Commander Monday: Michael Kenworthy

Michael made his first zombie kill at the tender age of 13, during a time when most boys his age were too busy watching MTV, playing Space Invaders or running away from girls to notice the zombie threat. Michael’s experience and considerable brainpower may very well make him the most experienced and valuable asset the ZSC will have in the days to come.

Before facing the shambling horde for the first time, Michael tested the waters of the acting world by appearing in Tom Moore’s ‘Night Mother alongside Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft.  From there he appeared in several television roles, including Growing Pains and its spinoff series Just the Ten of Us. In 1988 he accepted the role of Jesse Wilson and starred in the film that would gain him his elite zombie killer status, Return of the Living Dead Part 2. Michael was nominated for Best Young Actor in a Horror or Mystery Motion Picture for this role. He moved on shortly afterwards to take on The Blob and in 1990 turned down an offer from Beverly Hills 90210 to attend college.

 

Michael has achieved multiple degrees in theater arts, telecommunications and broadcasting. In 2011 he crossed paths with our own Commander in Chief, who immediately spotted his leadership potential and invited him to join our ranks. Michael is currently stationed on the West coast, operating out of an undisclosed location while putting his numerous talents to work in preparation for the dark days to come.

If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!

 


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!


Commander Monday: Sam Trammell

Okay, so he doesn’t really transform into an adorable floppy-eared mutt at will, but his scruffy good looks, sweet disposition, intelligence, loyalty, undeniably sharp senses as well as considerable creative talents can only be a benefit to us all.

A native of West Virginia, Sam attended Brown University before making his move onto the stage with his off-Broadway debut in Dealer’s Choice. Continuing onstage, he went on to appear in My Night With Reg and earned a Tony nomination for his part in the Broadway revival of Eugene O’Neill’s comedy Ah, Wilderness! Before landing the well-known role of beloved shape-shifter Sam Merlotte on HBO’s True Blood., Sam appeared in numerous television series, including TrinityGoing to California, Judging Amy, Dexter,  Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and A Drop of True Blood. Sam has also appeared in the critically acclaimed film Beat alongside fellow ZSC Commander Norman Reedus, and has also been seen in the films AVPR: Aliens vs Predator – Requiem, Guns, Girls & Gambling, the Canadian thriller Deadweight and The Aftermath.

Deadweight

What’s new?
Sam recently appeared in the independent film Me, and wrapped up work on Three Generations and The Track. He is currently working on a television movie Cocked, slated for release later this year.

If you’re just joining us for this series, please check out our previous Commander Monday field reports!


Commander Mondays: Tony Todd

Once veteran actor Tony Todd stepped off the stage and into the 1986 film Sleepwalk, it was only a matter of time before he slipped into our nightmares through Clive Barker’s terrifying Candyman and became one of the most recognizable icons of horror films worldwide.

TonyToddHands

As William Bludworth in the Final Destination series, he shared with wide-eyed viewers his vast knowledge of death and offered up a few tips about how to cheat the Reaper himself. In the 1990 remake of Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead, Tony came face to face with the shambling horde for the first time, awarding him first-hand knowledge and experience that would prove invaluable for the future. It is this knowledge and experience that makes him more than qualified for leadership in the Zombie Survival Crew. Tony’s versatility, charisma and quiet nature directly contrast his powerful presence, and one cannot help but wonder what lurks beneath the surface, or what hides behind the chilling, intelligent smile.

Towering over just about everybody at a statuesque 6 feet 5 inches, the imposing Tony Todd hails from our nation’s capital. He put in two years at the University of Connecticut before starting on a new path with a scholarship from the renowned Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute. Tony appeared in scores of theater  performances with the Hartman Conservatory in Stamford, Connecticut and the Trinity Square Repertory Theatre Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. He also taught playwriting to high school students in the Hartford public school system. Tony has appeared in films, stage performances and TV series almost too numerous to mention, including Oliver Stone’s Academy Award-winning film Platoon, the title role in award-winning playwright August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and co-starring alongside Brandon Lee and Michael Wincott in the 1994 cult classic The Crow. On the smaller screen, we’ve seen Tony  on Boston Public, NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Crossing Jordan, and The X-Files. He has had recurring roles in all three Star Trek franchises, episodes of CSI: Miami, and many other acclaimed television series.

