Not everything about the Alexandria Safe Zone is exactly "safe", but under the leadership of former U.S. congresswoman Deanna Monroe, residents like the charming Jessie have been able to live out a reasonably normal existence in the zombie apocalypse on AMC's The Walking Dead. Two intriguing additions to the show, the characters of Deanna and Jessie have roots in the comic books and should affect events of future episodes in major ways. In recent interviews, Tovah Feldshuh and Alexandra Breckenridge discussed their respective characters' backstories, current states, and what could be in store for their walled-off community in the near future. *Spoiler warning for those who haven't yet seen the latest episode of The Walking Dead.*

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Tovah Feldshuh discussed getting the role of Deanna, a character who is a man (Douglas) in Robert Kirkman's comic book series:

"I did a role like this on Law & Order: Criminal Intent that was imagined as Daniel Melnick and turned into Danielle Melnick. I was flown out of Galapagos to begin film; I didn't know I got the job, they couldn't find me. They found me and negotiated when I was sailing around watching Darwinian convergence and divergent genetics evolution. They flew me to arrive Monday in Atlanta. I met Greg Nicotero and Scott GImple, went over the script, had a costume fitting and started shooting a 10-page scene the next day."

Feldshuh touched on the two people she exiled from Alexandria:

"She did get rid of them but didn't commit murder — she said it can't amount to that — but she did not raise a hand, cut a throat or shoot a heart. That becomes a very big and difficult struggle later. Rick is the practical mind and Deanna is the idealistic mind. It's not Alexandria by mistake; it's obviously named after the Egyptian city famous for the greatest library of its time."

Feldshuh on whether or not she read the comic book series prior to taking on the role of Deanna:

"I didn't read the comics; I read all about Hillary Clinton and great women Margaret Thatcher. I met her before she was the "Iron Lady" gave a speech about notes and it was remarkable. Then I looked at my own local representatives in New York — Nita Lowey — a wonderful Democrat who's very alert. I kept looking at people who naturally wanted to give back to the community."

To read the rest of Feldshuh's interview with THR, visit:

Also speaking with THR, Alexandra Breckenridge discussed whether or not she read the comic books or watched the series prior to playing Jessie:

"I didn't know anything. I hadn't watched the show before; I'd watched the pilot a long time ago, which I enjoyed, but I wasn't into the blood and guts at the time so I didn't continue watching for that reason. When I got the part, I watched all four seasons in a week and was having zombie nightmares. It was like cramming for an exam. I hadn't read the comics and when I first had my meeting with [showrunner] Scott Gimple, he suggested I not read the comics because the show and characters aren't always exact to the comics."

Breckenridge talked about the differences between the Jessie on the small screen and the Jessie on the paneled page:

"She's not as much of a wilting flower. She's stronger underneath than she was in the comic. I wasn't going to look at the comics but curiosity killed the cat and I wanted to know what happens with her. The character is definitely different and you'll see that throughout the season."

Breckenridge on the relationship between Jessie and her unwelcoming husband:

"It's definitely strained with her husband. They've been together since they were young for a long time and she's a very loyal person. She wants to make the marriage work, whether or not that happens we'll see."

On what we can expect to see before season five comes to a close:

"It's The Walking Dead, somebody's got to die at some point! (Laughs.) You can't go through five more episodes without at least one or two people dying. The season finale is really intense. I think we're going to see Rick unravel a little bit more — again, if we haven't already seen that. But I'm pretty sure we have!"

To read Breckenridge's full interview with THR, go to:

To see photos and a preview video of "Forget", the next episode of The Walking Dead, visit:

Source: THR
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.