Elizabeth Ludlow: From The Walking Dead to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Beyond

Elizabeth Ludlow saw her Hollywood star shoot up when she earned a spot on The Walking Dead's [...]

By Brandon Davis

Elizabeth Ludlow saw her Hollywood star shoot up when she earned a spot on The Walking Dead's roster when it was at its peak. At the same time as Jeffrey Dean Morgan's debut as the villainous Negan with all eyes on the AMC series, Ludlow squeezed in as one of the few Saviors to have a name in the form of Arat. Through three seasons, she would be a part of several key moments, leave her stamp on the zombie series -- even killing off another recurring character in the form of Olivia during the show's seventh season. Before her tenure on the series would come to an impressive emotional end in the ninth season's third episode, Ludlow had gone on to a couple of films: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Over the weekend, Ludlow proved she is ready for the big screen as First Lieutenant Griffin in WB's thrilling monster flick (which ComicBook.com's Megan Peters gave a rare 5 out of 5 stars in an official review). From battling zombies practically to piloting in a world filled with skyscraper-sized monsters, Ludlow has played the tough character ready to endure anything on multiple occasions. "The whole strong female role has just always appealed to me," Ludlow tells ComicBook.com. "Especially with the times that we're in now, I just feel like it's even more important for women to be in the forefront and to show how strong and worthy we are to be in these roles."

While her star is rising as an actress, the 29-year-old is eager to take on more work behind the camera when the time is right. "I want to eventually move behind the camera and direct and write," she says. "I'm currently working on a couple scripts. I have one dream script that I would like to produce and direct. That's the game plan."

For now, fans of the actress can catch her in an upcoming Netflix series where the bad-ass reputation she has developed on screen is "definitely not slowing down." The series is titled Another Life and will debut later this year on the streaming service. In the series, Ludlow plays an astronaut given a second shot at life, coming from the streets and striving for higher places. Ludlow describes the characters as "a young woman of color who wants to do something better with her life. Katee Sackhoff takes me under her wing and we form this relationship and this bond."

Below is ComicBook.com's full interview with Ludlow!

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(Photo: Warner Bros.)

ComicBook.com: You began work on The Walking Dead in 2016. At that time, the show was at it's peak, 17 million people watching. Would you consider that the number one way that people have discovered you and the biggest factor in getting new work since?

Elizabeth Ludlow: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I did seasons seven, eight and nine. After that, I started taking off. The show was so popular that the exposure, I do believe, helped play a large role in me making it into Godzilla and then the Netflix shows. So, yeah, absolutely.

CB: Can we go back to the beginning with The Walking Dead and the audition process and your reaction to booking the role of Arat?

EL: Yes. I auditioned for the show multiple times. If I had to guess, I would say at least four or five times before I actually booked my role.

CB: Wow.

EL: When I booked the role, at the time I was under the impression it was just one episode, a couple lines, and I was ecstatic just for that because I've been wanting to be on the show for a really long time. Then, it just ended up turning into a recurring for three seasons. I believe that they knew that they wanted me on the show at some point, they just didn't know where I fit. Then, the role of Arat came along and it just kind of snowballed from there.

CB: That's awesome. When you were on Walking Dead, you also filmed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. These were all shooting in Atlanta all at the same time. Life was coming at you fast. How did you balance all of that?

EL: Yeah. That is was. It definitely was. The last episode I did for Walking Dead, I basically went straight into Godzilla right after that. It was a lot, but it's what I've been working for so hard and for so long. Balancing it wasn't really too hard for me because it's just what I've been working for. I was just excited to go from one project to the next.

CB: Were you a Marvel fan at all before you joined that? Do you think you've played your Marvel card now?

EL: I guess. I do like DC, I can't lie. I am a fan of DC, as well, but I appreciate both universes. Absolutely.

Brandon: Did you know you were leaving Walking Dead when you got your role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters? How far in advance did you know you were finishing Walking Dead and how do you plan for life beyond a recurring role?

EL: Well, I believe I was actually on set working on Godzilla when I got the news. It was just one of those things where I knew it was coming. On that show, you know it's inevitable. At some point, you're going to go. I don't know. I was happy with it because the scene that they gave me was a really heavy scene and I was excited to be able to show a different side of that character. It was actually a happy moment for me. It was a little bittersweet because it had been three years, but I was very happy with the way that my character got to leave the show.

