Lynn Collins: Leah and Daryl are “star-crossed lovers” on The Walking Dead

Actor Lynn Collins debuted on The Walking Dead in one of the most widely discussed of the show’s “COVID episodes,” where her character, Leah, started up a relationship of sorts with Daryl (Norman Reedus). And in the latest episode, “Rendition,” it was revealed that Leah is a member of the dastardly Reapers, the newest villains to plague the survivors.

Winter is Coming had a chance to chat with Lynn Collins about Leah and how she and Daryl are like “star crossed lovers.”

Lynn Collins compares The Walking Dead relationship to “star crossed lovers”

Sarabeth Pollock: “What was it like for you to become part of The Walking Dead Family?”

Lynn Collins: “It’s been thrilling. I was such a huge fan of the show. And I remember at the peak of my fandom that I was like, ‘Oh, I wonder what it would be like [to work on the show]. These actors are so committed to this world!’ It’s just so fun. In a lot of ways it’s like Greek tragedy because everything is so heightened.

“Then I got pregnant and I stopped watching the show because it was too intense. I’m a big believer in manifesting, like manifesting a vision and then filling it with emotion and the emotion being that sort of magnetic quality that brings in what you actually want. I definitely manifested this in those first five years watching the show. I was so committed as a fan. So it’s just such an honor.

“And you know, working with these actors has been not just fun, but it’s felt like an acting class refresher because the level of commitment they bring is a hundred percent and it’s been such a beautiful experience. And the crew, my God, they work so hard! We’re outside in the cold or in the heat depending on what season it is and their hours are just extreme and they show up everyday and support us and give us their best. So this has been an honor.”

SP: “When we first meet Leah in the season 10 episode ‘Find Me’ she’s a very different person. I’m intrigued by present-day Leah and who she is and where she’s been. She’s clearly an intelligent and very capable person. I would love your thoughts on whether or not she’s a Reaper by choice, or if she’s in a situation she can’t escape.”

LC: “That’s a great question. Such a good question. When we’re in the ‘Find Me’ episode she’s talking about a family that she’s been ripped apart from, because there was a walker attack where she’s the only one who can save the little boy she was raising and she couldn’t save him. What we realize is that she was talking about the Reapers.

“So when Daryl leaves, whatever happens in between the time that he left and the time he comes back to find her, the Reapers find her again. And so her choice would be in this moment that we don’t see, do I stay alone? The man she was with has left, so do I go back with this ‘family’? And I think it’s a no-brainer that she goes back with the family. And you know, we’ll find out that there’s a transition back into [the family] that probably wasn’t so easy because the Reapers are such extremists, right? They’re like culty, super-culty religious fanatics.

“Daryl represents the other side of her, and now he’s reintroduced into her life. I think now the question becomes, what’s going to be the choice? You know, it’s like when you’re in the cult , there’s so much cognitive dissonance. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome. So Reapers equals Stockholm Syndrome. But it’s all about survival. And that’s what makes the acting on the show so incredible because it’s so heightened, so Leah’s got to do whatever she can to survive. And then you’re going to bond with people, right? Regardless of the dictates and the mandates of the community that you’re in. And then you’re going to try to protect those people, because that bond is what keeps you alive. You know, you live not so much for yourself in these extreme circumstances as much as you live for those people you want to protect.”

SP: “I think the cult aspect is fascinating, because The Walking Dead has had some really interesting villains who have the kind of charisma to lead people into some really interesting situations. It makes you wonder how they rise to power and get people to follow them.”

LC: “Right. Because as we learn, even with the Commonwealth, the apocalypse brings out possibly your true self or like their alter egos. That’s why the show is so fascinating, both psychologically and with relationships it’s so fascinating.

“And we do ask ourselves what happens if the grid falls, like who would I become? That’s one of the reasons I loved taking this part because we see Leah as a lover first, right? She’s a super independent woman. But she’s also the woman who made a fried chicken dinner and broke up over fried chicken, you know? And now you’re like, ‘God, who is this now?’ And to really track it, this is who she was before she got split from her family. You know, she was always a Reaper. She was always a mercenary and this pocket of time that she had with Daryl was an anomaly in her life. So she goes back to the society she belonged to and it’s fascinating.”

SP: “So now that Daryl is back, is that a lifeline for Leah? Does she look at him and think that he might be able to escape this fate?”

LC: “Such a good question. There’s this moment when Leah comes to Daryl’s cell and she makes a decision to slip back to the vibe like they had when they were in the cabin. She comes to him and he asks what’s wrong, and she tells him she’s grief-stricken. She’s lost somebody. And she cries with him. Like she did in “Find Me”, the first time she could share the grief she’s experienced with another human being. And so she does it again. You realize that this is humanity, and this is where she says this is me. You didn’t know I was a merc, but I’m also crying in front of you.

“This is me. It’s the good and the bad. It’s all me. I think if we would all accept this about humanity and ourselves as individuals and everyone else in our lives, like we’re all just trying to do the best that we can to make the best decisions for ourselves. And you know, you make good decisions, you make bad decisions, and there’s someone in your life and you’re the villain of their story. Like you can’t get around that. I guarantee you, we all have someone at any given time that we’re making our antagonist, that we’re making the villain of our story. And what’s going to be interesting as we watch her character develop, there are people who hate Leah and people who love Leah, and it’s my job so I felt I had to be like she’s not a villain and she’s not a hero.

“She’s a human who’s trying to survive and protect the people she loves. And right now, what we see is this total conflict developing of the person I love, probably. Maybe we don’t know her full path, but there is this romantic love and this familial love, and this Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers stuff. This is archetypal, you know, the love that cannot be, but how do you do it? You know, how do you make it work? And I always think this show is so great because it’s heightened, like Shakespeare and Greek tragedy, it hits our psyche at such a fundamental, pure level. So I love working on it.

“And then there’s the star-crossed lovers idea. He leaves her, her family finds her. He comes back, he’s too late, she’s gone. And so we’re getting this delicious treat that the writers have given us as fans, because now these star-crossed lovers, instead of it just being like, it never happens here, they get to have this [time] and now it’s what are you going to do with it? What are you going to choose? Are you going to choose the love, your respective families? I think this is the path they now have to walk.”

SP: “One of the moments that really stands out for me is when Pope throws Bossie into the fire and the group has this knee-jerk reaction but then they school themselves into not reacting. It really suggests that nothing seems safe at this place.”

LC: “No, it doesn’t. Which is fascinating because you hear her talk about the family. Like it was such a beautiful thing. And you realize like oh my God, it’s an extremist cult, like extremely violent. And being the only female, you know, we had a lot of conversations with the directors and we would talk about is it sexual, or what happens in this. Because she’s the only female and there is something between Carver and Leah, like what is it? And ultimately it was the decision that this is not what we’re exploring. But as directors and actors, we did kind of go there, even if it’s just subtext, to help inform the performance so it’s juicier for the audience.”

SP: “And then we have to mention Dog. It reminds me of the TikTok challenge where parents run in opposite directions and wait to see who the kids and pets follow.”

LC: “Pretty fun, right? He’s not an idiot. He’s like, I’m going to stick with her, she’s got the gun. I’m safe under her watch. I’ve always had this question of Daryl leaving, Dog stays with Leah, Leah disappears…so what happened to Dog?  What did Dog witness? We definitely need a Dog  follow-up!”

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. EST on AMC — subscribers to AMC+ can watch it a week early.

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