'The Walking Dead' Star Lauren Ridloff Talks Connie's Character Arc Heading Into Final Episodes (Exclusive)

09/30/2022 03:35 pm EDT

The final episodes of The Walking Dead will start airing on AMC this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET and one character who is making a big impact is Connie, played by Lauren Ridloff. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Ridloff talked about Connie's character arch from her first appearance in Season 9 to now.

"I think when I first met Connie in season nine, she was the most quiet woman, a woman of few words, truly," Ridloff exclusively told PopCulture. "Her messages always have a lot of value and a lot of weight. But it didn't happen very often. She didn't speak, she barely spoke up. Now we jumped to season 11 and we see that huge shift. I feel that we see Connie in a place of strength, courage. She's gone through some trauma, she's gone through some chaos and the audience has witnessed that also. On the inside, that episode was so traumatic. Then now we see how Connie has healed from that and she continues to move forward and move on and her voice just becomes stronger. She uses her voice slash her pen, as that mighty sword."

When fans first see Connie, she is with Magna's (Nadia Hilker) group which is trapped by zombies. The group is saved by Judith Grimes (Cailey Flemming) who takes them back to her group where they become key members of the community over the next three seasons. In Season 11, the group discovers the Commonwealth, and Connie lives there while working for the community newspaper. And throughout it all, Connie has had her sister Kelly (Angel Theory) by her side. 

"I really enjoy watching Kelly's story arc since season nine," Ridloff said. "I've actually gone to quite a few Comic-Cons and I've met people who have been tracking the show and I've met a lot of the younger generation who truly connect with Kelly and her growth throughout the show. For me personally, it means so much to see how The Walking Dead appeals to a wide range of generations. Truly.

But the burning question is what can fans expect from the final eight episodes of The Walking Dead? "Well, I would say chaos," Ridloff added. "Yeah, I definitely would just say complete chaos. I feel like throughout, the audience has seen a new meaning of community and a new feeling of a new everything. All of that is just being thrown out the window."

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