Q&A: Norman Reedus on ‘Ride with Norman Reedus’ and ‘The Walking Dead’

TORONTO – For actor Norman Reedus, riding a motorcycle isn’t just something he does as Daryl Dixon on “The Walking Dead.”

As we see on “Ride with Norman Reedus,” debuting Sunday on AMC, hitting the road on two wheels is a way of life for him.

Reedus says he started riding around age 13, when his friend had a bike and let him try it.

“It was a tiny little dirt bike and we used to all take turns on it and just be little hooligans on it,” he says. “None of us could afford one, so we all just shared this one and (said), ‘My turn, my turn, my turn.’ And it turned into me getting into it.”

The Canadian Press recently spoke with Reedus about “The Walking Dead” and his new series, in which he hits the open road to explore biker culture in the U.S.

CP: What do you love about the culture?

Reedus: I just like the sense of camaraderie and freedom. It’s just one of those things where you’re all by yourself but it’s kind of like when you’re sitting on a plane: you do your best thinking when you’re sitting on a plane; I do my best thinking on a bike.

We have this thing … where you go by a motorcyclist and you kind of wave to each other as you go by. There’s like a sense of brotherhood there and it extends from all different types of bikes, to men, to women, to all of us. It’s this freedom of being on two wheels.

I always say if my bike breaks down on the side of the road, it’s going to be another biker that stops and helps me out.

CP: How dangerous has it been on the road for you over the years? I read that you have four screws in your nose and a titanium eye socket?

Reedus: Yeah, but that wasn’t motorcycle-related, that was car-related and I wasn’t driving. That wasn’t my fault. I’m a pretty careful driver, especially on motorcycles.

I really think motorcycle riders are the safest people on the road. I really do.

CP: How many bikes do you have?

Reedus: I own five.

CP: Which is your favourite?

Reedus: I have one for sentimental reasons … I have ones that do more, I have ones that sound cool but hurt my butt. I have all kinds. I have a dual sport I’ve been riding lately that is kind of new to me that’s really fun.

CP: The one for sentimental reasons, can you expand on that?

Reedus: When I got it, I would do little things to it, I would change the seat. It’s the first one I brought to Georgia (where “The Walking Dead” is shot). It’s funny because if you have more than one, sometimes you go into the garage and you look at them all and some look back at you like they’re depressed or, “You haven’t ridden me in a while” and you feel kind of guilty. They all have personalities.

CP: Do you talk to them? Do they have names?

Reedus: I’ve got one that I call the Bull, that looks like a bull when you’re riding it. But I don’t go over the top. I don’t say goodnight to them every night or stuff like that. It’s not like “The Waltons” in my garage.

CP: Have you had a chance to hang with any motorcycle gangs?

Reedus: Yeah, I’ve met a few people from a few of those different clubs. I meet them because they’re like, “Daryl Dixon!” so I kind of have an in. I ended up with one of those clubs in lower Manhattan called the Mongols and it ended up with a few tequila shots and some high-fives and it was great.

There are so many types of motorcycle riders, and I do think people see stuff like “Easy Rider” or “The Wild One” and they’re still kind of stuck (with the idea) that everyone’s bad that rides motorcycles. But there’s bad people that drive cars and good people that drive cars. It’s the same thing.

CP: Do you ride to the set of “The Walking Dead”?

Reedus: Every day. It’s a good way to learn my lines and get ready for what I’m about to do. Then I ride home and try to wash away what I did all day and try to decompress and then I do it again the next day. It’s a good way to prepare yourself and a good way to come down, if you’re doing heavy stuff.

CP: Everybody is talking about the finale of “The Walking Dead,” how it was over the top compared to everything else that came before it. What is your reaction to the finale?

Reedus: It ended on a cliffhanger and I think people were upset because they didn’t find the answer to the cliffhanger. But you will find out the answer to the cliffhanger and (viewers) should prepare themselves because they’re going to get it, in a large way.

So when it comes back, I would say it’s worth the wait.