More to Walking Dead's Enid than meets the eye
Katelyn Nacon talks to Helen Herimbi about becoming a regular on the show, trust issues, and coping with a world gone crazy
WITH the eighth season of The Walking
Dead in full swing, faithful watchers have stayed on edge about what is going to happen. On the phone from California, Katelyn Nacon, who plays Enid, did her best to give me the scoop without spilling the beans.
Having lost her parents, Enid was prone to flight instead of fight. But now, with Negan ready to demolish everyone, she has to pick up arms. Nacon joined The Walking Dead at just 15 years old and had a minor role to play. But now, at just 18 years old, her character, Enid, has become a regular.
“I’m super excited,” she said, “It’s been a great accomplishment.” So what initially drew Nacon to Enid? “I remember when I got the audition script, I didn’t know much about it because this show is very secretive,” she giggled.
“Her name was not even Enid yet when I got the audition script. It was Jane or something. I remember it didn’t really explain much about what her part would be, but it gave a very good explanation of Enid’s character.”
She continues: “I remember reading it and falling in love with the character right there and then. I felt a very strong connection to her character. And then I got it, which is great.”
At first, Enid was wary of strangers. In a world where you could die or be eaten at any moment, who wouldn’t be? But she soon developed a necessary relationship with Carl, who is Rick and the late Lori’s son.
“Carl brought out a different side of Enid,” Nacon explained. “He’s kind of picking her out of her shell and made it okay for her to trust and let people back into her life again. She’s in a place where she lost her parents and that kind of pain, she just doesn’t want to go through it again. Carl was one of the people who made his way into her life and that changed a lot about her and made her more trusting and open with other people.”
One of those people Enid began to ultimately trust is Maggie. “Enid has had someone to look up to,” said Nacon. “At the same time, she wasn’t really sure whether Maggie’s way is the right way. They have varying and differing opinions of how to get through stuff and she doesn’t want to get lost in Maggie’s opinions.”
Speaking of opinions, I asked Nacon what hers was when it comes to just how much these characters can withstand. From zombies to The Governor, The Wolves and The Saviours, they just can’t catch a break. Nacon laughed at this question and then said: “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“It’s a very interesting world they live in. The world is kind of starting all over again due to this apocalypse and it’s hard to go through because of everything they’ve gone through in the past. There’s a lot of suffering and now there’s this entire new world. People are going to have to grow through the obstacles they overcome.”
And of all the adversaries, which has been the worst to face? “I would have to say Negan because he created this war and that had never happened on the show before,” Nacon said without hesitation. “We’d never had a full-on war before. Although, Terminus was pretty crazy with the whole cannibalism thing. I don’t know how I felt about that.”
What she does know is that there is still more to Enid than meets the eye. Nacon concluded: “Enid is in a better place than she was before, but she’s still got a lot of growing to do. It’s interesting because the more you see her grapple with situations and her morals, we’re kind of watching her grow in that aspect.” The Walking Dead airs every Monday on FOX (DStv Channel 125) at 9pm.