"The Walking Dead" Star Lauren Cohan on Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse

Hey guys, it's Tracy in the Young Hollywood Studio and I'm with Lauren Cohan. How are you?

Good. How are you doing?

Good. So we were just talking about this insane weather going on. Snowstorms everywhere. You were snowed in Atlanta, which is where you guys filmed, right? You film the Walking Dead.

It is how we film and I went back for a visit. We're not filming right now and uh and went back for two days and ended up there for seven days. So, it was amazing though. It's kind of nice when you can't do anything.

So, the Walking Dead, I mean, is it crazy to you that it's literally just become such a phenomenon? I mean, it's the most watched drama series in cable history, which is crazy. Yeah. I mean, did you ever think it was going to get to that level?

It's really funny actually because I did a panel with everybody last night and Kirkman said something, Robert Kirkman, who created the comic book and the show, and I had never thought of it that way. And he said that when they created the show, they actually thought, "Let's take this really ridiculous genre, which is zombies and kind of like a low-brow thing, zombies,

Right.

and give it so much more importance than it's ever been treated with." And make it super, super real. And when I joined the show in the first season, in the second season, I had watched the first season. All I remember from it was how real the situations were and that that's really the core of the show. It's, it's genre is thrilling and it it does have a lot of potential for for for these crazy adventures, but at the end of the day it's a very real thing. So, I think I'm starting now to understand after three years how it's, um, what it's little magic formula is.

I just have loved it from the first second. If I mean, people who watch it are like, they're avid fans. I mean, they're obsessed with it. And it's Season 4 and you're going to start the mid-season is going to premiere on Sunday, February 9th, which is everyone's I'm sure just dying to know what's going to happen. Like any any hints? I know you can't do spoilers, but any

I can't do spoilers, but it's going to be really great. The um, the group has all been separated as everybody who's been watching knows and um

We're living in a prison, right?

Yes, we were living in a prison. Um, and that was sort of a safe hold for a season and a half for the group. And now they're completely dispersed. Um, a lot of people are actually completely on their own and it's, it's it's really scary. So, it's going to be, it's going to be a change for the show because we haven't um, we haven't seen a lot of these characters out on their own. Like Maggie, who I play, is also going to be more on her own than she ever has been yet. Um, you know, she doesn't know where her sister is, she's just lost her father, she doesn't know where her husband is. And uh, it's

Right.

It's really scary. I mean, I know this show's scary, but now it's really scary. So,

But you, I I heard that you love anything to do with horror. Like just So, was it perfect for you? Cuz like for me, I hate horror. I mean, I'm like, I get scared really easily, so this show scares me.

Me too. That's actually that's

But you love it, right? It's Actually, are you You love it, okay. I thought you

No, I love actually within the show, I love doing the sort of action and horror elements to it. Um, but it was kind of funny to me booking this particular job because I don't go out of my way to watch anything horrific. Um, you know. It's funny when friends of mine will text me, um, from watching the show, like, "Damn you for making me love this show. It's so tense." You know, cuz you just, you know,

There's yeah, there's something about like the stressfulness. Yeah. I mean, and like you said, you know, it sort of depicts a real situation of just survival and, you know, how to deal with like all the craziness going on in the world. So like if you, I mean, this is probably a crazy question you've been asked, but like if there was a zombie apocalypse, what would you do? Or what what should people do, I guess?

What should people do? I think just sort of try to stay calm and just remember that you need a completely different, um, skill set. I think that we're probably more prepared than we think we are, but I don't know how are we prepared? How? I don't know how we could be prepared for that. I mean, the things that you need are really just everything that your adrenaline will supply you with if the if the if the stuff really hit the fan. But it's just about being aware and it's still the question of where would you go during the apocalypse? I don't have an answer for. We talked about as a cast or talked about this yesterday. It's like, I don't know. Would you just give up and go and do something you really enjoyed knowing that the end is nigh or would you actually, you know, try to find an island or would you do? I still don't know. Maybe I need to not know while I'm still living in it. That's really.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? That's really. You know, maybe when Maggie bites it, then she'll know. That

That's This is the answer.

That's the answer. Exactly.

So, you know, you're from the US but you grew up in England. Right? So do you sort of feel more connected to the English culture, more the US culture? Um, it's a bit of a What's the difference?

I I don't I haven't decided yet on that either. Those are the two things. Who where do I like more and where would I live? Maybe it's the same. In the apocalypse, I'll go to Jamaica. Um, I definitely still feel, I mean, half my family's English. My parents are one is American, one is Scottish English. Um, I just have

I'm actually my parents are South Africans. I grew up in the US, so I understand. I know what you're saying cuz you sort of associate with that culture, but then

Yes,

And I I love it here. You're also American at the same time.

Tea is a big thing.

Right? Tea is a big thing. Do you drink tea every single day?

I drink tea. This is my It's the equivalent of coffee of the day, but tea is my all-time favorite drink.

How did you sort of get into this whole business of acting? I mean, you've done a lot in your whole career and how do you sort of like, you know, I mean you're on a hit show obviously right now and how do you sort of What's your advice basically?

What's my advice? Um, I would say I don't know. For people who want to get into the business. Do you know what I think it is? I think it's that I know that this is a great job and it's a great business, but it's still, you know, everything can change at every minute. And I just really enjoy doing it day by day, sitting here, having a nice conversation, going to work, doing my job. Like, whatever it is that sort of comes about, I'm just trying to really stay present with it. And I think that

Right.

I've said before, like, I don't remember consciously making this like crazy decision to become an actor, but I still, it still feels like it's just begun, which is a really, um, weird.

That's exciting though because you do feel like you're evolving every single day.

Yeah, totally.

You also are, you do, you know, Archer is a new show also. So how are you? You're doing the voice of an animated series. How are you keeping up? I mean, that's a lot. You're super busy.

Yeah, no, it's really good actually. And Archer is the perfect, um, antidote to The Walking Dead environment. Um, it's yeah.

Obviously. Obviously. Very opposite ends of the spectrum.

Yeah. Um, no, it's great. I actually, um, I knew that they wanted me to come and do the show for some time and then they ended up finding this character, which was the right one for me to do. And um, it's lucky because while we do Walking Dead, I can't do that many recurring things in normal television, but I can do a long-running character on something else. And so this has been really fun for me to get to delve into.

I mean, you clearly have a crazy busy schedule and every single person out there who is an avid Walking Dead fan are probably dying for Sunday to come around already.

Yes. And apparently, they're going to do a marathon on Saturday. Um, so if you haven't seen season three, you need to catch up ASAP. You're forgiven, but you can catch up.

You're forgiven. But you need to get on that because you're not want to miss Sunday.