‘The Walking Dead’ Star Terrifies Cast Members on Set

The Walking Dead stars know a thing or two about building hype for new seasons but newcomer Nadia Hilker might be onto something in her description of the Whisperers.

Fans of AMC’s zombie show have seen it all before. A villain comes around. They pummel Rick’s group into submission. They somehow blow an impressive lead in the fourth quarter. Rick’s group moves on, down a man or two. However, the Whisperers seem like they’re going to be a different. This is a savage group with different ideologies, methods of operation, and consequences. Hilker may be new to the show in her role as Magna but she is familiar with the previous villains.

“I don’t think Alpha is going to be the new Negan,” Hilker told Express. “I think Negan is going to stay Negan and no one is going to take his place.”

Now, it it Alpha’s time, as Samantha Morton’s character prepares to lead the Whisperers and an intense, mysterious journey for The Walking Dead. “But, Alpha to me, oh man, she’s probably one of the scariest characters television has to offer,” Hilker said. “She is super scary. [It] kind of reminds me of Silence Of The Lambs in a way, Anthony Hopkins.”

The character is so scary that executive producer Greg Nicotero could only compare her to Mike Myers of Halloween.

“When [Samantha Morton] goes into character you just want to leave. You want to run away as fast as you can and as far away as you can,” Hilker said. “There’s something about her, there’s a button. She just becomes a very different person and her energy – you feel like you can’t breathe and that’s very powerful.”

The Whisperers have already claimed one victim among the roster of main characters in the form of Tom Payne’s Paul “Jesus” Rovia with a body count that is certainly about to grow. However, when the camera stops rolling, the cast members can finally embrace their co-stars. “At the same time she’s the nicest, smartest, sweetest person on the planet, so even more so I’m impressed by her acting skills and how you can transform so fast into something so different,” Hilker said. “She’s fantastic.”

The Walking Dead TV series returns for the back half of its ninth season on February 10, 2019 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.