Seth Gilliam Reveals Father Gabriel's New Role in 'The Walking Dead' Season 9

Heading into The Walking Dead's ninth season, Father Gabriel Stokes will be taking on some new responsibilities within the Alexandria community, relying on his pre-apocalyptic profession as a priest to guide him.

As was revealed in the AMC zombie show's trailer at San Diego Comic Con in July, new characters are heading to Alexandria to join the community built by Rick Grimes. Upon arrival, they will be greeted and interrogated by none other than Father Gabriel. It's a moment and role which Gabriel actor Seth Gilliam was happy to detail while talking to ComicBook.com in a rare moment of downtime at Walker Stalker Con in Orlando.

"I think having been someone who's advised people in the past, people have come to over time rely on Father Gabriel's take on things which would put him in that kind of position in the community, where people would come to him to know what's going on," Gilliam said. "Because, I mean, let's face it, he has survived up to this long."

While Gilliam admits it is a bit more fun to be in the fans' good graces rather than portraying the Season Four version of his character which irritated many with his manipulative decision-making, he also got a sense of enjoyment out of being different back then." Because everybody else, at that time, on the show was so supremely badass," Gilliam said. "And here was this guy who was like… How the hell is this guy even alive?"

In addition to his role as an advisor or interrogator of sorts within Alexandria, Gabriel will also be developing relationships both new and old when the show returns. "I think Father Gabriel and Anne are similar characters in some sense," Gilliam said. "They can recognize something in each other that's kind of similar, I think, which could draw them to each other. As far as the rest of Father Gabriel's relationships, I'm happy that Father Gabriel's still alive."

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the back half of its fourth season on Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!