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Lauren Cohan: Keeping The Walking Dead, ABC options open is brilliant

By Sarabeth Pollock

LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 24: (L-R) Actors Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohan and Iko Uwais speak onstage during CinemaCon 2018 STXfilms Invites You to an Evening Featuring A Sneak Preview of Their Feature Films? at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 24: (L-R) Actors Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohan and Iko Uwais speak onstage during CinemaCon 2018 STXfilms Invites You to an Evening Featuring A Sneak Preview of Their Feature Films? at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon) /
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It’s hard to think that Lauren Cohan will split her time between The Walking Dead and Whiskey Cavalier, but it’s a very smart business move.

The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan is in an enviable position. She’s starring in one of the biggest television shows around, and her new pilot was recently picked up by ABC for the fall. While it’s hard to think of The Walking Dead sharing Cohan with another show, it’s very important to understand that she’s not going anywhere yet, and the volatile television industry plays a huge part in her decisions.

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The month of May is known in the television industry for its upfronts. This is when network executives shop advertising spots to companies, and in order to make their presentations they have to finalize their fall schedules. That’s how we arrived at the bloodbath earlier this month when shows were being cut left and right, some seemingly without rhyme or reason. In one 24-hour period alone, 20 shows were cut. These cuts make way for new pilots that were being shopped around earlier in the spring, and one of those pilots was Cohan’s Whiskey Cavalier.

In order to have time for her new show, Cohan negotiated an abbreviated contract with AMC to appear in fewer episodes of The Walking Dead. (When you look at it, though, she was credited in all of the episodes in season 8 but didn’t appear in them all, and this is an important piece to the puzzle) On paper, this looks like a disaster for The Walking Dead, but it’s also an insurance policy for Cohan.

Among those dozens and dozens of shows cut ahead of the upfronts, many of them were in their freshman seasons. There’s a 50-50 chance that Whiskey Cavalier might not survive past its freshman season, and that means Cohan still has her foot in the door with The Walking Dead. If Whiskey Cavalier takes off to massive ratings, perhaps earning an early pickup order, then Cohan can ease away from The Walking Dead knowing she has a job with ABC.

Next: Ten things that should happen in The Walking Dead season 9

That’s the key here: Between the two shows, The Walking Dead is a surefire thing while a new pilot is a huge risk. Leaving a longstanding show with strong ratings (yes, they’re not as high as they once were, but they still lead Sunday nights and that’s all AMC needs) is a big risk. Cohan has been in a few movies, but nothing has been as successful as The Walking Dead. That’s why keeping both job options open is brilliant on her part.

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