‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Star Colman Domingo Reacts To Travis’ Death

“Fear the Walking Dead” star Colman Domingo was shocked when he found out that Cliff Curtis’ Travis was going to be killed off in the second half of the show’s Season 3 premiere. While it’s always sad for the actors to see their colleagues leave the show, Domingo said that Travis’ unexpected death is a reminder of what kind of world their characters are living in.

“I think it showed us the nature of the universe,” Domingo, who plays Strand on the AMC series, told Mic of Travis’ demise. “As actors, we sign on for the story, and we want our characters to survive for as long as the story allows. For Travis to go within the first couple episodes, it’s a jolt and a shock, of course. Not only as human beings, but as the characters as well.”

“And also the company,” added Domingo. “You know, we’ve been together since Season 1 and we’ve really become a family. So we’re reeling for a moment because we love Cliff but we understand it’s part of the storyline. And Cliff is already moving on to some fantastic opportunities, so we know it’s never personal and it’s always for the benefit of the show. That’s just the world that we’re in, where anyone can go at any time.”

READ: “Fear the Walking Dead” EP explains why Travis had to die

Kim Dickens, who plays Travis’ lover on the show, was also surprised when she learned that Travis was going to die in Season 3, episode 2. “I was just gobsmacked by it and disagreed with it, you know?” Dickens told Cinema Blend. “But I’m not the writers; I don’t understand [the] story to that degree, and what it does. It will certainly be shocking. . . . But this is a genre, and this is the way to properly tell the story. We’re always asking for it, all the characters. I mean, it just happens, but it’s shocking.”

While Dickens finds it hard to say goodbye to people she had worked with for a long time, Dickens said that she, as well as her remaining co-stars, “manage” to move forward. “We’re actors,” she said. “It’s the nature of our job, it's hard. We’re a family. It’s tough, it hurts.”

“Fear the Walking Dead” airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.