He has traveled the world as a videographer for the U.S. Army and acted in dozens of films and TV shows, including the award-winning HBO series “The Wire.”

Most recently, he has been fighting zombies on AMC’s hugely popular “The Walking Dead.”

Still, Chad L. (for Luther) Coleman calls his appearance as grand marshal in the Dominion Christmas Parade “something special.”

“It’s like my hometown reached out and embraced me,” the 48-year-old actor says of the cheers and waves from the crowd that filled city sidewalks last Saturday. “It was really wonderful to receive this kind of recognition.”

The Free Press caught up with the bearded actor at Croaker’s Spot in Petersburg, where he paused to talk about his life and career before sitting down for a meal with an entourage of friends and family that included his toddler son, Caleb, and girlfriend, former model Tracy McPeak.

Despite his current celebrity, Mr. Coleman comes across as a “regular” guy, who dotes on his child, is comfortable with himself, appreciative of his family and happy with the life he has created.

Mr. Coleman is a shining example of the saying “it’s not where you start, but where you end up.”

He was an 11-month-old baby in Creighton Court when his parents abandoned him and his two older brothers and two older sisters, ages 3 to 7.

He says that authorities finally stepped in after his oldest brother, Donald, now chairman of the Richmond School Board, accidentally started a fire trying to make eggs for his siblings. The children ended up in foster care.

He and the other children were lucky, he says, to land with George and Lottie Byrd, who provided the stability, discipline and love they needed to succeed.

As a teen, he found his future career in an after-school drama club at the combined Armstrong-Kennedy High School.

He came under the tutelage of his mentor, Robert Pemberton, who later helped him get his first acting gig in New York. “He was a tough taskmaster,” but he “taught us how to act.”

After high school, he was headed to acting school at New York University, he says, until a government grant dried up. Bored after a year in Virginia Commonwealth University’s theater program, he says he enlisted in the Army.

“It was like a graduate school for me,” he says. He not only learned about filming as he traveled to Japan, Korea, Germany and a range of U.S. bases, he also got experience with music videos and public service announcements.

Mr. Coleman got his start in showbiz as a stand-in on the “The Cosby Show” after he left the military to try to make it in New York. He got little attention, but became friends with actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo Cosby on the show. Mr. Coleman later appeared in Mr. Warner’s NBC sitcom “Here and Now,” though it lasted just five episodes.

Still, Mr. Coleman says he always was able to pay the rent. “I was ready for anything,” he says. He did voiceovers and commercials to pay the bills and kept auditioning for parts.

He spent a lot of time in the theater, including appearing in Broadway revivals of “Othello” with Patrick Stewart and in August Wilson’s “Joe Turner Has Come and Gone” with Denzel Washington.

He has had parts in several films, most notably starring as O.J. Simpson in TNT’s “Monday Night Mayhem” in 2002.

He gained opportunities to showcase his acting skills in TV appearances, where his roles have varied from a boxer suffering from dementia from all the hits he took to a coal miner. His TV credits are lengthy, ranging from “Law and Order” to “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Before joining “The Walkng Dead” in 2012, he played the father and ex-husband on the Fox network comedy ”I Hate My Teenage Daughter.”

Mr. Coleman acknowledges his biggest break came from his time on “The Wire.” He was in San Francisco in 2004, he recalls, when he got a chance to audition for the part that won him real attention. The role: Dennis “Cutty” Wise, a reformed criminal who opens a boxing gym.

Now he’s playing ex-football player Tyreese on “The Walking Dead,” the biggest cable hit ever that, this season, is drawing a record audience of 16 million viewers.

“It’s pretty awesome to be a part of two shows that absolutely have changed the face of television,” he says.

These days, he receives plenty of adulation from fans of “The Walking Dead.” It can be a bit much, he says, and at times he has to tell them to dial it down a notch.

“I’m just a normal guy, and I’m fortunate to be involved in this profession and this show.”

A close-up of this week’s Personality, Chad L. Coleman:

Date and place of birth: Sept. 9 in Richmond.