While waiting for the Z-pocalypse to begin and the call to arms from the ZSC, Tony continues to work hard, honing his skills and developing his already considerable talents in preparation for the inevitable. He has a LOT coming up in the near future, as he has been working on multiple film projects for some time. Recently completed work includes Agoraphobia, The Witching Hour, and Vanish. Currently in post-production are Cowboy’s Girl, Beyond the Game, Live-Evil, Frankenstein and an as of yet untitled project from director Livi Zheng. Tony is currently filming Beast Mode and is slated to appear in more upcoming films including Broken Cross, Crimson Saints.

Tony also assumed the role of the Starfleet Commander in Chief in the indie-budgeted  Star Trek: Axanar alongside veteran actors Richard Hatch, Kate Vernon and Gary Graham:

If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!


Commander Mondays: Jim Parrack

Vampires, werewolves and aliens… oh my! From a very young age, First Lieutenant Jim Parrack’s admiration for screen legends Robert Duvall and James Dean was a sure sign of what was to come, but it may in fact have been his self-admitted fascination with vampires that started him on a path that was destined to lead him to ZSC leadership. Experience dealing with the undead is always a plus, but add to that solid weapons training (perhaps meant to battle aliens over Los Angeles), and you have exactly what ZSC recruiters look for when scoping out new members.

The handsome young man from Allen, Texas decided to put down the golf clubs (even though they work just fine for taking down a zombie) and pursue acting as a teenager. Jim first stepped onto the stage at Keith and Margo’s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater in Dallas, and not long after had moved to Los Angeles where he studied at The Stella Adler Academy and Playhouse West.

Before landing a starring role as Hoyt Fortenberry in HBO’s hit series True Blood, Jim appeared in Battle: Los Angeles with Red Brigade 1st Lieutenant Neil Brown, Jr. He has also appeared in numerous television series, including Supernatural, Alcatraz, Criminal Minds, NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy to name just a few. Jim also wrote and directed the film Post, produced by his own film production company 120 Productions. Jim also appeared in the film As I Lay Dying, directed by close friend James Franco and based on the novel by William Faulkner. Most recently, Jim appeared in the critically-acclaimed 2014 film Fury as Sergeant Binkowski, alongside another face familiar to zombie survivalists everywhere, Jon Bernthal.

Jim will also be appearing once again with James Franco in  The Adderall Diaries, currently filming in NYC and set for release in 2015. Look for Jim in current films such as The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards, Holy Land, and the short film Filandra.

If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!


Commander Mondays: Casper Van Dien

Okay, so those weren’t zombies we saw him battling alongside friends and influential high school teachers in the instant-classic hit film Starship Troopers. They were bugs. Big bugs. Big fast bugs. Big, fast deadly, angry extraterrestrial badass bugs. They’re hard to kill, but you only have to do it once –  Nobody ever said “the only good zombie is a dead zombie,” not only because it’s a dumb thing to say, but because it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.  Few others understand the importance of perfecting the patented flip six three hole, and even fewer can say they have traveled as far and walked as many roads as this seasoned actor, writer and producer.

Coming from a strong military background, Casper Van Dien was raised in New Jersey, on a street named after his great-great-grandfather … you guessed it…. Van Dien Avenue.  After moving to Florida, he attended Admiral Farragut Academy where he graduated  as Operations Officer, obviously setting the stage for the future and preparing for what lies ahead. While waiting for the zombie apocalypse to begin, Casper moved to Los Angeles and landed many TV roles, including television commercials and roles in Beverly Hills 90210 and One Life to Live before stepping onto the bigger screen.

Soon afterwards, he landed the lead role in James Dean: Race with Destiny before jumping into the part that even now remains one of the most recognizable to science fiction fandom, Johnny Rico in the ultra-violent action adventure, Starship Troopers. In 2009, the Lt once again donned Johnny Rico’s uniform and jumped to the front lines in the war against child abuse, appearing in several PSAs by ChildHelp.org. Many films and television appearances later, he appeared in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollowearning himself some experience in dealing with the undead. Casper also became the 20th on-screen Lord of the Jungle when he took the starring role in Warner Brothers’ Tarzan and the Lost City.  In 2008 he reprised his role as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, and more recently he brought us Johnny Cage in  Mortal Kombat: Legacy

Coming soon: Watch for for Casper in Sharktopus vs. Mermantula…  yes, you read that correctly. And after watching the trailer below, we simply CANNOT WAIT to see it.

