The Walking Dead: Things I learned at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta
It’s been almost a week since I was roaming the halls of the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta for Walker Stalker Con. I had a blast and picked up some good insights along the way! Whether it be from panels or personal discussions, there are several fun tidbits I wanted to share with our readers. Here it goes!
First impressions Ross Marquand shared that his first impression was Johnny Carson. He also revealed that his weapon of choice for fighting walkers is, you guessed it, the license plate. Funny enough, these questions came from his Impress Me co-star Dana DeLorenzo, who is now starring in a zombie thriller of her own — Ash vs Evil Dead. I tweeted Dana to find out what I should ask Ross while waiting in his line!
Conjuring up memories Steve Coulter (Reg Monroe) told me that he is now filming The Conjuring 2. He was also treated to a birthday cake on stage during his panel as he had celebrated his special day earlier in the month.
Regrets for Aiden? During the Alexandrians panel, I asked Daniel Bonjour (Aiden) what he thought his character may have been thinking about as he faced a torturous death being impaled in the warehouse. While answering the question, he revealed that there was a deleted scene prior to the warehouse run where Aiden asks Nicholas if they should come clean about leaving their fellow crew members behind. Daniel suggested that this may have been the beginnings of Aiden seeking some sort of redemption. He also described Aiden as “a puppy snapping at anything that comes by”, that while Aiden’s methods may have been naive, his desire was ultimately to keep Alexandria safe. And he said certainly he would have wanted to say goodbye to his parents.
Hugs for free Michael Rooker’s line advertised meet ‘n greets for free. In other words, you were not required to pay for a selfie or autograph in order to come by and meet him. While I did choose to purchase a photo with him, I also asked if hugs were free. He swiftly wrapped one arm around me, one hand over the top of my head, one leg around me, and proceeded to give me a giant hug! He then asked in jest what the hug was worth, $18? Well, of course it was! But it was actually free.
Name that tune. One guest asked the Abraham’s Army panelists what they would each choose for their personal theme song. Josh McDermitt (Eugene Porter) decided to answer for everyone and played the following selections for he made for himself and his castmates:
Josh McDermitt — theme from The Price is Right
Michael Cudlitz — Dude Looks Like a Lady
Christian Serratos — La Cucaracha
The truth about Norman Andrew Lincoln says, and I quote, “Norman is officially out there with the space cadets.” He also shared tales of pranks that Norman had pulled on him. For instance, when Andrew had difficulty finding the location of an event he was attending, Norman sent 6 police cars to escort him. But they also handcuffed him and took selfies!! Too funny!
Birthday boys Ross Marquand and Steve Coulter both learned they had been cast on The Walking Dead on their birthdays. What are the odds?
More from Undead Walking
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- Why is there no season 12 of The Walking Dead?
- Will Morgan Jones find Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff?
- Watch Tales of TWD actress Jillian Bell in Prime Video’s Candy Cane Lane
Spy girl Christian Serratos used to dream of being in the CIA. The Rosita actor revealed that she was a huge fan of the spy thriller Alias and its formidable main character, Sidney Bristow.
Can’t fool us! Let’s just say Josh McDermitt has not mastered his British accent. As guests waited anxiously for the arrival of Andrew Lincoln on stage for his panel, Josh McDermitt walked through the door of the stage prop version of Dale’s RV. He proceeded to call himself Andrew Lincoln speaking in a faux British Accent. While it was fun seeing Josh goof around as usual, the crowd went nuts when Andrew Lincoln came out behind him!
Steve Coulter likes to tell tall tales. Tovah Feldshuh (Deanna Monroe) explained that she was out of the country (Burma, I believe) when she received the call about auditioning for The Walking Dead. Interestingly, Daniel Bonjour was in Thailand when he learned of his audition. Not to be outdone by these two, Steve Coulter proceeded to claim that he was “in Siberia, naked, and on fire” when he received his audition notice. Ha! That would certainly top the others, were it true. He was actually in Atlanta, not far from the convention center itself and the rest is history.
That’s disgusting. Andrew Lincoln was asked about the most disgusting scene he had filmed. He actually shared his top two — wearing the guts alongside Glenn in Season 1 and biting out Joe’s throat in Season 4. He reminded us that the “Guts” scene was filmed in the heat and rain with long plastic gloves, making the process very sweaty.
Stab me through the heart, AGAIN. As if Reg’s death scene was not already sad enough, Steve Coulter revealed that while filming the scene, he actually felt Tovah Feldshuh’s warm tears falling on his cheek. It breaks my heart all over again! But that is true dedication to the craft.
Scared much? After a brief (but intense) preview of The Walking Dead Experience attraction prior to the con opening, I decided to go through the complete course on Friday. Whoa! It was both terrifying and mesmerizing. Knowing that Michael Traynor (Nicholas) and other cast members participated in the event Friday evening, I decided to ask him about it the next day. So, how was it for Michael? He claimed to have only peed his pants twice during the experience! Very funny, Michael! But let that be your warning.
I hope you enjoyed these highlights from Walker Stalker Con Atlanta and that you, too, will have the opportunity to attend WSC in a city near you. I plan to be back next year and enjoy some more time up close and personal with cast members of our favorite show, The Walking Dead.