.