Look for Casper in the upcoming Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber RaineISRA-88, Army Dog and Grit in 2015.

>Would you like to know more?



Commander Mondays: David Della Rocco

Loyalty, generosity and compassion are words one might use to describe David. A winning smile and soft-spoken nature are enough to win over even the most critical of viewers… but one also cannot deny that a certain amount of mystery surrounds him, leading the imagination to fill in the rest.

David (aka “Rocco”) is an Italian-American comedian and classically trained actor. Hailing from Norwich, Connecticut, he currently resides in Los Angeles alongside many other ZSC commanders, further ensuring the safety of our Western shores in the dark days to come. Best known for his breakout role as the beloved Funny Man Rocco in the Boondock Saints series, David is a member of the Actor’s Studio, and  also an accomplished stage veteran who has appeared in numerous performances, including Glengarry Glen Ross at the Third Street Theatre and Freedom Frogs at the Lee Strasberg Theatre. Rocco has also appeared in Jake’s Corner and the critically acclaimed documentary film Off the Boulevard.

It is a little known fact that Rocco is also a master of disguise, a talent that longtime childhood friend Troy Duffy made use of in 1990’s cult hit The Boondock Saints. The role of the Funny Man was written specifically for him, but this opportunity also allowed him to form early connections with future ZSC Commanders Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery. Another small piece of trivia was revealed during attendance at a convention last summer – his preference for the classic architecture of the standard door system over that of the modern convenience of the revolving door.

David recently joined the world of social networking on Twitter. While he claims to have been coerced by fellow commander and Boondock Saints alumni Sean Patrick Flanery, he’s tackled the online media world like a champ and so far seems to be enjoying the opportunity to reach out to his fans.

In addition to the notoriously hilarious role of Rocco in the Boondock Saints franchise, David has appeared in the films The Black Dove, Dead in 5 Heartbeats, Jake’s Corner, and Anthony Colliano’s Feeding on Fear.

 

 

 

 

If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!


Commander Mondays: Ted Raimi

Light Blue Brigade’s First Lieutenant Ted Raimi already has the single most important weapon to survive the pending Z-pocalypse – expertise. With years of experience playing, directing and battling against any and all manner of all dead, undead or just mostly dead behind him,  Smith & Wesson in one hand and cattle prod in the other, Mr. Raimi brings his expertise to the front lines, ensuring that the western coast is well protected and prepared.

Ted Raimi first arrived on the screen in 1981, appearing in the now infamous and wonderfully nauseating film Evil Dead, where he got an early taste (excuse me) for dealing with… well… evil dead. He went on to appear in and direct many films, including Midnight Meat Train, The Grudge, Drag Me to Hell, and a small but memorable role alongside fellow First Lieutenant Sean Patrick Flanery in Masters of Horror: The Damned Thing.

On the smaller screen, we’ve seen him in episodes of Supernatural, Code Monkeys, Legend of the Seeker, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Your Dungeon, My Dragon. Mr. Raimi also directed the webseries Playing Dead.

Playing Dead

He also wrote and directed several episodes of Morbid Minutes in 2011, as well as the short film My Treat in 2009. In 2012 he appeared in Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader and Oz The Great and Powerful. In 2014 he appeared in Murder of a Cat, and currently in production are the films Purgatory and Semblance.

Not long ago, undercover ZSC operatives discovered what was initially suspected to be evidence of First Lieutenant Raimi’s questionable motives for joining ZSC Command. It seems he has in the past connected with the Zombie Rights Campaign, a fringe operation devoted to supporting the rights of the mindless creatures that may replace us at the top of the food chain in the very near future. We suspected then and now that such a group was a cover for something far more nefarious. However, we have now learned that he was in fact working in a deep-cover operation with long-time friend and covert operative Bruce Campbell, until their cover was blown by an unusually observant zombie. First Lt. Raimi was forced withdraw and report back to Command empty handed.

