‘The Walking Dead’: Melissa McBride Recalls First Day On Set, ‘A Stranger In A Strange Land’

The Walking Dead is one of those television shows in which characters don’t stay the same. Due to the violent nature of the zombie apocalypse, they either adjust or die. This forces the survivors to evolve, which Carol Peletier has done. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, actress Melissa McBride recalls her anxious first day on set. She described it as being a stranger in a strange land.

The Carol that first appeared on the AMC series is a very different version than what we have seen in recent years. Out of all the characters, she is the one that has changed the most. McBride remembered her first day on set, which was filled with anxiety.

“I felt like a stranger in a strange land. I had a lot of anxiety that I was trying really hard to just sort of temper because there were people who had already been there, and just that tightness, that camaraderie developed very quickly.”

Those that are loyal fans of the actress already know that she has anxiety. Melissa McBride has no problem acting in front of a camera, but being in a room full of people is nerve-wracking for her.

After one appearance on a late-night talk show a few years ago, which had a huge audience, she was gripped with fear. Some viewers thought that she didn’t want to be there, but that wasn’t the reason. The Walking Dead star admitted that she suffered from anxiety and the room full of people was quite frankly, freaking her out.

As for the character of Carol Peletier, she began as an abused housewife. She tried not to upset her husband, Ed, but one day he became enraged. Instead of being beaten, it was her husband that ended up bloody and bruised. Reacting to Lori Grimes’ (Sarah Wayne Callies) rejection of him, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) released his rage on Ed.

These days, Carol is a fighter and a warrior on The Walking Dead. She rescued Rick and the others from an impossible situation at Terminus. She has also developed an interesting dynamic with Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus.) Once Carol gets involved in a war, the enemies better back off. She hasn’t lost a fight yet and probably never will.

What do you think of Melissa McBride’s recollection of her first day on The Walking Dead set? Are you surprised by anything the actress said in the interview?

[Featured Image by Gene Page/AMC]