Lauren Ridloff of The Walking Dead named One to Watch by PEOPLE
By Joe LaBrosse
The Walking Dead actor Lauren Ridloff was recently featured as an up and coming star on PEOPLE’s annual “Ones to Watch” list for 2019.
This honor adds on to what has been an incredible year for Ridloff, having been promoted to a series regular for season 10 of The Walking Dead and joining the cast of Marvel Studios’ The Eternals. She will be the first deaf actor to appear as a superhero in any Marvel movie, which is a remarkable accomplishment for a group that is so underrepresented on the big screen.
On The Walking Dead, Ridloff plays Connie, a former journalist who joined Hilltop as part of Magna’s crew in season 9. Connie quickly became a fan favorite, as Ridloff’s chemistry with Norman Reedus’ Daryl was apparent from the moment they appeared on-screen together.
Ridloff herself is deaf and serves as an inspiration for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community around the world. The actor’s rise to stardom on the show reflects something that she has been fighting for her whole career: just because those who are hard of hearing cannot communicate in ways that people are used to does not mean that they cannot meaningfully contribute to film and television.
When asked about her mission as an actress, Ridloff told PEOPLE:
"“I act to educate, to tell my story, to show that there is a beautiful signing community that is intersectional and imperfect and important.”"
Ridloff is a fantastic role model for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and her increasing level of success will hopefully help further raise awareness and create opportunities for members of those communities.
Representation matters in media, so it is inspiring to see Ridloff become an important part of universes with massive fanbases, like The Walking Dead and Marvel.
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It looks like Connie will have a big role to play in the upcoming season 10 of The Walking Dead, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for her character. Will she survive the Whisperer War? Will her character develop a romance with Daryl? Let us know by leaving a comment or tweeting us @labrosse_joe and @UndeadWalkingFS!