Lauren Cohan explains why she’s leaving The Walking Dead

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The upcoming ninth season of The Walking Dead will be a momentous one for the AMC series when it comes to character exits, as not only will Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) be departing, but so will Lauren Cohan (Maggie Rhee). The actress has appeared on the long-running series since its second season, but will be saying goodbye to Maggie halfway through the upcoming season. Lauren Cohan recently spoke with the Associated Press and revealed that she knew she needed a change when she felt herself becoming a little too comfortable with the job.

Eight years is a really long time to be in those emotional depths and it’s really fun for me because I never thought about drama as much when I started this career and I always kind of assumed I’d do like light fare.

Lauren Cohan hasn't ruled out a possible return to the series at a later date, as The Walking Dead producers have left the door open for Maggie. "There’s a chance for me to still explore the Maggie character and it’s going to be fun to see if that can be done," Cohan said. Assuming she isn't lying (and no one from The Walking Dead has ever been guilty of that) that would seem to indicate that Maggie won't be exiting the series in a dead or undead state.

Lauren Cohan's future beyond The Walking Dead is already looking bright, as she's appearing in MILE 22 alongside Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, Ronda Rousey, and John Malkovich. The Peter Berg film is now playing in theaters (check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray), but Cohan will also be returning to the small-screen as well in ABC's Whiskey Cavalier next year. The upcoming hour-long action dramedy follows the adventures of tough but tender FBI super-agent Will Chase (Scott Foley). Following an emotional break-up, Chase is assigned to work with badass CIA operative Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge (Lauren Cohan). Together, they lead an inter-agency team of flawed, funny and heroic spies who periodically save the world (and each other) while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance and office politics. "The hardest part is not laughing," Cohan said of working on the series "They have this wonderful ‘Moonlighting’ vibe. I’m an emotional character with a steely exterior and the guys are much more in touch with their feelings. It’s funny! It’s great. It’s a really fun departure for me."

The ninth season of The Walking Dead will return to AMC on October 7, 2018.