First Lieutenant Raimi is currently on special assignment in an undisclosed location, and we are confident that this mission will be fully successful. Be sure to check out his website www.tedraimi.com for more updates!

 If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!


Commander Monday: Jinxie G

Yellow Brigade, meet your commander Jinxie G! Amazon queen, creator and destroyer of worlds, earth mother and certified zombie slayer, Jinxie is not one to be taken lightly, or trifled with. She writes, she reads, she draws and has been known to paint. But most importantly, she is in the spotlight this week for Commander Monday.  She’s also nocturnal, so we’ll  give her a break and turn off the light for a moment.

Ferocious, loyal, kind-hearted and determined, Jinxie is tall in stature, sharp as a double-bladed machete and not one to be trifled with. She wields a longbow with all the skill of an Amazon warrior, and when she’s done saving the world from the shambling hordes of the undead, she will sit us all down and show that she can cook like the Italian master chef that the she is.

N.L. “Jinxie” Gervasio wears many hats. Founder of Just Ink Press,  freelance ghostwriter, editor and writer at the e-magazine titled Forever Nocturne. Love vampires, werewolves, and all things dark and supernatural? Jinxie has just the thing for you. Check out Jinxie’s World for a fantastic place that alternates comfortably between the worlds of reality and dreams. Browse the recipes on her blog to experience extreme salivation, check out current and past writing projects, see what she’s editing and more!

Jinxie spends most of her time writing, editing, editing, writing, editing and sometimes eating or sleeping. Browse her works available on Amazon.com, stop by her website or hop over to say hello on Facebook. If you can get her to stop editing for a moment she might even say hello.

If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!


Commander Mondays: Neil Brown, Jr.

 

 

What does it take to survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Weapons? Combat training? A bright yellow humvee with a backup supply of fuel? An underground bomb shelter fully stocked and able to support at least twelve lucky survivors for an indefinite period of time? How about the ability to rub two sticks together and produce a flame? If you answered yes to all of these things, you’re not incorrect… but you’re missing the two most important items for your best chance at ZA survival: friends, and a go-bag. The go-bag is a separate matter entirely, so let’s focus on the other.

Friends are the difference between those who watch your back and those who might trip you to escape a sticky situation themselves. Friends are the most valuable of all your survival needs, and this week’s Commander Monday spotlight is on one of the Zombie Survival Crew’s most devoted and loyal friends, Red Brigade’s First Lieutenant Neil Brown, Jr.

Actor, martial artist and self-proclaimed “knucklehead,” Neil hails from Orlando, Florida and has studied Shotokai Karate, Jujutsu, Judo, Tae Kwan Do, Capoeira, and many more disciplines that this writer cannot pronounce. He bobs, he weaves, he dodges and roundhouse-kicks better than Chuck Norris on his best day. It is a little-known urban legend that at the age of four he roundhouse-kicked a car and walked away with little more than a few bumps and bruises.

Neil’s extensive martial arts training unexpectedly paved the road to acting when he appeared on the TV show WMAC masters at age 14. In addition to portraying Guillermo, the unlikely leader of a band of survivors in The Walking Dead, Neil has appeared in multiple television roles, including the series Harry’s Law, Suits, Castle, Borderline Coyotes, Weeds and more recently on NCIS.  He also appeared in 2009’s Fast & Furious, and has also done his part to save the world from aliens in Battle: Los Angeles.

Most recently, we were thrilled to learn that Neil has been cast in Universal’s upcoming film Straight Outta Compton. This much-anticipated biopic, produced by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, chronicles the rise of the hip-hop group N.W.A.  Neil will be appearing as DJ Yella alongside Aldis Hodge, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell. Filming for Straight Outta Compton has begun with an anticipated release date in 2015.

 

Between acting and roundhouse-kicking, Neil devotes time to the things that matter the most – family and friends. He can also be found making appearances on the comic-convention circuit. Don’t forget to stop by his website to see what’s happening!

 If you are just joining us for this series, please check out our previous Commander Monday reports!