The actor, best-known for playing the now-deceased T-Dog in TV’s smash-hit series The Walking Dead and Alton in the Oscar-winning drama The Blind Side, was all smiles as he walked into the Barnes & Noble at 13800 N. May this afternoon to promote his book, Blindsided by the Walking Dead. A line of waiting fans stretched to the door, greeting Singleton with shouts of “We love you!” to which he replied, “Hey, I love you, too!”
The book is his memoir. Born and raised in Atlanta, Singleton had a hard childhood. After his mother died from HIV complications, Singleton decided to do everything he could to inspire people who, like himself, came from underprivileged backgrounds.
“My upbringing is everything. I carry my experiences wherever I go and try to bring humanity to each role I play,” he said. “What I took away from The Blind Side is that if you do good things, then good things will happen to you. With The Walking Dead, you’ve got people from all walks of life. You’ve got black, white, Asian, Hispanic people — different cultures coming together to survive. I’ve learned that when we can come together like that, we can not only survive, but prosper.”
Singleton said Blindsided by the Walking Dead blends the lessons he’s learned growing up with the lessons he’s taken away from his acting experiences, which also includes 2011’s Seeking Justice alongside Nicolas Cage, Guy Pearce and January Jones.
“This book represents the culmination of my life so far,” Singleton said. “In writing this book, I feel fulfilled. If I were to walk out of this bookstore and die, I’d be happy.” —Alyssa Grimley
Hey! Read This:
• Seeking Justice Blu-ray review
• The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray review
This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2013.