Instagram/@laurencohan
Lauren Cohan has provided us a glimpse into the actress’s transition to her character Maggie during ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ by composing the score of Ian Hultquist, which was the major impact on her performance, the entire process happened over the days. The actress said she played his preliminary musical drafts while driving to the studio and mentally used the music to travel into the post-apocalyptic realm of the TV series. This very private depiction of her preparing reveals the partnership between actors and musicians, which is usually not that evident in a television series but rather creates a different ambiance.
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Cohan’s post on Instagram was treated as an announcement and not a surprise that the complete musical score of Ian Hultquist for the Dead City series was available to hear by the public. Cohan described his works as the “very nature of the show’s mood,” and at the same time, she pointed out that the music is what allows the show to be perceived as a different entity with its own character that is separate from the main ‘The Walking Dead’ series. The announcement created an instant hype among the franchise fans, especially with the fact that the third season of the show is already being planned.
Composer Ian Hultquist thanked Cohan not only with a post but also hinted about new content. “Lauren! Thank you so much,” Hultquist wrote, “Speaking of that, I actually have a new one to send you.” The interaction between the leading lady and composer gave the audience a rare look into their creative partnership, indicating that the musical collaboration is still ongoing as filming takes place.
Numerous comments have mentioned that Cohan’s technique of playing the score is similar to that of other creative individuals. One of them remarked, “Very very cool that you listened ahead to inform your character choices!” By saying this, the comment in a way reveals that actors often go beyond the script to extract a performance, and music, in this case, happens to be one of the strongest emotional anchors.
The future of the show was discussed most of the time. “I literally can’t wait for season 3,” said one fan and another added, “the soundtrack is fantastic; I can’t wait to see s3.” The score’s simultaneous release and the production update created an excitement-laden atmosphere surrounding the next chapter of the series.
Cohan’s post not only amused but also connected with the audience emotionally by forcing them to reflect on the show. One viewer had a very personal reaction, “This post was such a big surprise for me—I had just come back from my treatment and saw this beautiful post, and suddenly all the tiredness of the day disappeared.” Such responses remind us of the times when celebrity communication provided comfort or distraction during hard times simply by being around at the right moment.
There were some negative responses, however; one critic wrote in Spanish, “Es muy aburrido, cambien la trama!” This is an example of a person who has a totally different set of expectations from established franchises and their spins-offs and is very quick to voice their dissatisfaction. An audience that is invested in the direction of the universe will always express a variety of reactions towards every artistic decision.
Furthermore, there were also signs in the conversation that some viewers were not clear on the overall ‘Walking Dead’ universe, as one person asked, “After The Walking Dead, can someone tell me what’s the order? To keep watching!” This illustrates that although the franchise is already quite big, it can still be very tricky for casual viewers to find their way through the continually expanding world of spin-offs and sequels.
Cohan’s confession about her method of working illuminates the fact that making a television series is highly collaborative. The actress’s use of Hultquist’s score to connect her day-to-day commute with the ‘Dead City’ fictional world is a clear indication that actors develop the skill to breathe life into their characters and thus become indistinguishable from them. This might be one of the reasons why Cohan’s performances as Maggie have been so believable and hence so embraced by the franchise.
The release of the ‘Dead City’ score is nothing less than an advance notice to fans of the series’ diminished but still existing connection during the seasons interval. Hultquist’s music is now presented like many before him in the cinema industry as an independent artist while at the same time it evokes the very world which it has helped to create. For the loyal viewers, access to this music is another layer of connection to the plot and characters whom they have followed for years.
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Lauren Cohan’s post in the end was able to accomplish several objectives simultaneously—she promoted the score that was released, created anticipation for the upcoming season, and even revealed the artistic collaboration behind-the-scenes that made ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ so vibrant. Besides the acknowledgement of Hultquist’s contribution, her message is also a reminder that the whole process of television production is very much a team effort where every element—including the often unnoticed