Fear the Walking Dead: Meet the new characters

Lennie James as Morgan and Maggie Grace as Althea

"Althea is someone who is uniquely qualified to survive — to thrive, even — in this world because of who she was before the apocalypse," says co-showrunner Ian Goldberg of the new character being played by Lost alum Maggie Grace. "When we meet her, we'll find she has, in many ways, picked up right where she left off before the world collapsed. She has a number of impressive weapons in her arsenal, including a curiosity and understanding of people that often gives her a tactical advantage. It's never something for nothing with Althea. She has a greater purpose that she is constantly working toward; one which Strand takes a particular interest in."

Maggie Grace as Althea and Garret Dillahunt as John

"John is a man of fascinating contradictions," says Goldberg of this new addition played by Deadwood's Garret Dillahunt. "He loves people but has spent a great deal of time on his own. He’s a gentle soul — an innocent in many ways — but is no stranger to violence. He can be soft-spoken and disarmingly funny all at once."

Goldberg is also thrilled to have Maggie Grace onboard as Althea. "We have been fans of Maggie Grace for a long time — she brings an intelligence, sensitivity, and innate strength to Althea that has been really exciting to watch."

Kim Dickens as Madison and Jenna Elfman as Naomi

"Naomi's a capable survivor we'll meet living on her own early on in the season," explains co-showrunner Andrew Chambliss of this new face on the show played by Dharma & Greg's Jenna Elfman. "She'll have her guard up as she crosses paths with Madison and her family, and — as we'll learn over the course of the season — she'll have a very good reason for keeping people at a distance. Even so, she'll end up developing some connections that surprise her, including a bond with Alicia."

Lennie James as Morgan

"As Morgan Jones steps into the world of FTWD, he'll be continuing the journey he began on The Walking Dead way back in the pilot," says Chambliss of the character crossing over from the original show to the companion series. "Ian and I were huge fans of the character when Lennie James first brought him to life back then, again when he returned in season 3, and finally when he became a series regular in season 6."

Garret Dillahunt as John

"When we started to think about an actor who could embody all these contradictions and then some, our minds immediately went to Garret Dillahunt," says Goldberg.

"It’s been so much fun watching Garret breathe life into the role and to see his character navigating the FTWD world."

Jenna Elfman as Naomi

"When we were casting Naomi, we wanted an actor who had the gravitas the role required while still bringing humor and levity to the character," says Chambliss. "When our wonderful casting team floated Jenna's name to us, we all looked at each other and said, 'Yes, she's Naomi.' Fortunately, Jenna thought so too."

Lennie James as Morgan

"When we first met Lennie, he impressed upon us how much he cared about the character and how important it was to him for us to take Morgan to places we hadn't seen before," says Chambliss. "It's been a great challenge to set for ourselves and it's what we hope to do with the character — to push Morgan to places he could only get by coming into contact with the characters on Fear. They'll change him. And, at the same time, he'll change them."

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