It’s always going to be a challenge playing the daughter of the great Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) on The Walking Dead, but Cailey Fleming is more than up to the task. Fleming has portrayed Judith since season 9 and has done a fabulous job at continuing the Grimes legacy. Now that we’re well into the eleventh and final season, Fleming says she has “mixed feelings” about saying goodbye to her character.
With the show so close to the end, it feels like we haven’t seen enough of Judith yet. She may have grown up a lot, but she’s still just a kid. “It’s happy that it’s ending, but it’s super sad because I kind of grew up on the show,” Fleming told Insider. “It’s mixed feelings.”
When AMC abruptly announced the ending of the series last year, it came as a shock to pretty much everyone. Like other cast members, Fleming received a phone call with the news. “I was happy and sad,” she said. “This is my third year . It’s a lot of hard work.”
"We’re about halfway done with production right now. So, I know a general sort of idea — a very small amount — of how my character is going to be in the final season, in the last half of the season. We’re only halfway done. I’m not too focused on the end yet. It’s kind of a scary thought. So I’m just trying to focus on what’s happening right now. But I’m really excited to see how the finale comes out."
Given how important Judith is to the franchise, I can’t wait to find out how they end her story. Who’s to say she won’t appear in a future spinoff?
Is Rick actually Judith’s father on The Walking Dead?
If you don’t remember, back in season 1 of the show, we learned that Shane (Jon Bernthal) had gotten together with Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) while Rick was still stuck in the hospital. Soon after Rick and Lori reunite, we learn that she is pregnant. Ever since, fans have wondered which man is Judith’s biological father: Rick or Shane? At one point in season 7, Rick actually admits to Michonne that he doesn’t believe Judith is his daughter.
According to Cailey Fleming, the truth of who is her biological parent is redundant. “I do not think it would change anything except for the fact that she knew,” she said. “Rick is her dad. He raised her, she grew up with him, and I definitely don’t think it would change anything. That’s her daddy.”
Cailey Fleming wants to return to the MCU
Although she’s only 14 years old, Fleming has had roles in some of the biggest franchises on the planet. Besides The Walking Dead, she portrayed the younger versions of Rey in Star Wars and Sylvie on Loki, which made her want to spend more time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“When I first got the role, I was very, very excited because me and my brother are the biggest Marvel fans,” she said. “I’m obsessed with the Marvel universe.”
"I was just very, very excited, especially getting to play Young Sylvie. She’s such a fierce and powerful character. I’m really glad that I got to do that and I would definitely love to do something else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future."
With her talent, something tells me it’ll happen. In the meantime, The Walking Dead season 11 continues Sundays on AMC. For AMC+ subscribers, new episodes drop one week early.
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