Did Walking Dead's Tom Payne star in Fear the Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead series introduced Paul "Jesus" Rovia in season 6 of the series. Fans of the comic longed to see Jesus come alive on screen, and this was brilliantly done by actor Tom Payne. He appeared to have walked directly off the comic pages.

During the season six episode "The Next World," Jesus met Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl (Norman Reedus), who were on a scavenging run for Alexandria. Although their first meeting didn't go well, because Jesus stole their truck full of supplies and led them on a chase that eventually found the truck and supplies at the bottom of a pond, he would join their ranks and become a well-respected member.

Jesus was a member of the Hilltop community that was led by Gregory (Xander Berkeley), and he was the first to inform Rick and the others about Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his group, the Saviors. Jesus was an asset to any group he was aligned with, as he was trained in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. His role at Hilltop was to locate other communities to trade, which was complicated once Negan forced the community to give him half of their supplies.

Sadly, Jesus met his death in a shocking scene during episode 908, "Evolution." He and a group were on the run from a horde of walkers which would turn out to include several members of the Whisperers, people who wore walker skin to blend in with the undead. He was killed by one such person, in one of the most surprising deaths of the series.

Did Jesus appear in Fear the Walking Dead?

If you read Payne's IMDB page, you will see an entry that states he appeared in episode 401, "What Your Story?" of Fear the Walking Dead. If you have never watched this series, this may come as a surprise to you, but he's not the only TWD character who appears in this episode.

The episode features The Walking Dead universe's first crossover character to another series. It began with John Dorie (Garret Dillahunt) reading by the campfire and Morgan (Lennie James) coming upon him, to which Dorie asks, "So, what's your story?"

This leads to a flashback weeks after the All Out War with Negan and the Saviors. Morgan took solace at the Heaps, trying to determine his next move. He is visited by Jesus, Carol (Melissa McBride), and finally, Rick. But none of them are successful at talking him into staying with the communities. He was next seen packing his bag and leaving the Heaps for good.

Jesus, Carol, and Rick are featured in very short clips but receive recognition for their part in Fear TWD.

Check out these stories and more on Undead Walking:

Follow Undead Walking on Twitter (X) and Facebook and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on everything in The Walking Dead universe.