The Walking Dead has taken its surviving characters on quite a journey, from the onset of the zombie apocalypse where they were living on the outskirts of Atlanta, waiting for help, to the prison, forging ahead on their own and finally landing in Alexandria. The characters have surely been changed by their experiences fighting the undead, but how have the actors, some of whom have lived in these roles for six years now, changed?
"Playing this character has required me to go to places that are a little uncomfortable," Melissa McBride said about her character, Carol. The character has gone from abused, timid wife to one of the group's most relied upon pillars of strength, doing what needs to be done when nobody else wants to. "Let's just say I learn things when I go there."
Steven Yeun, Glenn on The Walking Dead, said he's gotten a different work ethic from playing the fan-favorite character. "I've learned to be better, to work harder," he said. And when you're fighting zombies for your life, not sure if you'll wake up one day and have to bury your girlfriend or best friend, you begin to appreciate the little things in life, he said. "I think I've learned to appreciate some of things that you gloss over because Glenn has to appreciate those tiny little things too."
Norman Reedus, an acting veteran with roles in The Boondock Saints, Blade II and American Gangster, said he's learned a lot from working with the people on The Walking Dead. "It's made me really enjoy my job and my life and made me work harder…I feel like I really sort of fit here," Reedus told us.
For Danai Gurira, the mysterious sword-wielding Michonne, the two have been in synch. "Really, it's interesting because she's been arching as a woman as I've been arching as a woman. There are times she's ahead of me and there are moments I'm ahead of her," she said. Click play on the video at top to hear more about how she's learned from Michonne and what the other actors had to say about their characters.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays, 9 p.m. on AMC.