Days just feel longer during the off-season for fans of The Walking Dead. The series ended its seventh season over two months ago but is still four months away from airing a new episode.
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Luckily for fans, the cast and crew of the popular AMC series unite at conventions like Walker Stalker Con throughout the year, offering a bit of a fix for the zombie junkies hungry to hear from the faces involved with the show. During Walker Stalker’s Nashville convention over the weekend, ComicBook.com caught up with Jerry actor Cooper Andrews to discuss his experience with the hit show since joining in the most recent season.
“When we’re shooting I love the fact that every actor and crew loves the show,” Andrews said. “Because of that, everyone’s giving their best and everyone cares to make it right.” When the camera is not on an actor, they are still bringing everything they have to ensure the other cast members’ performances are the best they can be. “These guys will still wear their gear, wear their equipment, and stay in it just for you.”
Then, there’s the convention side of The Walking Dead life. “Being at these conventions, the best part is when you’re working and you’re gone and you hear about these reactions people have, you’re like, ‘That’s the Internet,’” Andrews said. “When people come up and I get to greet them, it’s like, ‘This is real and this is awesome!’”
Kingdomers vs. The Gang
For much of Season 7’s production, newcomer actors such as Andrews and King Ezekiel performer Khary Payton did not share a set with the staple Alexandria characters like Rick Grimes. When they did finally get the opporunity to get on set together for the action-packed Season 7 finale, the veterans were a bit surprised by the Kingdom cast’s attitude.
“On our first day of shooting on Episode 7×02, The Well, all the Kingdomers, we’re all new,” Andrews said. “We’re all like, ‘This is great! It’s like the first day of school! I’ve got my backpack! Look at it!’ When we were shooting the finale episodes and all the actors were staged in one of the houses while we’re waiting, Hilltop, Alexandria, and they’re all like, ‘Yeah, we don’t act like that! You guys are really close!’ I was like, ‘Well, yeah, but don’t you guys hang out and eat dinner together and text? And they’re like, ‘Not like that!’”
“The Kingdomers, we’re all really close. All of us. We’re all really, really close.”
Season 8
Of course, the actors have to be careful when talking about the always secretive upcoming season which is currently a few weeks into production.
When asked about what to expect from Jerry and the gang in Season 8, Andrews simply teases it with one big chuckle. “That’s all I have to say about that,” Andrews said.
“It’s going to war. There’s gonna definitely be a shift in how things play out. It’s also cool working with different people that you didn’t get to work with before and it’s like, ‘Oh! This is how we’re gonna do it now!’”
Then there are the exact words fans of the AMC series want to hear: “Anyone who had problems with Season 7, I think you’re gonna get what you asked for.”
More Walking Dead
MORE WALKING DEAD: Season 8 Trailer Details Revealed / Did FTWD Introduce A Mutant Super Zombie? / Steven Yeun Breaks Silence Since Leaving TWD / Is Jadis Going To A Whisperer? / FTWD: Who Killed Spoiler Revealed / Ross Marquand Promises A Massive TWD Season 8
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.
