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Fear the Walking Dead has, over 7 seasons, birthed a multitude of characters that fans have fallen in love with. The Season 6 premiere of the show introduced us to one such figure, the vicious bounty hunter, Emile LaRoux.
Even though he (Emile) met his end thanks to Morgan (Lennie James), which should have been a cause for celebration for most Fear the Walking Dead fans, the universe lamented that we couldn't see more of LaRoux.
Fast forward to 2021, where actor Demetrius Grosse has returned as Josiah LaRoux, the twin brother of the deceased, zombified and beheaded bounty hunter.
In an episode entitled 'Breathe with Me' (Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 4), he forms an uneasy alliance with Sarah (Mo Collins) to track down her brother Wendell. In return, he wants to avenge the death of his brother (whose head he carries in a box), by slaying Morgan!
Interview with Fear the Walking Dead actor Demetrius Grosse
The multi-faceted Fear the Walking Dead actor recently spoke to SK Pop about the episode, the universe, and much more. Be warned that spoilers from the show follow. Grosse jokes that he may have been the last person to find out about returning to the show:
"It was a pleasant surprise, but I didn't know. It was a cool call to get," said Grosse.
Unlike Emile, Josiah survives his tryst with the Fear the Walking Dead cast. Does this mean we could see him returning to the show?
"Well, Emile is definitely not coming back because just when we thought we had a zombie head, that got cut in half. I think that head's buried. But Josiah is alive and well in this world. I wouldn't count it out as a possibility that you could see him at any moment. He's also a ranger so you could see him pop up anywhere. He's a search and rescue guy ultimately," added Grosse.
Demetrius Grosse does not rule out an appearance on either of the two other shows - The Walking Dead or The Walking Dead: World Beyond either. The actor took a unique approach when it came to portraying the twins on Fear the Walking Dead:
"I really wanted their energy to be different. I really wanted their voices to be similar, like the way they spoke. I wanted them both to be from Galveston, Texas. I was interested in that part of Texas. And in Season 6 episode 1, when Emile is talking to Virginia on the radio, he mentions that he has to pick up a package at Galveston," Grosse said.
'Same voice but different energy' was the mantra Grosse followed while depicting the twins:
"And so I started thinking maybe that's where the LaRoux family is from. And so, I started learning about Galveston, Texas. There's a place there that they consider 'the island', which is really just a strip of land going into the Gulf of Mexico. But it's a whole culture, right? They call them island boys."
He further continued:
So, I figured that Josiah and Emile would be from that part of Texas. It was kind of intentional to have their voices sound the same. But I wanted their energy to be different. I wanted their motivation to be different. And I feel good about where we are so far with the characterization of Josiah with respect to all that," added Grosse.
So, is Emile inherently a better person than Josiah? Grosse admits that even though he tries to root for all of his characters, in Fear the Walking Dead or otherwise, it was easier to root for Josiah than Emile:
"I guess the lines between right and wrong, and good and bad in this world are hard to pinpoint, because of the situation that everybody finds themselves in," explained Grosse.
The chemistry between Grosse and fellow Fear the Walking Dead actor Mo Collins, who plays Sarah was indeed something to behold. That said, he doesn't believe the characters trust each other yet:
"I think ultimately, after they have a couple of near-death experiences with each other, they begin to trust each other by proxy. But they have a really healthy skepticism about each other."
Demetrius further explained as follows:
"What each other's motives are, if they're friend or foe. People bond pretty quickly when they're surrounded by zombies and they're in a near-death car crash," Grosse believes.
Although he's been a part of great shows like Lovecraft Country and Westworld, Grosse admits there's nothing like being a part of Fear the Walking Dead:
"There's no parallel (laughs). The Walking Dead universe has the best fans in the world. I'm yet to experience anything like being invited to join this team. It's been quite a ride and fun to see the enthusiasm and the passion that the fans have for the show and the character and the plotlines," Demetrius Grosse delightfully admits.
As for why we should stay tuned to the show, the actor teases that the rest of Fear The Walking Dead Season 7 will be 'lit'!
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/8c on AMC and all episodes are available one week early on AMC+.
