It’s testament to The Walking Dead’s cult following that, even after some characters have left the show (often in gory ways), its cast and crew can fly to all stretches of the globe to meet-up with adoring fans at dedicated touring fan convention Walker Stalker.
Michael Cudlitz, aka Abraham Ford, may have bid farewell to the character back in 2016, but his involvement in the TWD community is no less, as evident by his continued appearances at fan conventions across the globe. “I’ve been to Japan with [Walker Stalker], Germany, Russia, Ecuador, mainland Mexico, Canada,” he begins from his LA residence, before pausing. A big laugh beams down the phone from the affable star as he realises his phone has connected to his car’s bluetooth system outside. “My wife’s pointing to me and yelling in the car and waving her hands and I’m like, ‘What’s she doing?’” he explains.
He’s preparing to head to Australia for the debut of Walker Stalker in Sydney and Melbourne with the likes of Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes), Tom Payne (Paul "Jesus" Rovia), Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis) and more, and although he has some extended family Down Under, it’ll be his first time visiting.
But it’s not just the chance to visit some amazing places that the show has afforded him, it’s also elevated certain other aspects of his career. “I’ve been involved with a lot of shows over the years and they had amazing fans, but fairly small fan bases, compared to The Walking Dead.
“Because people who watch The Walking Dead watch other shows, I’m also connecting with people who are very familiar with a lot of the other work that I’ve done; Band Of Brothers, Southland and a lot of stuff over the years that I’ve been very proud of, but I’ve never really met a lot of the fans.”
It’s also one of the first projects he’s been able to share with his children, as the work he was doing when they were younger “wasn’t appropriate”. “This is something that even my kids think is cool, which is great.”
Abraham’s death at the hands of Negan sent shockwaves through the community, but his friends and family were a little less shocked as the episode premiered. “They knew it was coming, because I was home; I stopped going to work,” he laughs. “The show shoots in Atlanta and we live in Los Angeles, so it was pretty obvious to them that I was done.”
He was beloved during his time on the show, but since his demise, Abraham has become a legend, and it’s not just because of his hilarious catchphrases. “People miss us; they miss these iconic characters,” he says. “They wonder how they would have dealt with what’s going on now, and I think people like to play ‘what if’.
“You become part of a conversation even though you’re no longer physically there.”
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When fans do get to meet him at Walker Stalker, they’re understandably over the moon. “[Fans] don’t separate us from the characters, so to see us alive and healthy is actually a relief for some people, and some people might not think that makes sense, but I see it all the time, so it can’t be denied; you might not agree with it, but it’s just the way it is.”
The special effects department – headed by fellow Walker Stalker Australia guest Greg Nicotero (executive producer and director) – have done an amazing job of making those onscreen deaths look so gory and real, and looking back on Abraham’s farewell, Cudlitz wouldn't change a thing. “I’m fine with it. When I was brought on the show, I knew it was only going to be for two or three years and we’d talked about it from the very beginning and I knew they were sticking a little closer to the graphic novels, so none of it was a surprise to me; it was a surprise to the fans. I feel like the character’s journey had run its course and it was time to go.”
The latest development on the AMC hit series has taken a drastic step away from the graphic novels, with Carl Grimes suffering a fatal zombie bite, which was revealed in the last few seconds of the mid-season finale last year. “I’m behind on the show and I’m behind on the graphic novel, but I’m further in the graphic novel than the show is,” he reveals. “People are like, ‘Oh my god! What do you think about Carl being bit?’, and I’m like, ‘Err, I didn’t see it, but it sounds terrible,’” he laughs.
It’s understandable he’s not caught up, given how busy he has been as of late. On top of fan convention appearances, Cudlitz has been working on some new films and TV shows, including upcoming feature Driven, which he’ll star in alongside Judy Greer, Jason Sudeikis and more. “It’s a dark comedy about John DeLorean,” he tells. “I’m doing some fun stuff and doing a lot of travelling… We just love meeting [the fans]. Here’s a bunch of people showing up to a convention to say hello to us because they love watching us do what we love to do; there’s just no negative to that.”
Head over to the Walker Stalker website for tickets and more information.
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