Exclusive: Savana Jade Wehunt Talks The Walking Dead, Becoming Carl Grimes and Emotional Scenes With The Governor
AMANDA DYAR: You've worked on The Walking Dead for nearly its entire run dating back to the Webisodes for the first season. How did you first become involved with the show, and did you know at the time how big of a deal the show could become?
SAVANA JADE WEHUNT: I first become involved with the show during its second season. A friend of mine gave me the email for the casting agency, and I sent my picture with a brief bio about myself. I heard from them 2 weeks later to come to set. At this time I had not even watched the Walking Dead yet, and didn’t know much about the show except it had zombies in it. I am so surprised at the amount it has grown over the seasons.
AMANDA:You've played other numerous roles on the show in addition to the Webisodes including a zombified Penny and a stand-in for Carl among others. What has been your favorite role to play on the show and why?
SAVANA: My favorite role to play on the show is Carl. It is really a lot of fun to get all dressed up like him with the guns and the hat. I really get into character and it’s so realistic on set to be running around with the cast. It is also really funny because sometimes Carl and I get mistaken for each other.
AMANDA: You've been a stand-in for Chandler Riggs on several episodes over the last couple of seasons. What was your initial thoughts when approached with the idea of portraying Carl's double and how has your perception of the role changed over time?
SAVANA: When I first heard that I would be photo doubling for Carl I was a little shocked, because why would they want a girl to play a boy's part. Surprisingly, I fit all of his clothes perfectly, and we even look alike. Earlier in my life I played mostly boy parts in plays and such--so I was use to portraying a boy. Over the seasons I’ve gone from playing a meek and mild child to a kid who can really stand up for himself and likes to be independent.
AMANDA: As Penny, you were involved in one of the most emotional scenes of the entire third season when the Governor revealed his daughter for the first time. Can you give us a description of the scenes with a behind the scenes perspective from the lengthy makeup session to working together with everyone's favorite villain, David Morrissey?
SAVANA: When I did the scene as Penny it was really cool to be in the makeup chair and hearing about the character I would be portraying. Being such an important character to the governor, I wanted to do the part justice. During the scene it was very emotional and the tension could be cut with a knife. Everything about that scene was so real it gave everyone Goosebumps.
AMANDA: The Walking Dead is one of the most popular shows on television, so we're assuming you watch it. How much do you know about the newest season before watching it on AMC along with the rest of America and what are you most excited to see in Season 4?
SAVANA: When watching episodes of The Walking Dead they are usually shot months before they are shown on TV. I usually have a good idea of what is going on in the episodes, but I make sure to never reveal anything to others. I am most excited to see how Carl’s character will progress in the upcoming season.
AMANDA: Since you work on one of the most prominent horror television shows of all-time, you're likely a fan of the horror industry. What are some of your favorite horror films ever, what's your favorite zombie themed show or movie outside of The Walking Dead and do you draw on any inspirations from the horror industry when preparing for one of your many roles?
SAVANA: I am a huge fan of the Resident Evil franchise and 28 Days/Weeks Later. I feel like these types of zombie films really have a different take on the attitude of what exactly is a zombie. I also like Fido for a funny take on the zombie movie genre. When I am working on zombie things I love listening to Rob Zombie or anything like that to get in the character. Also since I have been acting in haunted houses for almost 7 years now--I tend to snap into the character very easily.
AMANDA: You've been acting for the majority of both your childhood and adult lives. What initially made you want to get involved with acting in plays and what has made that love of acting stay with you so many years later?
SAVANA: I started acting in church plays as a child, and I really loved the attention and getting to play another character. It also really helped me to boost my self-esteem. My love of acting has always been supported by my family, and we are all very creative and bloom from being on a stage.
AMANDA: What is most frightening for you as an actress and student--Chandler Riggs hitting a growth spurt this off season, your upcoming finals or a walker outbreak?
SAVANA: Ummm… Probably Chandler’s growth spurt would be my first scary thought. I just saw him about a month ago, and he has gotten taller. However, he is still not as tall as me. Finals are coming up in two weeks so I’m really trying to buckle down and work on that.
AMANDA: In addition to your professional and student careers, you've also recently worked on the Wehunt Zombies mobile app. Can you tell us about your work with the new app and tell us why zombie fans and gamers should pick it up?
SAVANA: The Wehunt Zombies app is a company that I helped start, and I am co-owner, as well as the main character in the game. This game is a zombie game where you can not only play as the zombie, but as the zombie hunter were you can battle against your friends. You are also able to play as some as your favorite zombie characters from the show and maybe even some surprise cast members as well. Right now we are getting it programmed and are hoping for a summer release. You can find the apps page on Twitter as well as Facebook.
AMANDA: We know an actress with your skill set must stay busy all the time. What other projects do you have coming up you'd like to tell us about and where can fans go to learn more about you or to meet you?
SAVANA: Well right now I am working on finishing up my junior year of college, and I am getting ready for season 4 of Walking Dead. I have a few independent films coming around that I am hoping to work on, and I'm hoping to get my voice-over career started. Fans can find my Facebook fan page by typing in “Savana Jade Wehunt fan page”.
For more information, check out the official Savana Jade Wehunt Fanpage and the The Walking Dead website.