Irene Ziegler on the set of "The Walking Dead" with series protagonist Rick Grimes in the background.
Did you happen to catch Richmonder Irene Ziegler in the latest episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead post-apocalyptic zombie drama? She tells us:
“On March 30, I was backstage, awaiting my entrance in a student musical at the University of Richmond when I got a text from my son, Addison Martz (VCU ‘15). ‘OMG! You’re a cannibal!’ he wrote, referring to my appearance on the season 4 finale of The Walking Dead. That was a big surprise to me, too. The producers keep such a tight lid on the show, they wouldn’t even let me read a script. I arrived on set and was handed my lines, which provided no clues or context beyond my description as ‘Broadcasting Woman.’ I’ve since learned that the writers are famous for killing off their human characters, so I count myself lucky to still be among the living. Whether I’ll return in season 5 is a secret not even my agent knows, so I can’t say if I’ll eat or be eaten. I’m just really pleased to have some street cred with my son, who calls me ‘momster.’ ”
If you missed the episode, you can probably catch it On Demand. And we’ll just have to wait until series returns in October to find out Ziegler’s fate. Meanwhile, you can see her in a less carnivorous role as Polly Wyeth in Virginia Repertory Theatre's Other Desert Cities, directed by Chase Kniffen and also starring Joe Inscoe and Melissa Johnston Price, from April 24 to May 18. In this Tony-nominated play by Jon Robin Baitz, a daughter's plan to write a tell-all memoir about her politically influential family sets off fireworks.
