Michael James Shaw joined the cast of The Walking Dead as Mercer beginning on the eleventh season.
The head of the army at The Commonwealth is intimidating, but also a person that does not hesitate to make his words known. Mercer is also in a relationship with The Princess (played by Paola Lazaro) and he is beginning to open up to her. Where can this lead for the rest of the season? We will have to find out.
In this exclusive interview, Michael James Shaw talks about Mercer and Princess’ bond, putting on the armor during the hottest months in Georgia, and much more!
The Knockturnal: You have a great bond with Paola, and it really comes out during the beginning of this episode towards the middle. Especially the scene when Mercer admitted that he killed his own soldiers. So what was that like for you to develop these scenes with Paola?
MJS: “Is actually pretty easy because Paola is like one of the first friends I made here when I moved over there last year. She’s a wonderful human being and a phenomenal actress. And it was quite easy to take the leap and create the connection between the two characters. I don’t think he’s really allowed many people into his personal life while being in the Commonwealth. I think there’s a distance that must be maintained in order to maintain respect and stature in the society that they built. And I think that him allowing her into his darkness is a moment of vulnerability and also a step in developing trust with each other. It opens the door for a stronger bond between the two of them. And I feel like if he hadn’t allowed her in on that moment, the relationship couldn’t progress and develop.”
The Knockturnal: In the comic book series, Mercer and Max were not family related. The show did an interesting twist and revealed that these two are siblings. How did you react when you first found this out?
MJS: “When I found out that Margot was playing my sister, I was excited because in a way, we have bonded in a similar way in life. She’s had my back since I moved out here. She’s a wonderful human being. And again, one of the most fun actresses to work with because she’s down to earth and down to go for it. Me and Margot really trust each other and let the emotions fly! So, yeah, I was overjoyed when I found that she was actually my sister.”
The Knockturnal: During Mercer’s conversation with Max, I could not help but notice that he was working out. Knowing that he is the head of security at The Commonwealth, I can bet that Mercer has to stay in top shape. Did you have a specific workout scene to prepare you for your role as Mercer?
MJS: “I’ve been consistent with my workout routine and in the last year and a half, I’ve learned Jujutsu. I’ve been doing workouts prior to going to set at 5:00am and sometimes at 3:00am if I have to. And it was just a natural window into my preparation because I actually got to do one of the workouts in a scene. But I think that was part of building the character and creating that same discipline within myself. So when it came to doing a workout in the scene, I was like, ‘Fuck yeah, let’s just do it man.’ I probably did nearly 100 reps of each exercise. And I had built myself to be able to maintain and do that over the year.”
The Knockturnal: I also want to bring up The Commonwealth’s army suit that you had on since you joined The Walking Dead. How were you able to keep cool when it came to the very hot weather in Georgia?
MJS: “I wasn’t able to keep cool. The summer was tough. It was a family effort from makeup and costumes department. They would be throwing fans at me whenever we had a moment between takes and dabbed me with towels to remove my sweat. There’s something about being in the element and actually working or just actually feeling the fatigue or the heat. It kind of adds to your experience and I think it comes across on screen. I even enjoyed the moments of the bitter cold. I am not sure if you notice, in the first few episodes of 11A, in some of those Commonwealth interview scenes, you can see the breath coming out of our mouths because it was so cold in the studio. But I think it’s all part of that element and you kind of feel it comes across on screen. So yeah, heat or cold, I was loving every moment of it!”
The Knockturnal: It seems like a revolt or uprising is brewing within The Commonwealth. Knowing that we saw protests in the real world within the last few years, do you believe that the world is ready for these kind of potential scenes or stories on The Walking Dead?
MJS: “I cannot say for sure yet if a revolt is brewing or a riot is brewing at The Commonwealth. But it’s interesting that a lot of times how art can reflect on life. We can point out some of the the high points as well as the low points of humanity. And I think you can look forward to seeing a lot of that paint it out in our remaining season!”
