*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).

Share:
More In Culture
Citi Teams Up With Tracy Anderson Method to Get Customers Cash Back on Fitness
Citi recently began collaborating with fitness entrepreneur Tracy Anderson to promote its Custom Cash Credit card. Pam Habner, CEO of U.S. Branded Cards for Citi, along with Tracy Anderson, creator of The Tracy Anderson Method, joined Cheddar to discuss how health and fitness matched up with a cash back credit card. "The fact that Citi is going 'hey if you lead a healthy lifestyle, we're going to help you out. We understand that it's more expensive and we're going to give you cash back for living your best life,'" Anderson said about the partnership, which also includes a custom promotional Spotify playlist.
Crowdbotics Raises $22M Series A to Enable Anyone to Turn Ideas Into Apps
Low-code app development platform Crowdbotics raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Jackson Square Ventures. Crowdbotics has helped more than 14,000 customers launch apps without having to learn how to code. The company can offer a team of expert developers to help companies launch custom apps, or provide the means for companies to develop apps themselves. Crowdbotics CEO Anand Kulkarni joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Recent Killings of Mexican Journalists Spark Outrage
Dr. Celeste González de Bustamante, professor and director of the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the Univerity of Arizona, and Dr. Jeannine E. Relly, professor and director of Global Initiatives at the Center for Border and Global Journalism at the University of Arizona, join Cheddar News to discuss the recent journalist killings in Mexico.
Robotics for Eyelash Extensions; Innovation in Food Tech
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Sidechef CEO breaks down how it's building a platform to make recipe shopping easy; Luum CEO explains the process of having a robot put on eyelash extensions; A look at Curiosity Stream's new original series, 'Evolve.'
Kobe Bryant Statue Placed on Crash Site
Wednesday marked two years since the basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash. In remembrance, a bronze statue has been temporarily placed at the site with all of the passenger's names included on the memorial.
Load More