Warning: SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl DixonThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon brought an iconic character to an unexpected, but equally iconic location in what would become one of The Walking Dead’s strongest outings since it first debuted in 2010. Norman Reedus, who has played the character of Daryl Dixon since then, shines once again, but does so in a new context, as the series delves deeper into thematic ideas of faith, hope, and sacrifice. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 is in production, which is an encouraging fact for all who were captivated by this new take on The Walking Dead universe.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 was its villains. The Walking Dead franchise has had its share of iconic villains, and the adversaries Daryl finds himself up against in his solo effort are layered, conflicted, and compellingly human. Two of the major antagonists in the series, Codron and Genet, are played by Romain Levi and Anne Charrier, respectively.

Related: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 Gets New Title Confirming Carol's Return, OG Character Will Appear In Season 1?

Romain Levi and Anne Charrier spoke with Screen Rant about what they hope to see in season 2, how they felt about the finale, and more. Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the actors in that union. This interview has also been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Romain Levi & Anne Charrier On The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Screen Rant: Something I love about the show is that there’s a complex relationship between the villains. Genet and Codron aren’t friends; there’s a lot of tension. What was it like working with each other and finding that dynamic together?

Anne Charrier: Oh, it was great; I loved it. You have to feed the relationship of the characters with what you believe is [right]. Why is Genet trusting Codron so easily in that universe, where she controls everything, he arrives and tells her that he can be committed, and she trusts him? That was very interesting. Building the “why”, finding the “why”, and then working with Romain was amazing.

Romain Levi: It's true. We didn't know each other. But I knew Anne because she [is known] very well in France, and she's such a talented actress. When I knew that I was going to work with her, I was very proud. I am very proud, actually.

Anne Charrier: No, I am very proud!

Romain Levi: No, I—[Laughs]. From the beginning, I felt we would be able to trust each other, [and] that we would be together during the scenes. It's not, “I play the scene, and you play the scene”; we do it together. I felt that from the beginning, and it's a great way to play when you can feel the trust between each other.

Anne Charrier: The trust and the passion, because we have that in common as well. Even when nobody needs us on set, we stay on the set, and we watch.

It’s very cool in the beginning of episode six where you have Daryl and Quinn in the pit fighting the walkers. How was it for you to shoot that? It seemed like you got to just be up there and watch and have a good time.

Anne Charrier: That was too good. We did have a good time.

Romain Levi: I didn't feel that I was really playing anything, because I really enjoyed myself [by] watching them and looking at what's going to happen; [if] Daryl will die, or not. It was great. I was shocked by the fight; it’s such an amazing fight.

Anne Charrier: And we were in exactly the same point of view as our characters, in very different meanings. Our characters were watching the arena, and we were watching, as actors, the set without being in the way of anyone. We were in really nice place to be spectators of a great show being made. Dan Percival, the director of that episode, is such a great director. You can spend a whole day watching.

I spoke to Dan a while ago, and he asked me if I was okay with how much French was in the show. Was that something you all talked about with him at all? Did you know that there were concerns about how much people were speaking French in the series?

Anne Charrier: We talked about it, but then the decision is not ours. We weren’t really worried. I believe, personally, that it's a big plus to get people to think another way, watch another way, to watch with more attention, [and] to watch with ears really open. [It helps] to get out of your comfort zone. I think that's very good for the show.

Romain Levi: I thought about that, too. It’s interesting: the fact that there are some French people and they speak French—because most American people don't understand it--brings something. In a way, it brings a kind of danger. I think it’s one of the things that Daryl feels because he is in this country and he doesn't understand; “What are they saying? Are they enemies or friends?” I think that can bring something positive to the story.

Romain, last time we talked, I really wanted to ask you about the big moment with Codron in episode 6 where he saves Daryl and Laurent. At that moment, I felt like he and Daryl were actually very similar people. Is that something you thought of throughout the series: that maybe in another world, they would be friends or allies?

Romain Levi: Yes, definitely. That’s one of the things that I really loved in the story: that they created similarities between the good guy and the bad guy. Both of them lost their brothers. They lived the same situation so, in a way, they could understand each other. I really love that because it's a great way to express that you can go [to and] from the bad side or the good side in a couple of seconds in your life. It's just a choice, just an event, and how you're going to behave.

Anne, you have a big speech at the end of the fifth episode; it’s very dramatic, and you have the French flag over your head. I know they cut away from it, but you talk for quite a long time. Did you have to shoot that all at once, or memorize the whole speech? How was that to do?

Anne Charrier: Yeah, I did. But it's not so big. We’re both coming from theater, so you do that; that’s part of the job, and it’s actually very thrilling. We are used to speaking in front of audiences, but being a political figure--I don't think I've ever done that. It was great. I loved it.

Romain, do you have a favorite scene that you worked on?

Romain Levi: To tell you the truth, I really loved all the scenes. One of my favorite scenes was the one with Genet, when they first meet each other. I really liked that because it was a great way to understand this guy a bit more. “Why is he so angry? Why does he want so much to kill Daryl now?” He made a promise to his parents, so it’s something from the heart. I loved that we can see that with this guy—with the villain. [He’s] the bad guy, but this bad guy has a heart.

I know season 2 is happening. I don’t know if either of you are in it, but is there anything that either of you would like to see happen?

Anne Charrier: I’d like to see Genet becoming the king of the universe. No, I don’t know. Everything in this universe is so special that you receive it, and it’s great already.

Romain Levi: And everything can happen. That’s one of the great things about this show: these writers and David Zabel are able to create things we can’t expect. Everything is possible.

Anne Charrier: They’re managing to put so much poetry in the way they use France. It’s so nice, it’s so poetic, it’s so fragile. They’re doing that balance between very thin and sensitive things, and strong, and awful, and terrible things.

About The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

In The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.

Check back for our other The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon interviews:

• Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Romain Levi, Eriq Ebouaney & Anne Charrier
• Director Daniel Percival & Director of Photography Tomasso Fiorilli
• Production Designer Clovis Weil
• Romain Levi & Lukerya Ilyashenko (mid-season)
• Louis Puech Scigliuzzi & Eriq Ebouaney (season finale)

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon can be streamed now on AMC+.