The Walking Dead season 11 will introduce us to the Commonwealth, a densely populated, highly advanced community led by Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). While readers of Robert Kirkman’s comic book know the huge role this powerful community plays in the show’s final stretch, everyone else knows them only by their ruthless reputation. Before the eleventh and final season premieres on AMC this Sunday, showrunner Angela Kang provides a rundown of some of the most important figures in the Commonwealth and the actors that play them.
The Commonwealth is extremely mindful of its security. The characters who have already arrived there — Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Princess (Paola Lázaro) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) — were thrown straight into “Processing” and asked a range of bizarre questions. The first major character from the Commonwealth we meet is Mercer (Michael James Shaw), the stoic leader of the Commonwealth military. He’s easily recognizable from his bright red armor.
“Mercer is a really great character from the books who is the head of the Commonwealth army,” Kang told Entertainment Weekly. “I’ll say that Michael James Shaw is an absolute pleasure to have as part of the cast. I love the work he’s doing. There’s a real sense of toughness, but also a tenderness there too. He can play so many different colors, and it’s a lot of fun to watch him do his work.”
Josh Hamilton as Lance Hornsby on The Walking Dead
We’re still waiting for a formal introduction to the Commonwealth, but once we get one, Lance Hornsby will give the grand tour to our survivors. Lance is pretty vain and can almost always be found dressed in a dapper suit. According to Kang, the show will slightly remix his character from the comics. “We’ve got our own take on him, and he’s this charismatic fixer for the Commonwealth,” she said.
"Josh Hamilton is wonderful and brings such interesting flavors to the character. For people who know the movie Eighth Grade, he brought such warmth to that character, and he’s playing this character that has so much energy and optimism who’s trying to sell people on the Commonwealth. So there’s some fun to be had with Hornsby. I want people to watch it and see for themselves."
And then there’s the person who’s really calling the shots:
Laila Robins as Pamela Milton on The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead has already had one tyrannical “Governor” before, and we all know how that turned out. Now, it’s time for Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), the head of the Commonwealth. She’s intelligent and cunning; not the type of person you want to cross. However, not everyone agrees with how she runs the place. Said Kang:
"Pamela is the leader of the Commonwealth. And those who know the character from the comics know she’s presiding over a community that is very large, very organized, very successful, and very safe. In the show we’ll see that she has this interesting backstory that we built for the family she came from and her level of comfort being in the public eye. Laila is amazing and plays the character with such warmth and nuance. She’s somebody we’ll get to know a lot about over time. But you don’t get to see her for a minute."
Sounds like we’ll have to wait for her grand reveal. Instead, before we meet Pamela Milton, we’ll first encounter her son, who is just as important a character in the comics.
That said, the show has not yet announced the casting for her son. We don’t know if he will be Sebastian, like in the comics, or whether the show will alter his character. Sebastian was a huge character in the books, so getting him right will be key.
The Walking Dead season 11 kicks off on August 22 on AMC, with new episodes arriving every Sunday. The season premiere is currently available for streaming for AMC+ subscribers.
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