Soon to be released, Antiquities is a film that has some great actors and actresses starring in it. Our main character is Walt who is played by Andrew J. West, and we managed to chat with him in an exclusive interview, about the film.
For those of you who aren’t sure who he is but recognise his face, you may know Andrew J. West for his many acting roles. He joined the final season (season seven) of Once Upon A Time, stepping in as the role of the main character, Henry Mills. He is also known as one of the many bad guys to appear in The Walking Dead; he played Gareth in the season four finale and then became a series regular in season five. Early on in his career, he also played Fisher in the TV series Greek, where he began dating Amber Stevens and in December 2014 they got married; now, they’re expecting their first child together.
Andrew J. West plays the main character in Antiquities, and he does a brilliant job of being Walt. Check out our film review of Antiquities. The film had its world premiere on June 16 at Dances With Films festival.
We managed to exclusively interview Andrew J. Walt about this new film. We also got to chat about his roles in Once Upon A Time, Greek and The Walking Dead. Check out his answers to our questions below.
Hi Andrew, how are you today? What have you been up to? You star in the upcoming film Antiquities; can you tell us more about it?
Antiquities is a heartfelt comedy about relationships and family, but at its core, it’s about how we all are on a quest to connect with our roots and the things internal and external that stand in our way.
You play Walt, can you tell us more about the character such as who he is as a person?
Walt is a pretty unassuming guy who gets frazzled easily. He’s thrust into a situation with a lot of larger than life characters, so it’s fun to watch him squirm.
What similarities and differences do you and Walt have?
Walt and I are very similar. I think that his goal of developing a better understanding of where he comes from is universal and it’s definitely something that interests me in my own life. But in terms of differences, I can certainly gravitate toward some eccentric types whereas Walt does his best to steer clear of those who are unpredictable and maybe a little volatile.
The film had its world premiere on Saturday, June 14, at Dances With Films what was that like and how was the reaction?
The premiere at Dances With Films was fantastic. Watching a film with a large audience in a theater is always the true test. That’s the only way to gauge how people will truthfully respond to a film and it definitely felt like a success to me. Also, it’s always nice to finally see everyone’s hard work in the finished form.
What was it like filming Antiquities? And how did it differ filming this film over your previous acting credits on films and TV series?
When you’re working on an independent film, the scale is much smaller than it is on TV, so you really get a chance to dig into the material and play with it. Antiquities was a great opportunity to keep things spontaneous onset and explore where the scenes would take us.
It was directed by Daniel Campbell, what’s he like as a director?
Antiquities was Daniel Campbell’s first feature as a director, so he brought an enormous amount of enthusiasm to set. He also co-wrote the script, so he knew the characters and the story inside and out. It’s ultimately up to the director to create an environment that’s conducive to exploration and Daniel absolutely did that.
What was it like acting in Arkansas?
Working in Arkansas was great because a lot of us flew in from LA and it felt like we were all away at camp. We didn’t have any other distractions and we were all there just to complete this one goal of making a great film. And it was exciting to be working in a completely new city.
Okay, now we want to delve into your previous work, we loved you in Once Upon A Time, what was it like filming the last season in the series?
It was a surreal experience to step into the final season of such a hit show, especially as one of the pre-existing main characters. It was special to be a part of the legacy of Once Upon A Time and to watch the cast and crew that had been on the show since the beginning go on that emotional and bittersweet journey of bringing the show to a close. I’m sure it will always be a unique moment in my career.
What was it like to literally fill Jared S. Gilmore’s shoes as Henry Mills in the TV show?
It was very difficult to take on the role of Henry because I had to make sure that I stayed true to the wonderful work that Jared S. Gilmore had done for six years, but I also wanted to honor the fact that Henry had grown up and become his own person. It required way more preparation than any role I had taken on before. It was a huge challenge and I loved it.
You also had a recurring role in Greek early on in your career, what was that like? We’d also like to use this opportunity to extend our congratulations to you on the announcement that you’re expecting your first child with your wife, Amber Stevens West, who you met on the set of Greek.
Thank you! Amber and I met on the set of Greek so obviously, that will always be a very special job for me. Aside from meeting my wife, it was also very early in my career and it was the first time I got to play a character on a TV show for an extended period of time, so it was a huge learning experience as well.
A lot of people remember your time on The Walking Dead, as Gareth, and on Under The Dome, as Pete Blackwell, what memories do you have of working on these shows?
My memories from those shows mainly involve a lot of fake blood. In both cases, I came to a pretty gruesome demise so we had some fun on set with setting up extra bloody death scenes.
Back to Antiquities, how excited are you for people to see the film?
I can’t wait for people to see Antiquities and, not only will they be treated to a universal story about the importance of family ties, but they will also see some outstanding performances from a large supporting cast.
And, finally, do you have a message for your fans?
Thanks for the support, everyone!
Thank you, Andrew J. West, for taking the time out to answer our questions. We truly believe you played Walt amazingly in Antiquities, and we can’t wait for everyone else to see it. We’re also looking forward to seeing where your career takes you.
Antiquities has been directed by Daniel Campbell and was filmed completely in Arkansas. It had its world premiere on June 16, 2018, at Dances With Films festival. If you haven’t already, check out our film review of Antiquities.