By María Estévez, MWN
The 10th season of ‘The Walking Dead’ saw the debut of Lynn Collins as Leah, the first romantic partner of Daryl (Norman Reedus). But, as always in this franchise, nothing seems to be what it appears. And she turned out to be a member of The Reapers, the newest villains of the survivors. A confrontation between the two now seems inevitable and it was something that Collins confirmed to Metro in an exclusive interview.
What did it mean to you to join the show?
It came with such an honor because I was a huge fan of the show. It came with that feeling of honor and excitement that only increased while living one of the most rewarding and fulfilling creative experiences that I ever had. There is a hierarchy led by Norman on the set because he is at the top of the call sheet. I would want to work with him again as he is an artistic genius and an incredible business mind, as well as an open-hearted person. Of all the leading men I worked with, he is my favorite.
Does your character survive until the end?
Being in a show that has been on for 11 years makes it obvious that this is not about me, but me supporting the leading actors. My job consists in shining their job. In that regard, the experience was so rewarding because Norman and Lauren, who I love, are the two people I worked with the most. Their dedication to the show is humbling to me because I’ve worked in the past with a lot of people and this is unparalleled. These people are as dedicated and talented as any Oscar winner and working with them makes me a better artist.
Does Leah become the star of the season?
This is why the writers are so genius. Leah falls in love and we see her preparing fried chicken dinner and then she appears as the Reaper Queen. In the new episodes, we see her differently. The arc of my character is like a rainbow and, as an actress, it is so fulfilling because the writers gave me a chance to chew that. I feel I’m doing something worth it. Her ultimate conflict is power versus love and we all have that struggle. Leah is not good but she is not bad. All our characters, and we had this debate on the set, are villains in the end. This is why I think the show is so important because it does question the heroes. Sociologically, the question of why we love these characters brings the native American story that we all have a good wolf and a bad wolf inside of us. Every morning we wake up and we choose one. In the new episodes, we will see Leah who has lost everything and she blames herself. Her self-hatred is the most dangerous state that a human could be in because if you are hating yourself you are capable of anything.
Why is this show so popular for 11 years?
This show has been around for so long because the actors are bada** and because of their dedication. The hours and conditions that they shoot under are stunning… Norman and Lauren are so involved in telling the story in a comprehensive way so every person that is watching would understand. They want to make sure that everything makes sense, they will fight with the writers and, by the way, the writers are also amazing, always thinking outside of the box. This show is a roller coaster for the audience who can’t choose what is happening because it is truly an adventure.
What to expect from Leah in the next episodes?
In the next few episodes what you are going to see is how Lauren and Leah develop together. By talking about feminism, the show brings women to the front. The two of us together had so much fun.
