Commander Monday: Lew Temple
Having already had the honor and privilege of working with Mr. Temple for some time now, The Zombie Survival Crew is thrilled to have him on board, and even more thrilled to place him in the spotlight for this week’s Commander Monday report. Lew has a strong fanbase among the devoted followers of Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, although his full body of work includes television, film, theater roles and even a stint in minor league baseball. Hailing from Louisiana bayou country and growing up in Texas, Lew is a true chameleon in every sense of the word. From a Minor League baseball career with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, he moved on to the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas to begin his acting career.
In 1994 Lew appeared in the baseball film Angels in the Outfield and began to take on numerous small roles in films such as The Newton Boys, Red Ink, and 21 Grams. The world of television also opened its doors to him, and we saw him in Walker: Texas Ranger, CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds among many others. In 2005, Rob Zombie came along with the film that would instantly score a fiercely loyal cult following, The Devil’s Rejects.
That same year Lew also played the very memorable role of Locus Fender in Domino, and by 2007 he had worked on the films Deja Vu, Rob Zombie’s Halloween and the critically-acclaimed indie film Waitress.
And then it happened.
In 2012 the dead came calling, and we were pleasantly surprised to discover Lew stepping into the role of Axel for the third season of AMC’s The Walking Dead. While the general consensus is that Axel’s surprisingly lovable character was cut down way too soon (we agree) Lew has continued to put his mustache to the grindstone, letting nothing stand in his way as he moves onward.
Lew has recently worked on numerous projects such as The Unlikelys, We are Family, Selling Isobel, Impact Earth and the uber-creepy Home. He also appeared in The Lone Ranger, alongside Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. But even as the grindstone continues to turn, the mustache continues to travel. Lew has appeared at many conventions throughout the United States, meeting his loyal fans and spreading that wickedly sharp sense of humor that all who follow him have come to know and love. We at the Zombie Survival Crew are proud to call Lew Temple one of our own, and are ready to stand at his side to face the shambling hordes in the dark days to come.
If you’re just joining us for this series, please check out our previous Commander Monday field reports!