So you are currently playing Klyden in The Orville! What attracted you to the part? Yeah, well first of all. Seth MacFarlane. That’s the bottom line. I was introduced to the whole deal with an auditon for Bortus, my mate. Then I tested for it, and of course the incomparable Peter Macon got the part. However, they could not find Klyden. Seth MacFarlane in his infinite wisdom, said “Get Chad L. Coleman, and make sure that he is a series regular. We want him” so I came back, there was no auditioning for Klyden, and I got the part. I’m a huge fan of what Seth MacFarlane does, I think he is a master at it. The poking of culture, and icons. I love doing that stuff. I am a fan of dark humour, that’s smart. I’m also a fan of ratboy humour. I’m a fan of a guy who can hit you from five different angles, and all of them are valid. Whether you like it or not.
Can you tell us a bit about the make up session that you have to do for this character? Yeah man, I mean re-visiting the Walking Dead. It’s KNB EFX, that’s Greg Nicotero’s company with Howard Berger. They did the work over here. These guys are at the top of their game. They fashioned something that only has me in that chair for no longer than an hour and ten minutes. Because the head is a hood, like you’re putting on a hoody. Once you get that down, the face is like you’re putting on a face mask at a masquerade party. That’s the face. Then the only thing they have to do is attach the chin, and the painting part. They prepaint most of it, so it’s just going over it, and refining it. They’ve got it down to a science. It’s very comfortable, you’ve just got a nerf football wrapped around your head. They cut the ears open so you can hear. It’s not really that hot, because the material absorbs the sweat. The mouth is free, so I can eat! My eyes are there, so part of my face is expressive. It’s easy to communicate.
For readers that haven't seen the show just yet, why should they watch it, and what can they can expect? Sure, very few shows are the hybrid of being funny, and serious at the same time. Each episode stands alone. Harking back to the days when you watched TV, and you didn’t have to watch the whole thing. You could watch each episode, and understand it. It’s clever, it’s funny. If you love special effects, and aliens! Obviously if you are a fan of Star Trek, then you’re going to be a fan of this. However, for a new fan. I can only tell you that it’s like being at a arcade. You are going to be stimulated on so many levels. You are definitely going to laugh, feel, think. It’s like addressing social issues through this format. If you take the time to watch it, you’ll see the show address social issues in a format that gives it a softer landing than what we are dealing with on the news. Outlets like that.
What has it been like to play Z in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia? One of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I love him. Listen, he is under-represented in American television! He must be seen, and felt, and heard. It’s a pleasure playing this dude. He has a lot of heart. He is who he is, and he comes from where he comes from. He is quite proud of it. He is making his way through the world. Those guys are amazing, and I love them dearly. When I first met them, I booked a pilot for a new show. This is so funny, it was called Boldly Going Nowhere, it was going to be a space ship comedy back in 09 for Fox, and it didn’t go. It was Charlie and the boys, this was going to be their network shot. It didn’t go, but that’s when I met them. They were surprised that I was funny, because they only knew me from The Wire. Charlie took a chance. I’ll never forget going through the whole testing process. Because I had never tested before. With The Wire I just auditioned and HBO said yes. So going through the testing process. Those guys were fans, encouraging, and they cheered me on. In the end, I got the part. It’s a great show, and it’s ahead of its time. That relationship to this day lives on, and they always have me back.
What else can we expect to see from Chad L. Coleman in 2018? I’m developing three projects. Right now there’s a web series, basically it takes from the Cutty character in The Wire, and we’re going straight to the hood, with real life Cutty and the kids. The way it’s designed, is that it has an educational plus to it. You could be in Peru, and if you logged in, you could donate money to this show, which supports these kids, and help them further their education. That’s exciting. I also have two shows that I’m pitching to Shudder. Which is a division of AMC. These are two really dope shows, and I’m excited about the potential of being an executive producer on two shows. That’s exciting.