WHO DIED ON THE DEAD?
Calgary actor keeps secret
Steven Ogg likes to play a joke on Walking Dead fans.
The Calgary-born actor has been seen in only one episode of the AMC juggernaut so far, but it remains one of the most talkedabout episodes in the history of modern television. As the righthand man of a new villain named Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Ogg’s as-yet-unnamed character was there for the shocking finale of Season 6, which appeared to end with at least one our beloved heroes being beaten to death with a bat wrapped in barbed wire.
The identity of the victim has not been revealed but the cliffhanging finale has resulted in endless speculation and online chatter and annoyed more than a few impatient fans. In these spoiler-paranoid days, it goes without saying that an actor revealing Walking Dead plot points prematurely would probably suffer something much worse than a beating from a bat wrapped in barbed wired, or at least his career would. But that doesn’t stop fans from approaching Ogg at Walker Stalker Conventions — think Comic-Con, but fully dedicated to the Walking Dead — and asking him to spill the beans. So he tells them he’ll write the name of the victim on the back of the photo he is signing.
“I say, ‘I’ll write it on the back but you cannot tell anyone because I’d get fired for this. This is real serious,’” says Ogg, in an interview during a recent return home to Calgary. “They take it and say, ‘OK, yeah man, definitely.’ I’ll write on the back ‘Santa Claus’ or ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ ”
It’s all part of Ogg’s life now as a Walking Dead actor. Back in April, after the Season 6 finale attracted 14 million viewers, he was cornered by celebrity news network TMZ in New York City and asked to speculate on who died. He said: “I absolutely have zero idea.”
He may or may not have been telling the truth. Whatever the case, he probably knows who died by now. Ogg has been in Atlanta shooting Season 7 of The Walking Dead. That’s pretty much all he can say about his involvement in the series at this point.
“Everyone saw me in the Season 7 trailer, so I’m definitely around,” he says. “You never know. Anyone can go at anytime. But there’s more of me.”
He also can’t say much about his recurring role in HBO’s highly anticipated Westworld reboot that debuts Oct. 2 and stars Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris.
He plays a character named Rebus, one the characters who works at the futuristic amusement park for adults that is at the centre of the dark sci-fi story.
“When guests pay to go into this world, Rebus is one of the characters that they might come across,” Ogg says.
It seems unlikely he will return to another of AMC’s prestige dramas, Better Call Saul. But observant viewers likely recognized him last year during a violent but funny scene that had him playing an arrogant and ultimately inept thug named Sobchak, who gets his comeuppance after foolishly taunting Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). He says he also gets recognized in airports these days for his guest role as a super-creepy locksmith in the cult comedy hit Broad City.
These are the latest roles for Ogg, who seems to be carving out a niche for himself with memorable parts in shows on the forefront in this new golden age of television. The former Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School and University of Calgary student moved to New York City almost two decades ago to pursue his acting career.
After performing in community theatre productions in his hometown, Ogg turned to modelling. His modelling experience and athletic prowess — he played volleyball at U of C — led to a stint as a personal trainer of supermodels in Europe.
But he decided his true calling was acting, so he went to the Big Apple and began landing TV and film roles.
For a certain segment of the population, Ogg will always be Trevor Phillips, the funny but vicious criminal from Grand Theft Auto V, a video game that became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history after its heavily hyped release in 2013. Ogg spent three years playing the role through motion-capture performance and it has turned him into a superstar in the gaming world.
So far, his profile in film and TV hasn’t matched his status among gamers. But landing roles in highprofile series is sure to help. The 42-year-old father of one says he continues to “play the game,” going to auditions and building on his reputation as a versatile character actor.
“For me, it’s just wanting to have consistency in work,” he says. “What would I rather have, these iconic moments in shows or a regular gig for six months on something? I shouldn’t name shows, but there’s recently been things that I’ve auditioned for or been up for and my manager and everyone knows that it’s certainly not a career goal to be on some of these things; they are just not my cup of tea.
“But you do them because it is show business and you have to do them for exposure. I’ll play the game. I’ll do what I need to do just so I’ll then be in a position to do what I want.”
That includes working with impressive ensemble casts, such as those assembled for Westworld and the Walking Dead. His experiences on both have been “love-ins,” with his fellow actors being warm and generous no matter what their star status.
“To be standing there and have Sir Anthony Hopkins walk by ... ” Ogg says, slipping into a Hopkins imitation “‘Are you all right, then? Would you like anything?’ I was like, ‘Would YOU like anything? I’m just happy to be here.’ ”
Ogg says he would love to return to Calgary to work. He is a particular fan of FX’s Fargo, which will begin shooting its third season with Ewan McGregor in November.
“Everything is offered out to quote, unquote ‘names,’” he says. “So it’s just about trying to build up that quote, unquote, name. So, obviously, these iconic shows help.
“They don’t help enough, because I still ain’t on Fargo,” he adds with a laugh. “I’m very grateful, very appreciative. With the Walking Dead, it’s a whole new world of exposure. But that’s the goal for me. I’m always reaching forward.”