CB: You did an incredible job in your final scene.

EL: Thank you so much.

CB: That performance was awesome. Of course.

EL: Thank you very much.

CB: I really enjoyed your work in Godzilla, too. It looked like a really intense shoot.

EL: It was!

CB: So, after getting the part of Lieutenant Griffin and hearing about the details of the role, when you look back on it, how did the experience compare to what you were told? Did they pitch it as intensely as it was going to be?

EL: Absolutely not! Funny story: my character actually, in the original script, did not make it. If you notice in the movie, I get the shrapnel in my leg. So, things were just constantly changing as we were filming. Then, [director] Michael [Dougherty] decided to change the script and give me the whole part with the shrapnel and being carried off the stadium. It was not what I expected at all, but I'm, once again, very happy with how it turned out.

CB: Going from Walking Dead, where almost everything is practical on set and it really builds the world for you to Godzilla: King of the Monsters, where most everything is computerized, except for a few set elements... How did those two experiences and challenges compare? Was one more challenging?

EL: I would say yes. With the Walking Dead, the world is very set up. You're actually in the middle of the woods and you see all the zombies walking around you. It's very real and you see all of the characters. With Godzilla, it was just the humans and then we were using our imagination to see Godzilla and Mothra and Rodan. So, it was definitely a little more challenging, but I was up for the challenge. It worked out.

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(Photo: Warner Bros)

CB: I know Warner Brothers, and looking at their track record, they have a really good tendency of keeping some of their actors on board for more films. Your co-star in Godzilla, Anthony Ramos, is a perfect example... A Star is Born and Godzilla, back to back with WB. Did you get to go to Australia for the Godzilla sequel? Do you think you'll have more work with Warner Brothers coming up?

EL: Fingers crossed. Hopefully. I mean, my character lived, so that's the goal. Yeah.

CB: You're taking roles that I would nit consider "easy" by any means because there's emotion with them, there's action sequences. So, what is drawing you to these repeatedly bad-ass roles?

EL: That's a good question. I've always... just the whole strong female role has just always appealed to me. Especially with the times that we're in now, I just feel like it's even more important for women to be in the forefront and to show how strong and worthy we are to be in these roles. So, I prefer to play a role where it can give hope to other women and empower young women to know that you can, basically, do whatever you want. From being in Godzilla and then to my show on Another Life, where I'm an astronaut, I just think it's important for women to see someone that they can relate to in these roles.

CB: Speaking of Another Life, that's next for you, this Netflix series. It doesn't seem like the action is slowing down. You're going to space.

EL: No. Definitely not slowing down!

CB: What can you tell me about your Cas Isokavic character?

EL: Yes. She's a young recruit from the streets. A young woman of color who wants to do something better with her life. Katee Sackhoff takes me under her wing and we form this relationship and this bond. We go to space together and we have a whole other group of young kids that we take with us. I don't want to say too much, but it's definitely more action coming your way, for sure.

CB: What was the Netflix experience like? Do they operate differently, by comparison to any of these other productions?

EL: I don't know if necessarily differently. It was a pretty intense shoot. It was three months, 10 episodes, in Vancouver and it was block shooting, which can at times prove to be a little difficult. Overall, I think they work pretty similar. I can't think of any major differences.

CB: I'm going to put you on the spot here. Beyond the success so far, what would you say is your ultimate career goal?

EL: Oh, I want to eventually move behind the camera and direct and write. I'm currently working on a couple scripts. I have one dream script that I would like to produce and direct. Yeah. That's the game plan. In the next couple years I want to start getting behind the camera and doing a little directing and hopefully bring some of my own work to the screen.

CB: Do you think that being in front of the camera is helping you learn some tips or tricks for when you do get behind the camera?

EL: Oh, absolutely. The experience of just working with other actors and knowing what it feels like to be on that side of the camera, I think, is going to be a major asset to being behind the camera.

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Ludlow can be seen in Seasons 7 through 9 of The Walking Dead on Netflix. She stars in Godzilla: King of the Monsters which is now playing in theaters. The Netflix series Another Life is slated for release later this year.

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