Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Dare Me’s Adrian Walters

Adrian Walters is an exciting, up-and-coming actor who’s paving his own way. Past credits include Schitt’s Creek, The Handmaid’s Tale, Heroes Reborn, and plenty of others. Currently, he can be seen on USA Network’s addictive new drama Dare Me, a breakout role for Adrian. Pop Culturalist caught up with this fast-rising leading man to chat about his career and new series.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Adrian: I’ve always been around the business. At around six years old, my mom got me involved in extra work. Later on, I stepped away from that and focused my attention on my studies. It was right after I finished high school that I got really scared trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. In my last two years of high school, I was so focused on my studies that I didn’t figure out what my direction was. I noticed at graduation that everyone around me had it figured out, and that really terrified me. I felt lost and like I was the odd man out. I knew I had to make money, so I got this little renovation job. It was really fun. It was really gratifying to see an apartment be built from the ground up and knowing you were a part of that.

I remember during one of my lunch breaks, I was looking out the window and thought, “This isn’t it.” That’s when I remembered how much I enjoyed acting. It’s always felt really exciting and something that I could do. So I put myself into it. From there, I was really fortunate to surround myself with people who had been in this industry much longer than myself, and they really showed me the ropes and what it means to be serious about this. By positioning myself around thespians, people who had done film and TV, I really noticed how much I wanted this.

It hasn’t been easy. For the first three years of auditioning, I didn’t book a single role. Even though I wasn’t seeing immediate success, I loved learning about myself and the craft. It became a source of fulfillment. It wasn’t about the money. It wasn’t about the fame. It was about being able to immerse myself into something. That’s when I started noticing I had a massive passion for this.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Adrian: Personally, I would say my friend Leighton Alexander Williams. He trusted me with the first play that I’ve ever done on the stage called Judas Noir. I was one of the leading actors in it. He wrote this play and said, “Here’s this role that I wrote. I want you to play it, and I trust you to pull it off.” I had never done anything on the stage before, so it was really scary. Everyone else in the cast had done stage work. It meant a lot that he entrusted me with the role. As we were in the rehearsal process, I found my confidence. He always saw the best in me, even when I couldn’t see it in myself.

Professionally, I would say Denzel Washington. I don’t know him personally, but he’s one of my personal heroes. Representation is such a huge thing. Being able to see someone who looks like me on the screen is always inspiring and encouraging. It’s a reminder that I can get there one day. I can start off doing supporting roles and build a career that has respect. So Denzel Washington has always inspired me with the dignity of his choices and how he’s learned to say “no.” I watched interviews of him, and he’s always willing to say “no” if the character doesn’t have a dignity to him. He understands his role as a lead man in Hollywood.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Adrian: Yeah, I did an episode of Private Eyes. It was a massive experience. I was on my way to set. There was another actor who had this big movie coming out, and I remember being so excited on the train because it was my biggest project to date. Then I saw a poster of that other actor’s movie. I was so inspired by it, but at the same time, I realized I couldn’t compare my journey with anyone else’s. That was a big thing for me. I’m walking my own path.

PC: Tell us about Dare Me, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Adrian: In Dare Me, I play Jimmy Tibbs. He’s a Marine. He’s been a Marine for a while now. He’s the baby face. [laughs] He has an eye for the cheerleaders, which gets him in trouble. But his loyalty remain with his superior.

To sum it up, Dare Me is an unflinching exploration of teen angst dealing with themes of loyalties and power in a small town, dreamed up by our showrunner Megan Abbott. She’s amazing.

The material attracted me. I’ve always been a huge fan of Marine movies. I always enjoyed the themes of brotherhood that you see in Marine and war movies. I was attracted to the idea of getting to embody that.

PC: If you had to summarize Season 1 in one sentence, what would it be?
Adrian: I’ll use the tag line from the show: “It was beautiful until it went too far.”

To keep up with Adrian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Dare Me every Sunday at 10/9c.