Dan Fogler and Nadia Hilker On Coming To ‘The Walking Dead’ as Luke and Magna

Walking Dead fans were introduced to a brand new group of survivors in the first half of season 9, and the group is full of interesting characters.

Two of the characters are Luke and Magna, played by Dan Fogler and Nadia Hilker. The two attended Walker Stalker Con New Jersey where they answered fan questions and gave us a little insight about their first moments on set as the new kids.

Hilker says she wanted to give it her best,

Coming in I was like man we, we gotta be good. I’m a fan of the comic books, so I was like “Wow, I get to play somebody who is in in the comic books. I knew bits and pieces of Magna. What I love about the show is that the writers and Angela, the show runner allow you to find yourself as the character while shooting.  It’s very freeing not having to know 100% who you are. It allows space to not know.

Dan says that you automatically have to fill the gaps

As an actor you kind of have to fill in the gaps especially with the history of your character. We had a out a week of rehearsal before we came in where we got to learn sign language. Lauren, who plays Connie was an excellent teacher. You put the puzzle pieces together, like that scene where we’re on trial. It’s loose beaus they don’t want you to know too much. They could write something the next episode that could change everything you thought about your own history. No matter what, those are going to be interesting to watch.

Hilker talks a bit about what Bernie means to Magna,

Their universe is a parallel universe, so when you meet them, it should feel like these people love each other. We had that week together to figure out who Bernie was. Bernie for me was one of my best buddies from college. if I lost that guy, it would just be crushing.

She also emphasized the relationship between Luke and Magna,

Luke to Magna is like that person who has my heart. Even though he annoys the shit to of me every now and then, I would never want to miss it for anything. That’s why she allows him to tap to her like that, because otherwise she’s a cold-hearted killer. She’s very close with her family, I think it’s gonna be interesting to watch her with new people.

One fan asked how Michonne could tell she had a prison tattoo,

I think she clocked it in the very first scene when she was riding. She knew and she was saving it for that moment.

She was asked if Magna actually likes Michonne,

I think Michonne is giving me fire. I love the most when she’s checking me for weapons, she felt kind of sexual about it. I think all of this is giving her more of a reason to. For Nadia, it was intimidating and I was like, “I better get into character, or else I can’t do this.”

She shares that she was fast friends with Dan on set,

Dan was kid of my first friend and family member on The Walking Dead and we spent a lot of time together.

The moderator Jason Cabassi asked if they still feel the effects of Andy’s departure,

Absolutely. It’s ingrained at this point. It’s part of the fabric of the show. When we go there, they just throw you into the fire right away. You get on the horse, and if you’re not down to just jump on have the good vibes and flow with that, it’s a difficult environment to work in. Says Hilker.

Fogler adds,

Everyone was really inviting and they say “Welcome to the family.” and you really feel like your part of the family. It’s nice.

Nadia also told fans that Cailey Fleming, the young actress who plays Judith is one of the most professional actors on set.

She’s the most professional actress on that show. She learned the whole sign language in like 5 minutes.

To close out the panel, Nadia was asked if she believes Magna wants to eventually be a leader. Nadia took a moment to think about the question, and said,

I don think Magna wants to be a leader. That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be a good one. I think she wants to take care of everyone, and wants to help everyone as much as she can. But, she has a hard time doing that, because, she doesn’t really know how. She’s not good at showing love I think. Even though she does love.

Stay tuned for more from Walker Stalker New Jersey!

The Walking Dead returns on February 10th 2019.