"I'm not Tig Trager anymore" - Kim Coates on stepping into The Walking Dead universe after Sons of Anarchy 

In many ways, The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy may be considered shows that mirror one another. A group of misfits against the world, all of them far from perfect, with their own drama and turmoil setting the small screen on fire.

Kim Coates, who plays Bruegel in The Walking Dead: Dead City, famously portrayed Tig Trager in Sons of Anarchy. Sportskeeda was invited to be a part of the roundtable promoting the newest season of the spinoff and got a chance to speak with the veteran actor.

Coates, joined by actors Gaius Charles (Armstrong) and Dascha Polanco (Narvaez) from the series, expressed his joy at being a part of two such television mainstays.

"Wait till the show starts dropping. I'm not Tig Trager anymore. I'm playing Bruegel. He's a completely different guy. But to be invited into that world of The Walking Dead. What a joy it is for me," said the 67 year old star.

Could Jax Teller survive in The Walking Dead universe?

It would only be fair to draw parallels between Rick Grimes and Jax Teller, the two protagonists of their respective series. Sportskeeda asked Coates how Teller and his own character would fare in a zombie apocalypse. Coates joked,

"Well, they better have a couple of motorcycles ready if they're going to come to this world. We'd have to talk to Norman Reedus about that."

When asked about the rabid, fervent fanbase that both shows enjoy well after they've concluded, spinoffs notwithstanding, Coates said,

"Yeah, you nailed it, you know, for me, doing all the movies that I've done and the limited series that I've done, even CSI Miami. I did five for Caruso and Prison Break. I never really wanted to be a regular on a television show until Sons of Anarchy, and so I was very, very lucky that they invited me to that party."

Many say that there was a golden age of television, populated by shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Walking Dead in rapid succession. Coates referred to this era and said,

"They're lucky to have all of us, too. So luck goes both ways, and I'm telling you, Sons of Anarchy's fan base, it still is insane. They will never forget that show. And so I remember filming Sons at the exact same time, when The Walking Dead was starting as well, and they were both with Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones and Mad Men. They were all the cable hits of the world at that time, and today they still are."

So how did fans of the zombieverse greet Kim Coates when he stepped into their turf? As one would expect, they welcomed him with open arms. Coates continued,

"They continue to stare at me, going 'Welcome to the family! Welcome to the family.' The Walking Dead family is real, and I knew about it from Norman. I knew about it from Jeffrey. They're pals of mine, but to to film it and be involved in the walkers in the world that Dasha has been talking about. I'll never forget it."

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The lore of Negan and Maggie continues with season 2 of The Walking Dead: Dead City on Sunday, May 4, 2025, on AMC and AMC+. What will Bruegel's interactions with Negan be like? You won't be disappointed!