Melissa Reveals Carol Was Supposed To Die In Season 3
As readers of “The Walking Dead” comic book series know, Carol Peletier met an early demise in the graphic novel. But on AMC’s TV adaptation, the once meek and abused wife is still alive, and has actually transformed into one of the most badass characters on the show. But do you know that Melissa McBride’s Carol was supposed to be killed off in the first half of Season 3?
Well, that’s one of the few surprising things that McBride revealed during her recent interview with Fast Company’s Co.Create.
The 49-year-old actress made the revelation when asked if there was a time in the past when producers of the show sit down with her and talk about their long-term plans for her character.
“Nobody really sat me down and talked about this character very much,” McBride said. “The first time I really got to talk about her from my point of view was when I was told that they were going to kill her. The showrunner at the time was Glen Mazzara, and he called me and let me know that she would be going in the third or fourth episode [of Season 3].”
Since she initially thought that her stint on the show would only be short considering the fate of her character’s comic book counterpart, McBride said that she was fine with the decision.
“I was okay with it, but I was sad,” she recalled. “Then I got to talk to the writers.”
While she has no idea whether her conversation with the writers made them realized that there’s more they could do with Carol, McBride — who also works as casting director in Atlanta — told the Co.Create that being able to talk about her character is an amazing experience.
“It was so wonderful to be able to talk about her, especially at the time when I thought she was going to be going away,” she shared. “I did want them to know what I thought about her. I felt so quiet the whole time. I was happy to talk about her. It made me happy. I was giving a voice to my friend Carol. I wanted her heard before I left. I guess that’s kind of how I felt.”
In an interview with Under The Radar last October, McBride opened up why she sometimes doesn’t want to talk about Carol.
“I love this character. I do feel like she’s very alive for me. I feel protective of her,” she explained. “When I talk about her, I feel like I’m betraying her confidence. So I’m not comfortable talking about her sometimes.”
“She’s my buddy, and I don’t want to tell you what she was thinking or her fears,” she added. “She confides in me. I wouldn’t say it’s exhausting, but there was that time [in Season 4 Episode 14 “The Grove”] that I felt the most spent. As an actor it’s exhilarating in a weird way-a torturous way. I love it.”
