‘The Walking Dead’: Cassady McClincy on Lydia’s Introduction and Future

The Walking Dead‘s new Lydia character will be crucial to the narrative in coming episodes with Cassady McClincy teasing what’s next.

McClincy, an 18-year-old actress who grew up watching The Walking Dead before she joined in the current ninth season, debuted as Lydia in Sunday’s Mid-Season Nine finale. In doing so, she had to act opposite Norman Reedus for some intense sequences with his Daryl Dixon character and her Lydia.

“Oh, my gosh. I was so terrified at first,” McClincy admits to EW. “But I just love [Reedus]. He is so playful and fun to work with. But at the same time, super professional in a comfortable way, if that makes any sense. We had a lot of fun with those scenes. He will just do random things that are not scripted. So, it’s really fun and unpredictable.”

With flashbacks set to flesh out Lydia’s story and how the Whisperers came to be in Sunday’s Episode 9×10, McClincy is remaining tight lipped about the future. “People will see how screwed up the zombie apocalypse can make people, and more about the Whisperers,” the actress promises.

Of course, fans of Robert Kirkman’s comic book source material remain hungry for stories from the books to be realized on television. Carl Grimes exiting the show threw a wrench in such a possibility. However, alternate versions of Lydia and Carl’s relationship and moments can still be expected. “I think, probably, a bit of both,” McClincy says Lydia having a connection and slightly manipulative attitude towards Henry. “Because she’s never seen [Henry]. I think maybe there’s a bit of connection when he saves her from Daryl, but we’ll have to see.”

Spending years in the wild walking among the dead has put some miles on Lydia’s post-apocaltpyic attitude. While she is clearly a bit more emotional than the rest of her Whisperer group, she remains hardened by her intense upbringing. “I think that she is very smart,” McClincy said. “And she knows how to use her vulnerable, childlike persona of being a teenage girl to her advantage to keep herself safe. So she tries the whole crybaby act at first. And then she’s just throwing out all the cards.”

What do you expect or want to see from McClincy and her Lydia character? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com’s After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.