The Walking Dead Season 11: Lauren Ridloff in an exclusive interview about her TWD and Marvel future

• Lauren Ridloff has been on board as Connie since Season 9 of The Walking Dead. In TWD Season 11, she returns!
• We were able to speak to her ahead of time and ask about her future on the show and the Daryl Carol spin-off.
• Ridloff also talks to us about her future in the Marvel Universe, where she starred as Makkari in Eternals.

Fans of the zombie series “The Walking Dead” will finally be able to enjoy new episodes of the 11th season in Germany on February 21, 2022. Then we finally find out what happens next with Daryl, Carol, Maggie and Connie. To get some answers ahead of time, we spoke to Connie actress Lauren Ridloff (“Eternals”).

She gave us some insights into the new episodes while also talking a little bit about her future in the Marvel Universe. Will she be in any of the upcoming Marvel series and movies? What about the Daryl Carol spin-off and Connie’s love story with Daryl? Ridloff knows more!

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network world: Last season, Connie and Virgil had some less than pleasant experiences at the abandoned horror house. How did that draw her and where does it lead in terms of her future choices?

Lauren Ridloff: First and foremost, we should always keep in mind that Connie is a survivor. First of all! She’s been through so much, lost loved ones. So she definitely suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. But how to proceed? I would say step by step and very slowly. Like she always does. With the skills she has, she makes the best and looks ahead.

network world: In the trailer for the new TWD episodes you can already see that Connie will be in the Commonwealth. We know she has a history as an investigative journalist bringing down corrupt politicians. Will she take that role again? And will she be dangerous for Pamela Milton?

Lauren Ridloff: When I got back to the TWD set, a lot of time had passed. In the meantime, I had shot the “Eternals” film for Marvel, and then there was the coronavirus pandemic. So when I got back on set I was shocked at all the transformations and twists that happened in the storyline and so will viewers. The situation for Connie and everyone else is an entirely new one. There are new villains and we’ll see how they fare in the Commonwealth.

network world: As a result, your role now has a completely different position. Possibly a position of power over others. How is it for you when you approach the role?

Lauren Ridloff: I really had to dig deeper and think and reflect on Connie’s past. Who is she, who was she before the zombie apocalypse and how did she work back then?

It will be something completely new for viewers to see how she works as a journalist. So far she has been a fighter, a protective sister. Now she is a professional in her field.

network world: Let’s get down to a question that’s probably on the minds of us and most fans the most. Will it crackle again between Connie and Daryl?

Lauren Ridloff: Don’t we all want to know that? (she chuckles) I think the fans won’t be disappointed, let’s put it that way.

network world: Can we hope to see you again in the Daryl Carol spin-off?

Lauren Ridloff: Well… time will tell.

network world: So The Walking Dead is coming to an end. What do you take with you from the experience into your future?

Lauren Ridloff: I’m really grateful for the experience on The Walking Dead. It helped me a lot to get into the film and television industry and to understand how things work. It was the perfect landing pad for my leap from Broadway to film.

When I first started The Walking Dead, the crew was already like family. Very good, everything well organized. People have been working together for so long, I only got involved in the ninth season. It was very instructive for me and I was able to benefit greatly from it.

With Connie I learned to play a character for a very long time. I was able to polish the character a lot more and make the character more three dimensional layer by layer. I definitely took that with me!

network world: You took a little break during your time at TWD while you were shooting “Eternals” for Marvel. How did that shape you again when you were back on the set of TWD?

Lauren Ridloff: I’d like to start with this: “The Walking Dead” gave me a lot. So when I started Eternals I was able to learn a lot from my TWD experience. I had a good foundation. So when I came back to TWD after my Marvel time, it felt good, like a comfortable, worn-in pair of shoes.

It felt very familiar. I grew very fond of the production. The series is groundbreaking and has shaped the television landscape. For me, however, she is above all a pioneer in terms of diversity and inclusion.

And that was for me too [als Gehörlose] set a wonderful precedent that I hope – no, I know – has opened many doors for future projects.

network world: To dig into future projects, how does your Marvel future look? When will we see you again as Makkari?

Lauren Ridloff: One day, let’s put it that way. (she laughs) That’s all I can say, sorry. That’s just Marvel.

network world: What a pity. I was hoping that maybe I would get an answer. Can’t you even reveal if it might be in a Disney+ series, another movie or just Eternals 2?

Lauren Ridloff: Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Unfortunately I can’t give you an answer.

network world: Very unfortunate but good. It was worth trying. Finally, I would like to thank you and the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters who made this interview possible. We at Netzwelt are already looking forward to your future projects!

Lauren Ridloff: Thank you for the kind words, it was a pleasure chatting with you!

“The Walking Dead” season 11B will be broadcast in Germany parallel to the US start on pay TV on ProSieben Fun. One day later, on February 21, 2022, you will also find the episode in the Disney+ streaming service.