The actress Lauren Cohan, the emblematic interpreter of Maggie in “Walking Dead”, evoked for us the new adventures of the characters in the spin-off “Dead City”.
What convinced you to extend the adventures of Maggie after the end of the series The Walking Dead?
Lauren Cohan (interpreter of Maggie): I believe that in the main series The Walking Dead we had not fully explored the character of Maggie. There were so many characters and stories that we couldn’t get to the end of the story of this character who holds a special place in my heart, especially after all these years.
Along with setting up Dead City I read the story of a man who became close to his daughter’s killer. I’ve also read similar stories about other people having uncommon experiences with unpredictable endings. I wanted to see how Maggie will evolve after the end of the main series. And I also wanted to know how his relationship with Negan will evolve.
She may never be able to forgive him, but maybe she can at least forgive herself. This character is so complex that this new series offers us an additional chance to understand her and to show us what she is really capable of. I couldn’t miss this opportunity!
I really wanted to explore her relationship with Negan. It’s rare to have a series that can give birth to a spin-off that adds something new and deeper on a human level.
Can Maggie forgive Negan? What relationship can she have with him?
She thinks he is capable of changing. I want to believe that we all have the possibility within us to change, to improve ourselves. If you think it’s possible for others, then it should be for yourself too.
There is a tiny hope that things will work out between them but it will take time and nothing is less certain. There will be so many steps to go through before she can consider forgiving Negan. We will see what will unfold over the episodes.
CMA
This series takes place several years after the end of the main series The Walking Dead. How are the characters of Maggie and Negan different in this new series?
It’s true that the characters have changed in Dead City. They emerged more mature from their previous adventures. It’s amazing to me how they’ve changed in everything, especially since the very beginning of the Walking Dead series. This series is almost a new beginning for them.
But they still remain emotionally distant. We will realize during this first season of Dead City how much these two characters have nothing to do with each other, and how much they are stronger on certain levels and more vulnerable on others.
Maggie is in the series a sort of heir to Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley. What type of female heroine is she really?
I don’t really see her as a heroine even though she looks like Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley in some ways. Maggie is actually an anti-heroine. This series asks the following question: what is a hero and is there among us a real hero or a real heroine? That she seems heroic to us thanks to her actions does not necessarily mean that Maggie is a real heroine.
CMA
In the end, what does the universe of The Walking Dead represent for you?
I don’t think this is a story that tries to warn us of what the future holds. Even if this series seems to push us to understand that we must find a real meaning in our existence and how this can allow us to move forward on the right path of our destiny.
This series makes me think that we are the result of all the experiences we go through, all the challenges we face. In the end, what doesn’t kill us makes us grow and makes us stronger. The message is undoubtedly one of compassion for others and always trying to put yourself in their shoes.
It’s about always questioning yourself and starting your own inner evolution. The real heroes are those who learn to survive by any means possible and to always reinvent themselves, to come back bigger and stronger.