Alycia Debnam-Carey Announces Exit from ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ After 7 Seasons

It is official. The queen of dystopian television has parted ways with another fan-favorite heroine.

Alycia Debnam-Carey confirmed her exit from Fear the Walking Dead after the latest episode left the fate of the actress’ character — Alicia Clark — up in the air.

Debnam-Carey, an original cast member of The Walking Dead spinoff, has been with the show since it first premiered in 2015. The actress released a statement following the Alicia-centric episode that witnessed her overcome a zombie-bite-induced fever to help others.

“To my dearest Fear the Walking Dead family, tonight marks the end of an extraordinary and life-changing journey of playing Alicia Clark,” Debnam-Carey wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“I was 21 when we began this crazy journey but now at 28, after 7 years and 100 episodes, I decided it was time for me to move on as an actor and as a person. As is the nature of our jobs I needed to seek out new challenges, new opportunities and carve out a new chapter for myself. I have been so lucky to be a part of something so awesome for so long but I hope you can understand and respect my choice to further expand and grow. I wouldn’t be here without you all and I am so grateful.”

As for the ending that left Alicia’s fate unknown, the actress said it is a combination of many discussions over the years. “I think we found a fitting way to conclude Alicia’s story. It is beautiful, hopeful, and elusive,” she explained.

“It is bittersweet, but it is time.”

Her departure from the undead series comes as the actress prepares to star in the upcoming Hulu series Saint X.

Ironically enough, Alicia isn’t the star’s first badass hero to meet an untimely ending. However, one could say she is the first to go out on her terms. Before zombies, Debnam-Carey was known primarily for her role as Lexa on The 100.

Beloved by the fandom, Lexa won over viewers with her ruthless leadership, but it was her softer feelings for Clarke Griffin that many championed. Lexa was ultimately killed after getting together with Clarke, initiating the biggest outcry over the “Bury Your Gays” trope in recent years.

When the actress came to Fear the Walking Dead, many fans of the franchise were vocal that Alicia would be the first to succumb to the apocalypse, suggesting she was too weak and whiny to survive.

But Debnam-Carey proved everyone wrong with a character who would rise to the challenge and overcome immense loss to become the courageous face of this series.

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How sad are you to see Alycia Debnam-Carey say goodbye to Fear the Walking Dead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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