Lauren Cohan Is Leaving ‘The Walking Dead’ Because She Felt Too Comfortable in Role

The ninth season of The Walking Dead will bring some major change in the form of two key losses, including longtime series star Lauren Cohan who plays Maggie Rhea née Greene on the series.

While this departure was preceded by a lengthy contract negotiation that ultimately served to her time ending on the series, Cohan is now opening up and providing a different reason for her exit.

A new report from the Associated Press indicates that Cohan felt too comfortable in the role, which indicated that it was time to move onto something new.

“Walking Dead is responsible for more than I can say,” she told the AP. “I never thought about drama as much when I started this career and I always kind of assumed I’d do light fare, so it was really funny.”

The actress reiterated that she’s grateful for the opportunity she received on the series. And in case you’re afraid for Maggie’s fate in the upcoming season, don’t be. The character will not be killed off, leaving the possibility open for her eventual return.

“There’s a chance for me to still explore the Maggie character and it’s gonna be fun to see if that can be done,” Cohan added.

For now, Cohan still has handful of episodes to appear in when The Walking Dead Season Nine premieres on AMC, but she’s still focusing on other projects. This week sees the opening of Peter Berg’s Mile 22, which Cohan co-stars in alongside Mark Wahlberg and Ronda Rousey.

The actress will also appear with Scott Foley in Whiskey Cavalier, a new spy comedy/drama mashup premiering on ABC this fall. Cohan previously told GameSpot that her busy schedule has prevented her from fully registering her zombie-fighting time is up.

“I’ve been really busy, so I’ve been definitely distracted from getting too much into my thoughts about it,” Cohan said to GameSpot. “But I had a lot of time to think about it before I came back to Walking Dead this season. And what the show means to me, what my family there means to me, what my time there has meant, and how this role has impacted my life which is immeasurable.”

Cohan returns to The Walking Dead when Season Nine premieres Sunday, October 7th on AMC.