Fear The Walking Dead: Christine Evangelista on Sherry's New Friends, Negan Ties, and Dwight (Exclusive)

The Crossover

ComicBook.com: You guys are on fire this year, it's unbelievable how good the show has been. The two episodes that you've been in have been fantastic and that's along with other really good episodes.

Christine Evangelista: I think all the episodes are great. I think that the writers, they are doing such a service to these characters, and I think the fans' response has been so awesome because we get to dive in really deep into each character's own experience. And you get to get really invested in what they're feeling, and I think that's what the fans want to see. These are such great characters.

CB: I didn't get a chance to talk to you with your first episode back a couple of weeks ago, so I want to start there! When did you find out that you'd be back in The Walking Dead universe and it would be on Fear instead of the show where you debuted on?

CE: I found out last winter, which feels like forever ago, at this point. And I was really excited to make the transition to Fear because I thought with Dwight being there and now Sherry, it becomes a greater connection to both of the worlds. And Morgan being there also, I thought that was really interesting and it was a way to tie in what had happened to her there in this new way. And really have a chance to develop this new character that I call her Sherry 2.0 because, with her, she's just so much of a more I think dynamic, interesting, powerful woman than we last saw her because of everything that she's experienced. And I was really excited to tell that story.

The New Friends

CB: You got to reunite with Austin Amelio after working with him a bunch on TWD. But you also, you met a pretty much brand new cast outside of Austin and Lennie James. Did joining Fear feel more familiar given it's the same franchise, or would you say it felt more like pretty much a brand new thing for you?

CE: It was super familiar. There's a lot of the same people other than, especially Morgan and you have Austin, but Michael Satrazemis, who I also worked with on The Walking Dead, directed [Episode 6x05]. I think other than being in Texas, which is new, it's the same because I think The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead and all those worlds, they're really great at bringing in people that are really passionate about the show. That really worked really hard and that work well together. I remember really early on learning, back when I was on The Walking Dead, they have this very strict policy of no assholes, which is true. And I swear the entire franchise is, that's what it's about and everyone's just really cool.

CB: I swear that's part of why these shows are so successful, because of the great attitude everybody involved has.

CE: It really is. Andrew Lincoln was extraordinary at exhibiting that and he really made an impression on me.

The New Season

CB: Sherry has been very busy in the time since we last saw her near Alexandria. I know when you guys come back to new seasons, you have the meeting with the showrunners and they pitch to you what's happening this year. Sometimes, you all get to have some feedback back to them. I'd love to hear about what that meeting was like, where did this story of the gang come from? Did you have input on that? Was this Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss' idea?

CE: Ian and Andrew sat me down and gave the rundown as to where Sherry's been, this Renegade group that she's been a part of. And aesthetically, what they look like and what they feel like and where they're running from. And then me watching the show and being familiar with Ginny and everything that she represents, everything really fell into place. And I think Sherry found this group as a means to find a community of people to just really protect her, but find a way to fulfill this mission that she feels compelled to have, which is to take down Negan. And of course, this is a displaced feeling that she's not putting on to someone like Ginny, because of all of the residual pain and anger that she felt having left the Sanctuary.

And obviously, as this episode goes through and we'll come to find the realization that she has, that this will not give her the closure that she thinks that she needs to move on. But I understand that pain, that real trauma and almost this PTSD where she feels like has to do something in order to break this hardened feeling that she has deep within her. And so she puts herself on this mission, she spearheads this renegade group just to try to really ultimately heal herself.

The Past For Sherry

CB: The PTSD of it all was a brilliant touch to really send home the message of this episode of where Sherry's at mentally. Do you think she can free herself of that weight that she's carrying in any other way now, other than finishing off Ginny?

CE: I think that's something that she's going to have to find out. When you see Sherry in the beginning of this episode, especially you see that she doesn't trust anybody. She doesn't trust anybody that Dwight's around and trust is real in this world. I think it's the greatest currency that all of these characters have and it really needs to be earned. So she slowly develops trust with some of the people around Dwight's world, but she comes to find that they're on a different mission and they can't help her with what she needs. And I think, unfortunately, this is a journey that she knows that she has to go on by herself.

The Future

CB: I don't know what the future holds, but what do you think the dynamic would be like if/when Sherry meets the rest of this Fear group? There's a lot of awesome people that I'd love to see you work with. What might that look like, if it ever happens?

CE: I think ultimately, I would love to see her really united again with Dwight. And I think working with Morgan and what Morgan is trying to do also, with just being this leader and this peacekeeper. And using all of the strength that she has for good and helping people because I think obviously, this woman is very strong, very powerful. And could be a great leader and I think if she could harness all of this. And use it in a way to do good, I think that's where the real changes could be made.

CB: Over on Walking Dead earlier this week, we just found out that they cast Hilarie Burton to play Lucille for what will be a flashback episode of Negan's story. Comic fans know, Dwight and Sherry are a part of that story. I'm obligated to ask, is there any chance that you guys pop back over to Atlanta to do one of these six bonus episodes with Jeffrey Dean Morgan?

CE: I have no idea, but I did see that story and I think it's really cool. And I think the fans are going to really love that.

The Comic Death

CB: Speaking of the comics, Sherry has quite a sendoff where she becomes a villainous leader of the leftover Saviors and is accidentally killed off by Rick. How do you feel about Sherry's comic death and the idea of bringing a similar story to the shows?

CE: Honestly, I did know that storyline and I'm thankful I'm not being accidentally killed by Rick, I will say. But what I am really grateful for is that we're showing, we're continuing the story of what happened at the Sanctuary and really focusing in on that because I think it's... To show what this woman went through during that period of time, it was... I was kind of sad that we never really got to go into that over the past few years after I left the show, to show how she left the show. And how she freed Norman Reedus' character and everything that builds up to this. So I'm really happy that we're focusing on the time that has passed between then and now.