Posted in: AMC, Fear The Walking Dead, TV | Tagged: Alexa Nisenson, amc, fear the walking dead, interview, The Walking Dead

Fear the Walking Dead: Alexa Nisenson on Charlie's Personal Journey

Fear the Walking Dead star Alexa Nisenson spoke with Bleeding Cool about growing up a part of the franchise, Charlie's journey & more.

It's one thing for an actor to stumble upon a huge franchise like The Walking Dead, but it's another as a younger child actor when you grow up both with & on the series. Just ask original series stars Chandler Riggs and Madison Lintz, whose lives were changed by their time on the AMC series. While Lintz's Sophia Peletier was an early series casualty (dying in season two), Riggs' Carl Grimes would be a major player before his passing in season eight. Before landing the role on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, Alexa Nisenson was already making waves with her debut in the 2015 NBC TV series Constantine as Geraldine Chandler – followed by memorable turns that include Fist Fight (2017), the Will & Grace revival in 2017, and Orphan House (2018). As Charlie, Nisenson was able to carve one of the franchise's most endearing and redemptive characters – not an easy thing to do considering the franchise's turnover rate (large ensembles don't stay large when there are walkers around). Unfortunately, she met a grim fate in the final season episode "Iron Tiger." She spoke with Bleeding Cool about growing up in The Walking Dead franchise and Charlie's path to redemption.

How Alexa Nisenson Grew as Charlie Did on 'Fear the Walking Dead'

Bleeding Cool: When you first heard about 'The Walking Dead,' what were your initial thoughts and getting in on this franchise?

Nisenson: I remember when I auditioned, I was 11, and I didn't know too much about it, especially at that age. I knew about the franchise, and I knew how iconic it was, but I hadn't seen much of it. I remember being incredibly excited and like everything seemed so new, fascinating, and exciting. When we first started filming, it was learning about how they do everything with the walkers and the special effects. Any time you go on to a new set, like meeting everybody, getting to know them, and jumping into new characters, it is incredibly exciting. I remember being so fascinated by how this universe works and the passionate fans are about this franchise. It was so exciting, especially at such a young age. I felt so grateful to be a part of such an iconic universe.

How has being a part of this franchise changed you as far as your career & perspective as an actor?

That's a good question. ['Fear the Walking Dead'] shaped me so much. To join a show at 11 and now, 17 is so insane. That's such a big chunk of your life in such important years you're spending with your set family. They were like a second family to me, and I've spent so much time with them. The other part of it is when you're playing a character for that many years, you're growing with the character. That's been special. Growing up with your character and developing her nuance is such a cool experience. I feel like has shaped me as an actor, and I have learned so much.

Getting to work with so many incredible people on this show, I have learned so much and gotten to meet so many amazing people who have such incredible bonds with me and immersing myself into this universe where the fans are so passionate. It wasn't always the easiest because Charlie is such a controversial character, and the fans have such strong opinions about her that I feel like it also helped me grow so much getting to experience that at a young age and having to kind of navigate all those situations. Spending so much time with people and the character for that many years stays with you, too. Like you said, "shapes and kind of molds you as a person and as an actor." It's been a huge part of my life.

Being in that universe, the characters are constantly teetering on moral ruin given the survival circumstances. As with your character Charlie, it's been a long redemptive path in the sense of living with guilt and coming from the way she has. How do you feel about your character's evolution throughout the series?

Charlie has grown so much. It's hard to even put into words. When we first met Charlie, she was this scared young girl who had been through so much and was influenced by people who were so much older than her and supposed to be taking care of her. At that age, doing anything to get by and to keep yourself safe. I couldn't even imagine going through the things she went through at that age especially. Every season, she continued to grow, and she made it her mission to have that redemption and prove herself to the people who took her in. I feel like something about Charlie is that she just wanted to be accepted and loved, and she wanted to be forgiven. Every season we got to see that growth and see her mature and be able to be so strong, handle herself, and protect the people around her. When we first saw her, everybody else was protecting her. She got to step onto her own and protect the people around her.

In season eight, that continues in a little bit of a different way, and we see her completely grow, mature, and try to figure out life. One of my favorite things about Charlie is that every season, you see that growth, and you see it whether it's in the way she dresses or stands, acts, or protects the people around her, is that we got to see that growth constantly and continuously. As an actor, I feel so lucky I got to do that, and I tried hard to make sure that that was being portrayed. I felt like she grew into herself, and she got to experience in season seven that teenage romance for the first time, which I feel helped her mature a lot and all these different things every season helped her grow so much into the person she became.

The final episodes of Fear the Walking Dead air on Sundays on AMC and stream on AMC+.

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