McBride began her acting career in 1991, appearing in several television commercials for clients such as
Rooms To Go; she was also a spokeswoman for
Ford. She made her series television debut in a 1993 episode of
ABC legal drama series
Matlock, In the 1990s, McBride had supporting roles in several made-for-television movies, such as
Her Deadly Rival (1995) opposite
Annie Potts and
Harry Hamlin,
Close to Danger (1997) with
Rob Estes,
Any Place But Home (1997), and
Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999). In 1996, she appeared on the
CBS miniseries
A Season in Purgatory, based on
Dominick Dunne's eponymous 1993 novel. From 2000 to 2010, she worked as a film and commercial casting director in
Atlanta, Georgia and starred in several short films. In 2007, director
Frank Darabont cast McBride as the "woman with the kids at home" in the ensemble-cast science-fiction horror film
The Mist, alongside
Thomas Jane,
Laurie Holden, and
Marcia Gay Harden. Peletier begins as a mid-forties abused wife and caring mother to preteen Sophia, fighting to survive in a violent post-apocalyptic world populated with flesh-eating
zombies and the few surviving humans, some of whom are diabolical and even more dangerous than the zombies themselves. McBride did not audition for the role, which she thought was temporary. McBride's name appeared in the opening credits sequence beginning with the first episode of Season 4. Carol was supposed to have been killed off in the episode "
Killer Within", but the producers eventually had a change of plans. As the series progresses, McBride's character develops from being weak and dependent, into a strong, cunning, and loyal warrior. The direction of her character is contrasted between the two media. In the comic series, Carol is much younger and exhibits a neurotic, self-centered, and naive demeanor. Throughout her time in the comics, she grows increasingly unstable to the point of being self-destructive. The television show differs in these regards, as she is shown to be a stern, pragmatic, and compassionate individual who has been gradually building inner strength. Producers of the series,
Scott M. Gimple and
Robert Kirkman, said in 2014 that "Carol is her own unique character; it would be a disservice to Melissa McBride to say she's evolved into the Carol from the comics. The Carol in the TV show is a wholly original creation that we'll continue to explore on the show to great effect. Everyone in the writers' room loves that character, and we're thrilled with what Melissa has brought to the table. She has definitely become a character that is one to watch, and there's some really exciting stuff ahead for her." McBride has received critical acclaim for her performance as Carol and won positive reviews from critics during Seasons 3, 4, and 5. Many critics praised McBride's performance in the Season 4 episode centered on her character, "
The Grove". Others singled out Carol's actions in the Season 5 premiere,
"No Sanctuary", which earned critical praise and positive fan reception. Despite the praise of some critics and a fan campaign, McBride did not receive a nomination for the 2014
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. However, she won the 40th Annual
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television, and was nominated for the 2014
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in Season 4. In March 2015, McBride was nominated for a
Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Leading Actress in a Television series, for her role as Carol. She once again won the
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television at the
41st Saturn Awards, for the second year in a row. McBride was set to reprise her role as Carol in a spin-off series centered on her and
Daryl Dixon (played by
Norman Reedus), following the conclusion of the 11th and final season of
The Walking Dead, which was set to debut in 2023. In April 2022, it was reported that McBride dropped out of the series which was relocated to Europe, with AMC citing that McBride's decision to drop out was because it was "logistically untenable" for her to film in Europe. Despite this, she eventually returned to her roles as Carol as a special guest star for the final two episodes of
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1. In season 2, she returned to the show in a lead role and as executive producer; the show was also re-titled
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol for that season. == Personal life ==