Farewell Conversations with the Cast of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’

We are but days away from the beginning of the end of the AMC series, Fear the Walking Dead. For Sunday will bring forth the eighth and final season premiere of this storied first spin-off in the TWD Universe and well… to properly say goodbye, we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with the cast to discuss years of memories.
​
But there isn’t enough time in the day for every single story in that vein… so we instead narrowed down our discussion with Kim Dickens (Madison Clark), Danay Garcia (Luciana Galvez), Rubén Blades (Daniel Salazar), Christina Evangelista (Sherry), Jenna Elfman (June Dorie), and Karen David (Grace Mukherjee) to two key questions to properly reflect and summarize the journey as we all prepare to bid farewell to this bold and dynamic series. 

---

Kim Dickens, Danay Garcia, and Rubén Blades

John Betancourt: What has this incredible journey meant to all of you?
​
Kim Dickens: I think, you know, I've said this, I think I said it at WonderCon. I said it… the day I wrapped. But this job has really been profound for me. It has been -- I've never led a show, as I did for the first four seasons, I never have been on a show for this amount of time. I've never been so challenged personally and professionally. And I've never been so rewarded by a role in a job. And I, I really felt like when I got the role of Madison, I felt like everything I'd done, in my life, every class I'd taken, every job I'd done, everything sort of led me to that role. And, and I felt so fortunate. And so, for it to have lasted as long as it has for us… it's just been… it's been profound. It really has -- so much has happened in our lives. We've grown professionally and personally; we've created this family. That's… that's phenomenal. And it's emotional to let it go. But it's it feels right. I think we all feel good about it.

Danay Garcia: I was listening to Kim, and I felt the same. I… when I joined the show, we were in Mexico, it was a different landscape, it was a different country. It was, you know, it felt like so long ago, but we were there, we were together, and we were there from day one. And then you know, the last season we finished in Georgia in Savannah, it's like another landscape another struggle, like the struggles to deal with the days and the heat and… but at the same time looking at each other, we are… we're still together. We're still here. And, you know, for me it was… I didn't realize how important it was to finish with Kim until she showed up. I didn't realize when she left, what a hole she created. But I didn't… you know, it's like a kid you grow up, you're like, “I'm gonna be a big girl,” and then mom comes and you’re like, “Oh, I really would like your help!”

And she really filled that in. And also, we were in Savannah, which is like a new place that all of us kind of reunited for the first time. So it was weird that, like, you know, I've never been to Savannah, I don't know if Kim has been to Savannah, I know Rubén hasn't been, like, it was just this middle ground of us, of us finding a spot to live and to eat and just kind of like, it felt really interesting to kind of like reconnect in a middle ground place, personally, and as an artist, you know, just seeing those faces that, you know, you started this big job with, it meant so much. And I felt so grateful to be part of that, for my journey as an artist and I felt like this job has prepared me for so much in the future. Definitely I learned that, you know, nobody's gone until they're gone, for real! (Laughs) And even though, really like, it's crazy, and, and that, you know, there's always room for surprises. And this is this kind of career that just never stops surprising us really, never, just never stops.

Rubén Blades: Well, first of all, it took me out of unemployment. That's, that's very good. (Laughs) Secondly, as an actor, I thought… it’s a dream of every actor to play a character that does not correspond to you, to your own self. And the possibilities of, of Daniel Salazar, were like, a constant source of, of challenge and amazement, because there was this person that has nothing to do with me, the way I am, the way I usually act and think, and yet I had to find a way to, to understand the character and to, to bring out of whatever lines I've been given the humanity of the character, in spite of the fact that it was somebody that in real life, probably we would have not been friends. And every single time, every single time that I worked, and throughout this eight seasons, there was always a discovery for me. That's the thing about acting is it forces you to, to acknowledge things about yourself or about other people that you probably ordinarily wouldn't address. As far as everybody I mean, I'm super glad that Kim is back. And with us, at the end of the of this eight seasons, I mean, I… you know, I'm not gonna get into… when she left, it was a surprise for me. So I was, I was very, very happy that somehow it worked that she could come and finish with us what we started. And so that's one thing that made me very happy… that she came back.

Christine Evangelista, Jenna Elfman, and Karen David

John Betancourt: What are you all going to miss the most about working on this show?

Jenna Elfman: Well, there's a lot.

Christine Evangelista: There's a lot.

Jenna Elfman: You go first. (To Christine)

Christine Evangelista: I am I really, I'm so grateful to have done, have worked on an action-drama series. I really love the physicality of the show, and how it really pushes ourselves to limits I didn't even know that I was able to go to. I really love the physical nature, aside from all the people that I worked with, who I will miss, truly, truly miss. I really love the physical element of the show. I think I will definitely miss that... that part.

