My wife is a big fan of the television program The Walking Dead, and while I don't watch it regularly, I did watch its first season, and I'm not opposed to going to events connected to it. So, a couple of months ago, when tickets went on sale for "The Walking Dead Live: An Evening with the Cast & Creators of the Hit Show" at the State Theatre in Playhouse Square in Cleveland, I purchased two. A little less than three weeks ago -- on February 14 -- the event occurred, and my wife and I attended.
Originally, the event was billed with appearances by executive producer Greg Nicotero as well as three actors from the show: Lauren Cohan (who plays Maggie), Steven Yeun (who plays Glenn), and Norman Reedus (who plays Daryl). In the end, Nicotero and Cohan made it, but Yeun was replaced by Michael Booker (who plays Merle), and Reedus was replaced by Laurie Holden (who plays Andrea). I don't believe my wife was alone in her disappointment that Reedus didn't make it. Audience reactions at the event -- in addition to, among other things, a particular Time Warner Cable commercial -- suggested that Daryl is one of the more popular characters from the show. Meanwhile, audience reactions at the event also clearly demonstrated that, though one of the show's original characters, Holden's character, Andrea, is one of the less liked characters on the show.
Yet, in the end, in Cleveland I think Holden stole the show.
For the first half of the event, the four members of the cast and crew talked about the show with Cleveland radio personality Alan Cox. Then, for the second half, the event opened up for audience questions for Nicotero and the three actors. Amid all of this, Nicotero offered a lot of useful commentary on the making of the show, and Cohan chimed in likewise, though she seemed to participate less often. Perhaps Cohan's smaller amount of participation can be explained by Nicotero's tendency to dominate conversation and by Rooker's performance. While Rooker did have a few poignant moments, such as his last set of comments in which he eloquently explained the tremendous role that grief plays as the backdrop for the show, Rooker spent a lot of time goofing off during the event, which was funny the first couple of times but then seemed to detract from the more insightful discussion that could have been had.
Meanwhile, Holden's participation seemed a bit understated as well (perhaps for the same reasons as Cohan's was), but she produced arguably the best moments of the event. First, with the audience clearly against such a defense, she was asked to defend her character Andrea's actions -- the very actions that have incurred the wrath of fans of the show upon the character. Holden's defense was masterful. By the time she had completed it, I felt quite a new appreciation for her character and why her character has taken the actions that she has.
Additionally, when a couple of young women who stated they are aspiring actresses asked the question that I'm sure actors tire of answering -- "What advice would you give to aspiring actors?" -- Holden took the lead with her answer of "get an education." She proceeded to explain -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- how higher education broadens one's horizons and allows one to see the kinds of various perspectives that are useful as an actor for understanding and taking on various roles.
Of course, as an educator in the humanities at an institution of higher learning, this was music to my ears. I think, though, Holden's advice was made all the more powerful by its coupling with her defense of her character. She not only offered the advice; she modeled it by providing a compelling defense of the actions of her character to an audience that was already set against that character.
Many folks know of Holden as an actor from her recurring role on The X-Files -- a reference that was made during the The Walking Dead event in Cleveland, and a reference that Holden expressed gratitude that some fans knew. Before The Walking Dead, I knew Holden best from her performance as Adele Stanton, the love interest of Jim Carrey's main character Peter Appleton in the film The Majestic. I very much enjoyed The Majestic when I saw it, and I very much enjoyed Holden's performance at "The Walking Dead Live: An Evening with the Cast & Creators of the Hit Show" on February 14. I'm very grateful for Holden's comments about education, and I'm impressed by how well she embodied those comments in what else she said that night. When I do watch The Walking Dead, I will do so with much more of an eye toward understanding Holden's character of Andrea, and when I see Holden in any performance, I will do so with an eye toward acknowledging the sincerity and intelligence of her craft. I'll also do so with a profound thankfulness for her public acknowledgement of the value of the humanistic components of higher education.
