'The Walking Dead' Star Michael Cudlitz On 'Southland': 'This Is Completely Different'

ByConviron Altatis

Nov 11, 2014 01:25 AM EST

Michael Cudlitz recently explained the similarities and differences of his current TV show "The Walking Dead" and "Southland," in which he starred from 2009 to 2013.

Cudlitz's roles in "Southland" and "The Walking Dead" are both Los Angeles Police District officers. He played the troubled Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman in "Southland" before playing emotionally broken Sergeant Abraham Ford in "The Walking Dead."

"It was real run and gun. 'Southland' was a show where we were not afraid to be ugly. Our hair was not perfect," Cudlitz told Los Angeles Times.

On the other hand, Cudlitz said "The Walking Dead" is "completely different, much more traditional."

"I thought getting back in that kind of rhythm would be hard, but it was easier than I thought it would be," he added.

However, the 49-year-old actor said what makes the two shows similar is the fact that "the stakes are just as high."

"There's a lot of similarity in the danger of being in a zombie apocalypse and being a Los Angeles police officer," he explained.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cudlitz talked about his "The Walking Dead" character and the recently revealed backstory that is very close to the story in the comics where the TV series was based on.

The actor said the show runner Scott M. Gimple allowed him to read the comics.

"Abraham's emotional weight of the story and all that emotion brings with it will be connected with it. As it got closer, it was pretty darn dead on," he commented.

In another interview with The Wrap, Cudlitz referred to "The Walking Dead" as "arguably the biggest show in the world right now."

On the other hand, he pointed out that although the majority of the readers love the show, there will always be those who are not satisfied after every episode. He said, "I don't think there's any way to end the series where everybody's happy."

"The Walking Dead" also stars Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Emily Kinney and Danai Gurira among others.