Jenna Elfman: I came away from completing the season feeling like I had, like I was a bodybuilder and an actor. Like I had so many new muscles that were like in prime shape. Because of how many aspects are involved in telling the story from our job, like Christine said, with the action props, just maintaining the awareness of the mythology, the elements that we are in, the deep layers of story and character transitions and connecting all of that on a personal level, maintaining it throughout the days, weeks, months. You know, I didn't realize how much June lived in me, you know, even when we would be on hiatuses, but I knew another season was coming up I would have about maybe two months of kind of a break, from her, before the scripts came in.

This season just… I started reading the scripts and my husband took the dogs for a walk. When we were… this was about a year ago or yeah, maybe around June last year. He came back and I was like “Okay, time to work on the scripts, they’re coming in.” And I sat with the script for like an hour while he was taking the dogs for a walk and he came back in and I started making lunch, and he was like, and we, you know, had a great day. It was all fine. And he was like, “Are we good? Are we okay?” And I was like, “What are you talking about?” He's like, “Your whole face, like, did I upset you? Am I in trouble? Did I do something?” And I was like, “I don't know what you're talking about.” I was like, “Oh my god, I started working on June.” (Laughter) And, you know, I didn't realize how much she was inside of me until we wrapped the series. And I conscientiously and ceremoniously mentally sent June off to a vacation cabana. I had to actually send her away, lovingly. I didn't need to say goodbye or anything, but I had to say, “You go, you're going over there now.” And I felt this tremendous shift in my mental state. In my own new mental universe and spiritual universe. That lightened up quite dramatically.

Christine Evangelista: I saw that. I could definitely testify when I saw you like, however, whatever, a month or two later, I was like, you looked visibly lighter. Like, lighter, I was like, “Whoa, like, you look different.” You felt different to me.

Jenna Elfman: Yeah. I felt like my whole kinesiology changed. It was crazy. So, I think I…  I'm going to miss that phenomena, you know, that occurs? To me… it was I'll not miss it. And I'll miss it. You know, I'm enjoying feeling lighter. But yeah, just how consuming that gives a tangible sensation. That's, that's very stimulating.

Karen David: I can totally relate to all of that on so many levels. with Grace. I mean, before coming into The Walking Dead Universe, you know, I was doing Galavant, and singing, you know, musicals, dancing with horses, and doing Once Upon a Time and all of that, which was very different. And what excited me, besides the fact that I could actually be only 15 minutes in the hair and makeup chair and just have dirt and blood and gore on me--

Christine Evangelista: It’s great actually. Like that is so liberating for a female actress, you have no idea.

Karen David: Here’s a job that if you're going to detox and break out, fantastic! Because the worse you look, the better. Yeah, it just added more to your character, which was great. I didn't freak out at all, I'd be like, “Yeah, bring it on!” You know, they could cover up make it look like dirt. Even better. There's so many things. You know, which the girls are talking about. (Laughter) But also, as Jenna said too, its, there is this energy that you know, when you step into the shoes of your character, it's… it's there, it's palpable and the same for Grace, too. She's had a very painful journey and a very, very sad life. And to take that on, you know, it's… it is a lot. But as Jenna said, it is this magical phenomena that lives within you. And for me, the hardest bit was, was when we finished filming, it was breathing her out, which was really, really tough for me.

Because she's been a part of my life for five years. And I was sent two weeks ago, I received Grace's boots. And I didn't know. And it was in this box. And I opened this box, not knowing what they were. And they were Grace’s boots. And I cried, I just burst into tears, I burst into tears… of relief. I burst into tears with gratitude. And of you know, all the things that playing her has taught me and what being on the show has meant for me. It was just such a mixed bag; I think because I just wasn't expecting it. And it was right there. You know, and just all the feels, you know, just so palpable and so alive that are still alive in me and being so forever connected to Grace, forever connected to the cast and crew and, and the writers and creatives and, you know, it's… it's here, it's here in my heart and it lives and it breathes, but it's also taking that time as Jenna said to.. to let it… let… let her go.

And, you know, I'm still doing that. You know, I have and it's still a continuation that you know, she's there. But my husband said well, because we've just come off the back of… and the girls know this. I think everyone knows this; I've survived a two-year remodel. And we’re still married, and we still like each other which is great. And so, we have the boots and I have to find a place in my office now to hang these boots. Because there's so much just looking at these boots that are so symbolic of my time with everyone and with this character that I'm so deeply and forever grateful for.
​
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.