Exclusive Interview: Logan Kim on Finding Hershel Rhee’s Identity in The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3

Reel Perspectives

August 13, 2026

There’s something especially fascinating about watching Hershel Rhee grow up inside The Walking Dead universe. He isn’t just another survivor trying to make it through the apocalypse. He is the son of beloved The Walking Dead characters Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan), which means he carries a tremendous amount of history, expectations and, understandably, pressure.

For talented young actor Logan Kim, who has portrayed Hershel on AMC’s The Walking Dead: Dead City, stepping into that legacy has meant finding a way to honor where Hershel came from while allowing the character to become his own person.

Now in its third season, Dead City is giving Hershel more room than ever to grow. The anger and uncertainty that once defined him are giving way to something different: confidence, maturity and a clearer sense of identity.

Kim recently sat down with Reel Perspectives Media to talk about Hershel’s journey, his complicated relationship with Negan, reconnecting with Maggie, living in Glenn’s shadow and what it has been like growing alongside one of television’s biggest franchises.

Finding His Way as Hershel

When Kim first joined Dead City, he understood immediately that playing Hershel came with a unique responsibility.

“I had grown up watching The Walking Dead,” Kim explained. “So I wanted to make sure I was being faithful to the character, and faithful to the source material.”

That connection to the franchise made the opportunity exciting, but it also came with plenty of nerves.

Kim admitted that one of his biggest challenges during the first two seasons was simply living up to the expectations surrounding Hershel.

“I was not trying to screw this up,” he said with a laugh. “I was really stressing about it. I cared maybe a little too much in certain aspects.”

Looking back at Seasons 1 and 2, Kim says he was proud of how Hershel’s story came together, but Season 3 has given him an entirely different level of comfort with the character.

“I think I've only gotten stronger as an actor, and I can only accredit that to my fellow castmates,” he said.

And that growth is evident when watching Hershel this season. He’s no longer simply reacting to the people and circumstances around him. He’s beginning to make choices for himself.

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Hershel and Maggie: A Complicated Mother-Son Relationship

One of the most interesting aspects of Hershel’s journey has always been his relationship with Maggie.

There is love between them, but their relationship is also shaped by years of trauma, grief and things left unsaid. Season 3 gives the characters an opportunity to reconnect in a way that allows audiences to see a different side of their relationship.

Kim says he and Cohan were intentional about establishing that dynamic from the beginning.

“When I saw Lauren for the first time, she was so excited about where the character was going and where our dynamic was going,” Kim recalled.

The two actors quickly found common ground about what they wanted the relationship between Maggie and Hershel to feel like.

One particular scene involving Hershel’s grandfather and a pocket watch became especially meaningful for both actors.

“That scene we both felt was really important, really special,” Kim said. “And it was a chance for them to both really connect on a deeper level and have a deep conversation.”

Can Hershel Ever Forgive Negan?

Of course, no conversation about Hershel would be complete without talking about Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

For Hershel, Negan isn't just another survivor. He is the man responsible for killing his father.

That history makes their evolving relationship one of the most complicated dynamics in Dead City.

Season 2 brought plenty of anger and resentment to the surface, but Season 3 finds Hershel in a different place emotionally.

According to Kim, maturity has changed the way Hershel views Negan.

“Yeah, I think Hershel, honestly, he's grown a lot, and he's matured a lot,” Kim said. “And through maturing, he's realized that, okay, you know, things have happened, and I'm not happy with it.”

Hershel’s perspective has also been influenced by watching his mother navigate her own complicated relationship with Negan.

“Seeing his mother also push through that strife and getting through it, and also trying to come to terms with Negan, he's also kind of made that effort to do the same thing,” Kim explained.

But that doesn't mean Hershel suddenly likes Negan.

Far from it.

“You can't change the past. This stuff has already happened. I don't have to like the guy, but I'll tolerate him, because I want to do what's best for this community. Holding all this hate in my heart, this is not gonna help anybody.”

That’s a very different Hershel from the young man viewers met earlier in Dead City.

We’ve also seen Negan save both Maggie and Hershel several times, so naturally, I had to ask Kim how he thinks Hershel feels about their evolving dynamic in Season 3.

“With Hershel and Negan specifically, it's more of like a, ‘Okay, I guess we're even now,’ kind of thing,” Kim said.

It’s an interesting place for Hershel to land. He isn't suddenly forgiving Negan, but he also isn't allowing his hatred of him to dictate every decision he makes.

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Moving Beyond Glenn’s Shadow

Glenn remains one of the most beloved characters in The Walking Dead universe, and Hershel has grown up hearing stories about the father he never really had the opportunity to know. Kim points out Hershel doesn't actually know Glenn the way the audience does.

“He’s heard a lot about his dad, but honestly, probably not as much as he'd hoped,” Kim said.

But as Hershel grows, Kim believes that pressure to become Glenn—or live up to the expectations surrounding his family—is beginning to fade.

“I think over time that he'll keep his great relationship with his mother, and they'll be talking more and more,” he explained. “I think there's less pressure on him to be like his father, or like his grandfather.”

And that may be the most important part of Hershel’s journey.

For three seasons, audiences have watched him wrestle with who he is supposed to be. Now, he is finally beginning to figure out who he actually wants to be.

“He's recognized that he's in a good spot to kind of grow himself, and he's found himself,” Kim said.

A New Father Figure for Hershel

Part of that growth also comes from another important relationship in Season 3.

Hershel has found guidance in Luis (Raúl Castillo). Kim says that relationship has helped Hershel mature and move beyond some of the emotional baggage that has followed him.

"I think even with having Luis there as his mentor, his father figure, in this season, it's been really helpful for him to, like I said, mature, and so he's kind of pushed past that, moved past it, and he's just in a better headspace now."

If the Apocalypse Happened Tomorrow…

Of course, we couldn't let Logan Kim leave without having a little fun.

If the zombie apocalypse suddenly became real, who would he trust to survive the longest?

His answer came quickly.

“Jeffrey. 100% Jeffrey.”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans will probably not be surprised.

But Kim also had another Walking Dead legend in mind.

“If we're talking about just Walking Dead in general, Norman Reedus is… that man could kill all the zombies.”

And if Kim could bring back one character from anywhere in The Walking Dead universe for Hershel to meet—with Glenn obviously being the easy answer—there was another character he immediately knew he wanted to see.

Daryl Dixon.

“I think Daryl Dixon's awesome,” Kim said.

And Kim already has a plan for their meeting.

“I'd love for him to teach Hershel some crossbow moves, then he picks up another thing to learn.”

Honestly, a Hershel and Daryl training session sounds like something Walking Dead fans would happily watch.

What's Next for Hershel?

Kim isn't giving away any major Season 3 spoilers, but he promises that viewers will see even more growth from Hershel.

“I think you can expect a lot more growth and a lot more depth to his character,” he teased.

And after watching the evolution of Hershel from Season 1 through Season 3, that's probably the biggest thing fans should be excited about.

Hershel Rhee isn't Glenn. He isn't Maggie. He isn't his grandfather.

He's finally becoming Hershel.

And that's what makes Logan Kim's performance this season so compelling. He isn't simply playing the son of two iconic Walking Dead characters anymore. He's playing a young man finally discovering who he is.

“I feel way more comfortable playing Hershel more than I've ever been,” he said.

And that confidence shows.

Season 3 gives Hershel room to breathe, grow and discover himself, and Logan Kim seems more than ready to take that journey with him.

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New episodes of Dead City drop every Sunday on AMC and AMC+.