AMERICANWAY

ITINERARY CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GENE PAGE/AMC; (C) LUCASFILM; FOX; WARNER BROS./COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION (2); DC ENTERTAINMENT (3) 1 8 O C TO B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY in hollywood, the first gig is an impor- tant one: It 's an actor 's introduction to both the viewing public, as well as direc- tors and producers. Some actors can only shake their head in embarrassment at their fi rst few rite-of-passage jobs. Others are fortunate to have a solid fi rst role. But very few can say their fi rst job was on the highest-rated scripted series on television. A mong those lucky few is Steven Yeun, one of the stars of The Walking Dead. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Troy, Mich., Yeun had only been in Los Angeles for six months before getting cast on the show, which fi lms in the Atlanta suburbs. "When I fi rst got the job, I just thought, 'How do I not mess this up?' and I put my head down, said my lines and then stayed out of the way," Yeun says. "Thankfully, that approach fi t my character, as Glenn is a little meek but fi ery, but Steven, the actor, is also fi ery but meek." A nd t ho s e t wo p er s on a l it y t r a it s might just be a winning combo for com- bating zombies and Holly wood because now, w ith the show 's f if th season pre- miering this month, Yeun is one of the few original cast members who have sur- vived the show's zombie apocalypse thus far, meaning he is no longer the rookie he once was — though you wouldn't know it based on his characteristic modesty. "I'm surrounded by such amazing profes- sionals; there is no way I can't continue to become a better actor," he says. Despite the serious nature of the show he's known for, Yeun got his start in comedy as a mem- ber of famed troupe The Second City, which pro- duced comedy greats like Bill Murray and Steve Carell, and it only takes a brief conversation with the actor to pick up on his unimposing brand of dry humor. In addition to fi ghting the undead on TV, Yeun also starred in the Sundance Film Festival hit I, Origins this past summer. And when he's not play ing Glenn, his fans can expect more roles of subst a nc e f r om t he you ng st a r. " I wou ld love to pursue independent-style comedy, and I'd love to do a massive war drama," he says. "As an Asian American, there are fi gures in W WII that people don't know about, and I would love to play one of them, as it's such a complex part of history." —Emily L. Foley { M O V I E S } 75 and Still Batting a Thousand Inspired by Sherlock Holmes, Dick Tracy and The Shadow, BATMAN first entered the public consciousness as Gotham City's Caped Crusader in 1939. Celebrating his diamond anniversary this year, the Dark Knight continues to rise as a multimedia superstar. Here, American Way looks at highlights from Batman's 75 years in pop culture. 1939 Batman makes his debut in Detective Comics #27, in a story called "The Case of the Chemical Syn- dicate." An original copy of the comic sold for $1.7 million in 2012. 1940 In April, creator Bob Kane invents The Dynamic Duo with the introduction in Detec- tive Comics #38 of trusty sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder. Sales of Batman com- ics promptly double. 1952 In "The Mightiest Team in the World," Batman joins up with Superman to fight crime. The alliance will be revisited in the 2016 film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. 1966 On Jan. 12, ABC pre- mieres Batman, a col- orful TV adaptation of the Caped Crusader, which becomes a huge hit, running until 1968. Batman: The Movie, starring the TV series' actors, also premieres. 1986 The graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns reinvents the hero as a 55-year- old who emerges from retirement to bring justice to Gotham City. 1989–1997 Batman hits the big screen for two Tim Burton-helmed films starring Michael Ke- aton. Joel Shumacher directs Val Kilmer and George Clooney as the Caped Crusader. 2005 Filmmaker Christo- pher Nolan takes the reins on a new trilogy of films, starting with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale. The film becomes one of the highest- grossing of all time. 2014 On Sept. 22, FOX pre- miered Gotham, a TV series focusing on the early years of Batman's crime- plagued hometown. —J . R EN T I L LY { M O V I E S } Rebels With a Cause Let's face it: The Star Wars prequel trilogy didn't enjoy unanimous acclaim. Among fans' complaints were a lack of tough, no-nonsense characters á la the original films' Han Solo. As such, the name of the new Disney XD animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, is telling. Starting this month, bounty hunters, renegades and muscle-bound aliens will fill out a ragtag spaceship crew that brings attitude back to the Wars. As the show is set in the years before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, expect some fan-favorite cameos, including Lando Calrissian, along with a mix of hand-drawn and 3-D art that should recall the style — and fun — of the original trilogy. www.disneyxd.disney.com/ star-wars-rebels —SA M M AC H KOV EC H Steven Yeun as Glenn on The Walking Dead

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