If ever there was a time to experiment, it's in Season 6. Let's change it up, let's shake it up. Sometimes we hit big, and sometimes we don't quite get there, and I hope that the audience forgives us when we don't quite reach what we attempted. Most of the time we do, I have to admit, because the filmmakers and storytellers on the show are so good. Ultimately I hope that they see we're attempting to tell a bigger story and to keep moving the story forward. That's the thing that keeps me on my toes as well with the character is that they keep pushing it forward. They don't rest on laurels. Rick Grimes is not the same guy you saw six months ago at the end of last season. He's a different guy. Every episode, hopefully, you see a change in all of the characters. That's what Scott Gimple said to me one time, he said, "We're trying to do something creative, and doing that, it should be nerve-wracking. It should be scary, because that's when you're attempting something that's different and challenging." That's why we're here, I think.
IGN: That was my sneaky way of getting to ask you about something really cool that you guys do in the Season 6 premiere without giving away any spoilers.
Lincoln: [laughs] I know, I smelled that out. I mean, the wonderful thing is I think you guys get it as well. Don't get me wrong, [episodes] 2 and 3 -- 3, I think, is one of those episodes that the audience is going to be like, "Yes!" because it's a full-tilt what we do best. It's almost like you can view 1, 2 and 3 as an opening. It's one film. It's almost like [the premiere is] the bow being pulled back and it's released, and 2 and 3 is the fallout. And actually, that jettisons and fuels the next five or six episodes, the fallout from those last 30 seconds [in the premiere].
IGN: You mention Season 6 is the season to experiment, but it's also getting close to the point where Negan from the comics inevitably will be introduced, hopefully sooner rather than later. I think fans are excited about Negan arriving because he is the one person out there who can challenge and sometimes beat Rick --
Lincoln: Yeah, they think he's going to be the one who's going to kill Rick. Is that why everyone's so excited? [laughs]
IGN: I hope not! I hope that's not how it goes. But they have this great tension in the comics, so I was wondering what your thoughts as a fan are on that character, and how long you think The Walking Dead could and should delay introducing him?
Lincoln: For me as a fan, I think that it's time for a very big baddie. We need somebody that people are going to love to hate, and it sounds like, in the comic book, it's a beloved character because of all of these things. He's charming, he's unmercilessly brutal, and he is a great counterpoint to Rick Grimes. All I will say is hold out for all. There's some very, very exciting stuff coming your way this season.
IGN: That's a perfectly vague tease that people can read a lot into.
Lincoln: Yay! I dodged the bull