Recently at Comic-Con, Daily Dead joined other journalists for The Walking Dead press conference that included Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Greg Nicotero, Lauren Cohan, and Josh McDermitt. A wide range of topics were discussed, as the cast and crew reflected on The Walking Dead Season 6 finale and looked ahead at the Season 7 premiere episode. Nicotero reflected on filming the death scene in the season seven premiere, Jeffrey talked about bringing Negan to life from the comics to the screen, and much more.
Greg Nicotero on filming the pivotal death scene in the season seven premiere:
The biggest challenge is you know it's coming. We have ever since Issue 100. I was talking to Steven earlier and we were at breakfast four years ago today when that issue was out and I remember reading it and just thinking how brutal and how unexpected and senseless it felt. We're going into that moment where we know it's going to happen. That is the trickiest aspect of the first new episode, living up to number one, the expectation of that moment. What's even more interesting for me as the director of the episode was how that changes the direction of the survivors forever. When we shot the episode, that to me was as critical as the actual moment, which is the five minutes after, the ten minutes after, the twenty minutes after, when the smoke clears from the battlefields of this area.
It's a fascinating exercise in emotion, because shock and denial, all these things play into it. It was a master class in acting from these people right here, to watch on a daily basis. Every time you get the outline for the scripts or Scott and the writers' pitch, you never want to hear that it's coming. The trick with this particular episode is everybody knows it's coming. It's agonizing to think about the fact that we're changing the landscape of our cast.
Josh McDermitt on fans reacting to Eugene being on the chopping block in the season six finale:
Eugene has gotten to a great point in his life and the fans recognize that and they say, "I really hope it's not Eugene, because he's got this newfound confidence and we want to see him continue.” That's great to have people rallying around your character, but at the same time it's kind of beautiful, [there have been] maybe only one or two instances, where I've ever seen, "Well, I hope it's so and so.”
But what's going on is everybody has their favorite, but really they just don't want to see anybody go. The fan base is really rallying around everybody, even though there's some favorites and stuff like that. It's beautiful to share that with them.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan on joining the cast and the fans’ reactions to him at this year’s Comic-Con:
Right now, this Comic Con is going to be okay. Next year is going to be a little different. I think next year is going to be a group of middle fingers and language when I come out on this stage. Right now, I'm competing with these guys, because I know it's a hard deal. What the show has gone through has been hard and being the cause of that in kind of a way also has sucked. That being said, I feel like I've been embraced by the cast, and I've sure embraced them. It's going to be hard. It's going to be hard until it's not anymore.
Nicotero on Jeffrey’s first two nights of filming on The Walking Dead:
I'll tell you, the two nights that we shot that last sequence, Jeffrey was still finishing The Good Wife, flew in, one day of costume fittings, we shot that intense twelve-page dialogue scene, and you would think about how you have to prepare for that and he nailed it. It was really amazing to watch. On the DVD, the Blu-ray, we have the alternate dialogue from the comic book in which he says "fuck" every other three words. It was amazing. These guys, who were literally sitting on their knees watching him go back and forth, when I would say "cut" they'd get up and go, "That was fucking great, man." The cast really surrounded him and brought him in. We're so lucky.
Jeffrey on what he felt like right before stepping out of the RV as Negan for the first time:
I was a little bit nervous going in, but I remember right before I walked out of the trailer for the first time, this weird calm came over me, which oddly enough the character needs. There was this spot that I never really settled into as an actor before.
Jeffrey on bringing Negan to life from the comics to the screen:
The comics only give you so much, obviously. They're a great canvas and it's a wonderful foundation, but I was talking to Gale [Anne Hurd] just before we came out here, it's given me an opportunity to do something I've never done before. There's not a trace of Jeffrey. Usually I can figure out how to put myself in there, it's a comfort place for me. With Negan, it's what Lincoln was talking about, about being fearless. I find myself having to just be fearless and trust him. I see glimpses of Negan in the comic book, but how can I bring that to life? I change the way I move, the inflection of my voice. It's turned into this weird thing. Scenes happen and we'll look at each other and be like, "What was that? What just happened there?" It gets seriously weird with Negan around.
Lauren Cohan on the kindness Jeffrey displayed during his first night of filming:
We definitely look out for each other. I remember in [episode] 616, I hadn't even had a conversation with Jeffrey yet. I hadn't really met him and as a team we just went straight into it. The camera was going past me, and Norman, and Steven, our little group at the end, and as soon as we cut Jeffrey putting his hand [out to help], even though he plays such an aggressive character. If it was a different set or a different situation, maybe we could keep our distance. I think that really resonates with what a man you are and that you extended us a welcome, but we already had that trust that you gave me your hand and even though he was traumatizing me, we still had each other's back.
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Check back tomorrow for more highlights from The Walking Dead Comic-Con press conference, including comments from Andrew Lincoln, Chandler Riggs, and more!
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