Who is The Lady in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

The Walking Dead: Dead City is a spin-off show of the hit show The Walking Dead. The show was made by Eli Jorné, who is also the showrunner for the show. It was released on June 18, 2023, and the 2nd season premiered on May 5, 2025. The 1st season had 6 episodes, and the 2nd season will have 8 episodes. It follows the story of two well-known characters, Maggie and Negan. The show takes place in a destroyed Manhattan, years after the original show ended. New York City is now full of walkers, and the remaining humans are either trying to survive or controlling others.

Maggie and Negan must find a way to move through this chaos together, though they have a troubled past. The show's star cast includes Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Mahina Napoleon, and Lisa Emery. Apart from the two main characters - Maggie and Negan - from the original, this season introduces many new characters. A major new character introduced in Dead City is The Dama, a mysterious and powerful woman who becomes an unexpected threat. She is not just a survivor, but also a manipulative leader with her own dangerous agenda. Let’s take a look at The Dama’s character and the actress who plays her.

Who is The Lady in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

In The Walking Dead: Dead City, the character called "The Lady" is actually known as The Dama. Dama is a Croatian word that means Lady. She is introduced later in season 1, but she is the main antagonist of the show. She is the ally of the Burazi and works behind the scenes, controlling events that affect the power struggles in post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The Croat takes orders from her, and through him, she plans to achieve her bigger goals.

One of her notable strategies involves the kidnapping of Maggie's son, Hershel, a move to draw Negan into her control. She uses Hershel’s safety to force Negan to become a leader in her group, the Burazi, so they can grow stronger against outside enemies like the New Babylon Federation. Her strategic mind and manipulative ways make her a powerful enemy who adds depth and conflict to the storyline.

Who plays The Lady in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

Lisa Emery plays the role of The Lady in The Walking Dead: Dead City. She is an American actress who is known for her work in theater, movies, and TV shows. She was born on January 29, 1952, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She first studied painting at Hollins College but switched to acting after finding her passion. She then trained at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. She made her TV debut with the show Doubletake in 1985 and her film debut with the film Dreamaniac in 1986.

She has worked in Hollywood for over 40 years and is best known for her role as Darlene Snell in the hit show Ozark (2017-2022). Apart from Ozark, she has worked in many TV shows like Class of '96 (1993), Sex and the City (1998), Ed (2002-2004), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2002, 2005), Jessica Jones (2015), The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023-Present), etc. She has also worked in many films like In & Out (1997), Unfaithful (2002), The Night Listener (2006), Cold Souls (2009), Catch the Fair One (2021), etc.

Apart from films and TV shows, she has also worked in theatre. She is known for her work in Broadway shows like Burn This, The Women, and Present Laughter. For her work in theatre, she has received 3 Drama Desk Award nominations and 3 Lucille Lortel Award nominations. She was married to actor Josh Pais, but they divorced in 2003. They have a son together, Zane Pais, who is also an actor.