‘Fear the Walking Dead’: John Dorie Star Garret Dillahunt Feels “Fairly Safe”

Much like his easygoing gunslinger John Dorie, Fear the Walking Dead star Garret Dillahunt says what will be will be when it comes to the typically high mortality rates of the Walking Dead franchise.

Asked at Fan Fest San Jose if they’re scared lovebirds John and June will meet a tragic end, Dillahunt and co-star Jenna Elfman seemed unfazed.

“Not concerned about it, I mean, whatever’s going to happen is going to happen,” Elfman said.

“Not saying it won’t, but I just… I feel like it’s not new,” Dillahunt said.

“This isn’t even the first show I’ve joined in progress. And all shows will eventually end, and maybe that’s why it’s not worrying to me. I just want to do as good a job as I can for as long as I’m here. Which — five years or five months, I don’t know, you know, but so far so good. I feel fairly safe.”

Then, with a laugh, “I don’t need to play my immunity idol just yet.”

Fans reacted with shock and horror when John was accidentally cut down by a bullet fired by a furious Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) in 406, “Just in Case,” when Alicia took aim at apparent traitor June, who was then known to Alicia and her crew as “Naomi.”

John ultimately survived his wound following a two-week cliffhanger, but not before the fan-favorite cowboy gave rise to “if Dorie dies, we riot” — a mantra originally made popular by The Walking Dead‘s Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) enthusiasts.

A romance between the sweet-natured John and the guarded June, deeply explored in flashback episode 405, “Laura,” has given Fear its love story comparable to The Walking Dead power couples Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) or Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and late husband Glenn (Steven Yeun).

While the June-John coupling proved an important part in Fear Season Four, neither actor knew where the story was headed.

“We just lucked out, you know. I think they casted well and, I mean, I think it’s a miracle that you can have such great chemistry with somebody and it’s easy and fun, and all of a sudden everyone’s responding,” Elfman said.

“But when we were doing that episode, I didn’t know where it was going, because it was a flashback episode. He’s looking for this woman and then it was this flashback episode, and I had no idea that it was planting these seeds. So it all has caught me off-guard, but in the most beautiful way.”

Neither actor could see down the road because Walking Dead stars are typically kept in the dark.

“They don’t tell us. I don’t know why not, I guess they think we’ll blow it at one of these or something,” Dillahunt said.

“I think they like to reserve the right to change their mind or make a shift. And don’t want to throw us for a loop, because we’re all so sensitive,” added Elfman.

“Maybe we’ll suck, maybe they’re like, ‘ooh, yeah, we gotta rewrite,’” Dillahunt joked. “‘Kill that guy.’”

Fear the Walking Dead is now shooting Season Five to debut on AMC in 2019.