The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira truly became a household name after breaking out in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War as Wakandan warrior Okoye. Recently, the actress has been a warrior herself, splitting time between two major titles with tremendous work hours.
“It can be very fun an exhilarating,” Gurira told ComicBook.com. “I mean it feels like a profound blessing if you were and nothing I could have dreamt of. And then the way that, graciously, the two entities have worked together to allow me to do both things.”
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Gurira is hard at work on Season Nine of The Walking Dead, where she continues with her role as Michonne after stepping into the part in the show’s third season. Through 2017, the actress also filmed her role in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. This year, she may have faced the same issue with The Walking Dead‘s ninth season and re-shoots for Avengers 4. The work was so demanding, it prompted Rick Grimes actor Andrew Lincoln to stand up for her sleep hours!
“There was a time I was doing re-shoots very early the next morning,” Gurira said. “I was shooting here very late at night and Andy’s like, ‘Can they let my leading lady go please? She’s gotta go be another character in the morning!’”
The talented and driven actress had no problem boucning between the sets, though (it may help that The Walking Dead‘s Senoia, Georgia sets are merely minutes from Marvel’s Pinewood Studios productions).
“It was actually fine,” Gurira said. “Because they’re both very — they both had time to become themselves inside of me, you know? We really had time to shape out the Wakanda world, and stand in this character’s role. You know, I was on hiatus during that time and I’d really gotten to develop her and understand her, and then, of course, I got to do Michonne.”
With AMC’s story calling for Michonne to be injured through the early parts of Season Eight, Gurira’s character was sidelined which allowed the actress time for the Marvel project. “It’s actually not as difficult as I imagined,” Gurira said. “It’s actually fine. They both have their own space inside of me.”
Season Nine of The Walking Dead will start with some Michonne-heavy content, however. In fact, the show very much embraces its ensemble nature. “We definitely start the season in a new place more than last season, so there’s definitely a transition,” Gurira said. “[Rick and Michonne are] kind of in that moment. That’s actually what the beginning of this season is. It’s us seeing them enacting that vision. She’s in a moment of really trying to pull forth a symbolization and, you know, rebuild. And that’s no small task.”
Avengers 4 is set for release in May of 2019. Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays 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!
