From showrunner Seamus Kevin Fahey and executive producer Jared Padalecki, The CW Western series Walker Independence follows Abigail Walker (Katherine McNamara), an affluent woman from Boston whose life is derailed before she can complete her journey out West, leaving her in a position to have to reinvent herself. Once in the town of Independence, Texas, Abby quickly realizes that everyone she encounters there seems to be keeping secrets and making allies, like con artist Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr) and Apache tracker Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), is imperative to her survival.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, McNamara talked about how Abby’s strength really drew her to this role, what she liked about this take on the Western genre, the vibe she likes to help set during the shoot, constantly learning about her character, how none of the residents of Independence are who they seem, whether there’s any romance in Abby’s future, and how much she knows about where things are headed.
Collider: One of the things that I really love about this character is her strength. She obviously has to be careful in certain aspects because of the time period and because she’s a woman in that time period, but she also is clearly very determined and very courageous. I also feel like you wouldn’t be too interested in playing a very demure character. Was Abby Walker’s strength something that was very important to you? Was that something that you wanted to make sure was in her?
KATHERINE McNAMARA: Absolutely. Something that instantly drew me to her is that she was a woman who had her entire future ahead of her and thought she knew what she was getting into, and then suddenly, in the first 10 minutes of our series, her entire life goes up in flames and she’s confronted with a choice. She can either become a victim of her circumstance, or she can choose to move on and do something that not a lot of women in the 1870s had the opportunity to do, which is to create a life that is solely hers and a future that is fraught with her own sense of independence, for lack of a better word.
You’re obviously not stranger to The CW, but unlike Matt Barr, who’s playing an ancestor of his Walker character, you weren’t previously in this world. How did you end up in this world and in this show?
McNAMARA: Just like any of the rest of us, it was a script and an audition that came across my desk, and I fell in love with the world. And then, in talking to Seamus [Kevin Fahey], our showrunner, and Larry [Teng], who’s the fantastic director of our first three episodes, I was instantly drawn into this vision that they had for reinventing the Western and for not making it sepia tone or with all the tropes that you would expect. It’s something new and something exciting, and we’re getting to bring new colors and new perspectives and new music into a genre that has been in a certain box in the past. We’re trying to break out and reinvent the wagon wheel, as it were.
You’re also no stranger to leading a series. How did your time on Shadowhunters really inform the leader that you are now, on this show?
McNAMARA: I’m so grateful for my time on Shadowhunters. That cast and that crew, and those writers and producers really helped to shape me, not only as a person, but as an artist. That time in my life was so special. The Shadow Fam is still so strong, to this day. Moving onto Arrow, I had a very similar experience. Coming onto Walker Independence, I instantly felt that family, once again, from the cast to our creatives to our crew. It’s such a joy to go to set, every day. I try to do my part, to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable and taken care of, but also has the freedom to create and to really dive in and really commit to this story. That’s exactly what we have, both in front of and behind the camera. It's a team of folks that are really dedicated to not only the historical accuracy, but to the heart that exists in this story.
Is Abby Walker a character that’s always been very clear to you? Was there anything about her that felt like it took a bit more time to understand because of the time period, or was she always pretty clear?
McNAMARA: I’m still learning about Abby Walker, to this day. That’s what makes this job so interesting. With all the characters in Independence, no one is who they seem and everyone’s running from something. The more and more that we get into the series, and we’re just over halfway now, I’m learning new things about her, every day – about her past, about her future, about the choices that she’s willing to make, and about the woman that she is. So, it’ll be interesting to see what audiences think, as she reveals more of herself.
What do you feel the Walker family represents, that’s present in Jared Padalecki’s show and also present in your show? Are there qualities that you would say are the throughline in the world of both shows?
McNAMARA: I think so. I think the Walker-verse, at its core, is about community, family, heart and justice, and the question of what that is depends on the time and the circumstance. It’s something that all of these characters are based in. What are they willing to do and what are they willing to sacrifice, in order to get the justice they feel they want or deserve? It’s only through revealing and peeling back these layers that you realize that, much like in the present-day Walker, justice is not necessarily black and white, and not every character is purely good or purely evil.
What has been the most fun thing about being in a Western, and what has been the most challenging thing about being in a Western?