Current home: Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.

Alma maters: Armstong-Kennedy High School (I was Mr. A-K my senior year) and the U.S. Army videography school.

Family: Daughter, Sasha, 15, and son, Caleb, 17 months.

Why I’m in Richmond: In part to visit family, including my older brother, Donald, who is chairman of the Richmond School Board. I have four older brothers and sisters, and two younger sisters, and I visit several times a year. I also was here to be the grand marshal of the Dominion Christmas Parade.

Being grand marshal: Was a wonderful experience. I never imagined receiving this kind of honor and recognition from my hometown. I was surrounded by my family on the float, and that made it even more special.

The parade was: Outstanding. Conditions were less than ideal, but so many people — young and old — were out there waving. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Being celebrity spokesperson for the nonprofit Camp Diva: I love being connected with a program that helps prepare teenage girls like my daughter to become successful women. I’ve been a spokesman for the program for four years, particularly the “Date With Dad”event. I had written an essay about my relationship with my daughter for a book in which actors described their relationship with their children. Members of Camp Diva found the book in the library, liked it and reached out to me. I’m so glad they did.

Being in Richmond is: Always fun. I enjoy seeing the changes.

Growing up in Richmond was: Stressful at times. I was fortunate to have wonderful foster parents, George and Lottie Byrd. They instilled values in us, character and Christianity. We had to do Bible studies in the front of the house once a week. You were not going to be disrespectful. You were going to be a good kid.

Reaction of family to my success: Of course they are proud of me.

Being a part of the HBO series “The Wire” was: A great experience. I was with a wonderful group of actors. I played the ex-con Dennis “Cutty” Wise. It was very intense. I remember coming in, and I was like, “There’s no way they’re going to kill Idris Elba’s character, Stringer Bell.” And the very next day I got the script, and I couldn’t believe it. They were actually going to kill this dude! I kind of carried that with me — that nothing is promised. I came into “The Wire” in season three, and that show has been an amazing gift that just doesn’t go away. Fans of the show are so passionate. They still come up to tell me that it was the best show ever. They feel they were part of something that will never be replicated.

Being a part of the AMC series “The Walking Dead”: Has been really, really special, and it doesn’t happen often. It’s only the second time in my career where, in a television endeavor, that I feel this sense of family and a “come in, we want to see you shine” type of attitude.

I started acting: When I was in high school. I hurt my leg running cross country and track and I was looking for something else. I got involved with the after-school All City Theatrical Troupe run by Robert Pemberton, an extraordinary teacher. He taught us method acting in which we learn to use the thoughts and feelings of our characters to create more lifelike performances. What I learned as a sophomore in high school was more advanced than what I was taught in the year I spent in college. Mr. Pemberton was hard on us. He wanted us to be excellent or not do it. His training paid dividends. Without him, I would never be where I am.

Most satisfying acting role: Performing in two August Wilson plays, “Gem of the Ocean” and “Radio Golf.”

My latest role: I play Tyreese, a main character on “The Walking Dead” who is trying to help save humanity from the outbreak that has turned a major share of people into zombies. I love the acting and the storyline. I think it appeals to the little kid in all of us. We like being scared.

Actor who influenced me the most: The late Howard Rollins. He made a big impression on me when I saw him in “A Soldier’s Story.” He was the kind of actor I aspired to be.

Acting, for me, is: Cathartic. I enjoy the opportunity to be someone else.

Best late-night snack: A bowl of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond ice cream.

When I get restless, I: Like to travel. It’s a liberating experience.

Favorite city: Cancun, Mexico. In this country, it’s New York.

How I unwind: Spending time with family and friends and being with my children.

What people think when they first meet me: That I’m intimidating.

The person who influenced me the most: My acting teacher, Robert Pemberton.

The book that influenced me the most: “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Haley.

My next goal: To produce a film version of Cori Thomas’ play “When January Feels Like Summer.” It’s a romantic comedy. All the pieces are falling into place, and I’m hoping to have a script and to be able to start filming early next year.