*By Brian Henry*
Fans of the tearjerker "A Walk to Remember" might not recognize star Shane West. In stark contrast to his role as Landon ー reformed bad boy and star-crossed lover to Mandy Moore's Jamie ー the actor is making his debut on Fox's "Gotham" as one of DC Comics' most notorious villains: Bane.
According to West, the series creators saved one of the best nemeses for last.
"It was the final season, they saved their one big, bad villain that they hadn't done in five years for the end," he told Cheddar.
For West, a rabid fan of comics, the role is the culmination of a "random dream come true."
"They called me about it. I had never played a hero or a villain from a comic book and to have this be my first one. And to work in New York for a few months ー I had never worked in New York ー it was a no-brainer."
Even though his breakthrough film, "A Walk to Remember," is 17 years in the past, West said the story endures.
"It was a very touching story and with a lot of those types of stories and movies its based on chemistry," he said.
West said he couldn't have anticipated the film would resonate so deeply with viewers ー but he gives his co-star, then a newcomer to the business, plenty of the credit.
"Mandy was wonderful and kind of new into the acting world. She'd been around as a pop star at the time. I was on a TV show and had done a couple films before that. We were both basically new."
"People have continued to watch it for 17 years," he added.
Almost two decades later, West is more than ready to embody a new kind of character.
"Gotham" airs Thursdays on Fox.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/shane-west-talks-tackling-the-role-of-iconic-batman-villain).
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