Tom Payne Talks About His 'Jesus' Character On The Walking Dead

When The Walking Dead returns next weekend, the series will be taking steps toward building and exploring a larger world.

The characters we will meet in that world are staples in the comics and several have been announced and cast. Among them: Paul "Jesus" Monroe played by Tom Payne.

While Payne can't speak much about his character's story on the series (we can draw from the comics for that for now), he did finally open up a bit about joining the show and what the experience has been like so far.

For example, Jesus is a very fit character with some impressive fighting skills. "I was very excited to get fit again!" Payne tells EW about the physical requirements of the role. "I was a gymnast when I was younger but sadly didn't really keep it up with age. I have a gym membership, but that's always been more about muscle building for roles. With this part, it's been an amazing opportunity for me to get back into a more dynamic physicality. The training is hard, but I'm loving every minute.

Jesus is much more than just a fighter, though. He has become and right-hand man to both Rick Grimes and Maggie Greene as she rose as a leader in the comics. The television portrayal of the character sounds like he'll be equally complex. "What I like about him is his control," Payne says. "He is physically and mentally capable, but is careful not to reveal his strengths too quickly. He has the measure of people pretty quickly upon meeting them and is always thinking about the best way to handle any situation he finds himself in. I'm very much looking forward to exploring the character further with the audience. It's an exciting road ahead."

Those of us who are familiar with Charlie Adlard's artistic portrayal of Jesus on paper know that Jesus frequently dressed very warm. He is known quite well for his beanie hat and long sleeves. That's probably why Payne says "Georgia's climate" is the toughest part of the gig. "I was lucky to arrive later on in the filming period nearer the end of the summer, but even then it was hot and humid," Payne admits. "The show is very physical and it doesn't take much to build up a sweat. My character isn't exactly dressed for the heat so I needed to make sure I was drinking a lot of water and resting in the shade when we weren't filming. The Georgia weather is a big part of the show, I think. The conditions are something that everyone works through and I think it helps bind everyone together. It's without a doubt the most welcoming cast and crew I've worked with and there's a great sense of camaraderie."

The Walking Dead returns from its midseason hiatus on February 14 at 9 PM ET on AMC.