McNAMARA: They’re really one and the same. I so enjoy how immersive our set is, in that we have a practical town. So many of our sets, you can walk in one building, out the other, and down the street into something entirely different, and you’re just surrounded by this world. It makes it so much fun to dive in head first and go, “Let’s play. Let’s create this world.” It’s literally an actor’s playground. But we are also in the elements. We are out in the middle of the desert, in the dust, the rain, and probably the snow, in a couple of months. I live for those experiences on set. I love stories where you can just absolutely be in the trenches with your crew and with your cast, and see what comes out of that.
As characters, how challenging is it to get away with things when you’re in such a small town? Abby is driven by this need for justice and vengeance, which is understandable, but how hard is it to get away with things when there aren’t exactly too many places to hide?
McNAMARA: It’s pretty difficult. Luckily, she gains some allies pretty quickly that are already good at hiding things and keeping secrets. It’s really interesting to see how all of these characters that come from different backgrounds, different perspective and different lives, really bond and form a community, much as we do in our world today.
The bank robbery scene in the pilot is so memorable because it’s also funny. He’s very clearly committing a crime, but he’s also very clearly not the greatest criminal. What was that whole sequence like to do? How was that to pull off?
McNAMARA: From the minute I read it and Matt and I started talking about it, we were both so looking forward to that sequence. First of all, you’re shooting Western. It wouldn’t be a Western without a bank robbery and a kidnapping and a horse chase, right? So, getting to play that out, we’re living our Western fantasies out, first hand. But then, it also really speaks to what our show is. It’s the humor, the heart, the danger, the adventure, the romance, and everything that makes a Western, a Western, but done with this really interesting modern twist that I think audiences can really connect to, regardless of what generation you’re a part of.
It wouldn’t be a CW show without romance or unrequited love or some kind of love triangle. Will we see any of that with Abby, or will she be mourning her husband, at least for a bit?
McNAMARA: I do think it’s really smart that Abby does have a chance to grieve her husband, and you do get to see that. But given that she’s hiding who she is, for a good part of the show, that grief takes some interesting turns and reveals quite a lot about who Abby is. But moving forward, who knows? There are so many connections and so many people that Abby really bonds with, as the series continues. Seeing if that will go anywhere or not is yet to be something I can discuss.
By the end of the pilot, we see her form this little trio with Hoyt and Calian. What can we expect from that dynamic, throughout the season? How is that going to grow and evolve?
McNAMARA: What I love about all the character relationships on the show is that each one brings out something so different in the other. Looking at Abby’s relationships with each of these two men, Calian saved her life, so she has that trust with him and that bond with him. There’s a closeness and a care that will always be there. He is her rock. He is the one thing that she can rely on in this town, at first. That will obviously grow and change, but there will always be something there between the two of them, that keeps them together. And then, with Abby and Hoyt, they’re different people, but they’re both seeking justice and their own sort of revenge for different things. They push each other’s button just enough that it forces the other to confront a part of themselves they may not have otherwise had to face. It’s really interesting to see them both grow from their relationship with each other, no matter how contentious it might be.
It’s dangerous for Abby to know what she knows about the sheriff. Obviously, getting closer to him might help her get some answers, but it also puts her life at risk. What can you say to tease how that will play out this season? How dangerous will things get for her?
McNAMARA: Abby is a pretty determined lady. She’s been shot and she’s watched her entire life go up in flames, and she’s still going after her husband’s murderer. There’s a lot to be said for a woman who’s already looked death in the eye and said, “Not today,” and has come through the other side. What you’ll get to see is a woman who’s not really afraid of much, except not completing her mission, as it were.
How much are you aware of, with the season story arc and the character journey? Do you take things as they come? Are you someone who likes to ask a lot of questions?
McNAMARA: I ask probably too many questions. I love to know as much as I can because I love to thread through pieces of information that will connect all the dots when people look back and hopefully watch the series for a second or even a third time. Understandably, the writers keep a lot of things under wraps. I still learn things about Abby, every time I read a new script. I find things out about all of these characters. I don’t know how the season is gonna end. I don’t know where the series is going. We’re only just over halfway now, and I’m still putting the pieces together myself. It’ll be interesting to see where it all goes.
Walker Independence airs on Thursday nights on The CW, and every episode will be available to stream for free on The CW App and CWTV.com.