The Walking Dead season 6 will introduce new character Jesus to the series that might quickly become a fan-favorite cast member. Actor Tom Payne will soon make his debut at Jesus on The Walking Dead and he recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his excitement about playing the character.
In the comics, Jesus acts as a sort of recruiter for Hilltop, a nearby community that’s been able to slowly rebuild after the walker virus plagued the United States. He’s a smart guy, who doesn’t trust Rick right away. He’s also a skilled fighter who can easily talk and fight his way out of dangerous situations. Jesus quickly learns Rick is a far better leader than what he’s experienced in the post-apocalyptic world. Jesus becomes a valuable ally to Rick in the comics, who is desperately trying to keep everyone alive.
“What I like about [Jesus] is his control. He is physically and mentally capable, but is careful not to reveal his strengths too quickly,” Payne told Entertainment Weekly. “[Jesus] has the measure of people pretty quickly upon meeting them and is always thinking about the best way to handle any situation he finds himself in. I’m very much looking forward to exploring the character further with the audience. It’s an exciting road ahead.”
Jesus is very similar to Daryl, who prefers to work alone than get others who might not know what they’re doing get involved. If anyone would understand Daryl, it would definitely be Jesus. Jesus is also incredibly private about his emotions and personal experiences. He rarely speaks of himself when talking to others, though he does become close to Maggie. Jesus is also an openly gay character, but isn’t in a relationship due to him being on the road. He is romantically linked to a Hilltop resident, which we may get to see on the show.
It’ll be interesting to see if Jesus becomes a key player, especially with the introduction of Negan. Jesus could become extremely valuable to Rick if Negan starts taking out the Alexandria residents one-by-one. You’ll have to wait to see how it all goes down when The Walking Dead season 6 returns at 9 p.m. Feb. 14 on AMC.
