Pollyanna McIntosh: What Really Happened to Jadis on The Walking Dead

When a tall, stoic woman with a weirdly geometric haircut and an even weirder way of talking first stepped out of the trash heaps in The Walking Dead Season 7, fans were confused. She didn't have a name at first. She just had a bunch of people who lived in a literal junkyard and a penchant for "taking" rather than "bothering."

If you're wondering who plays Jadis on The Walking Dead, the answer is Pollyanna McIntosh.

She isn't just some random actor who lucked into a hit show. McIntosh is a Scottish powerhouse who has been working in the indie horror and drama scenes for years. Honestly, her transformation into Jadis (who we later found out was named Anne) is one of the most interesting character arcs in the entire franchise. It's not just about the haircut—though we definitely have to talk about that. It’s about how she went from a "garbage queen" to a high-ranking officer in the most powerful military force left on Earth.

Who is Pollyanna McIntosh?

Pollyanna McIntosh was born in Dunbartonshire, Scotland, back in 1979. She didn't stay there for long, though. Her life sounds like something out of a travel vlog; she lived in Portugal and Colombia before eventually landing in London and then Los Angeles.

You’ve probably seen her before The Walking Dead and just didn’t realize it. She was the titular "Woman" in the 2011 cult horror hit The Woman, a role that was so raw and terrifying it basically cemented her as a genre icon. She’s also a director. She wrote, directed, and starred in Darlin’ (2019), which was a sequel of sorts to her earlier work.

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Basically, she’s a creative chameleon.

When she auditioned for Jadis, the role was actually written to be "gender-neutral." The producers didn't care if the leader of the Scavengers was a man or a woman. They just wanted someone who felt other. McIntosh walked in and nailed that vibe so hard that they cast her almost immediately.

The Evolution of Jadis (and Anne)

Most characters in the "Dead-verse" change, but Jadis basically lived three different lives.

1. The Scavenger Queen

This is where we met her. Living in "The Heap." She spoke in this weird, clipped English—sort of like a post-apocalyptic poet who didn't have time for adjectives. Fans were split on her. Some loved the weirdness; others found it a bit too "theatre-kid" for a show about zombies. But McIntosh played it with such straight-faced conviction that you eventually just accepted that this was how people in junkyards talked now.

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2. Anne from Alexandria

After her entire community was slaughtered by the Saviors (specifically Simon, who went totally rogue), Jadis dropped the act. She became Anne. She tried to fit in at Alexandria. She even started a thing with Father Gabriel. It was a weirdly sweet, humanizing moment for a character who had previously fed Rick Grimes to a spiked walker named Winslow.

3. Jadis Stokes, CRM Officer

This is the big one. If you’ve kept up with the spin-offs like The Walking Dead: World Beyond and The Ones Who Live, you know that Jadis didn't just disappear with Rick Grimes in that helicopter. She traded him. She used Rick as her "ticket" into the Civic Republic Military (CRM).

By the time we see her in The Ones Who Live, she’s a Warrant Officer. She’s cold. She’s wearing a crisp uniform. And yeah, she’s got a bowl cut that looks like it could cut glass. She even took Gabriel’s last name—Stokes—as her own, which is a bizarrely sentimental touch for a woman who spent her days threatening to kill Rick and Michonne.

Why Does Jadis Still Matter in 2026?

You might think Jadis is just a supporting character, but she is actually the glue holding the entire "CRM era" of The Walking Dead together. Without her, Rick Grimes dies at the bridge. Period.

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She is the reason the franchise was able to expand into these massive, global-scale stories. Pollyanna McIntosh has played this character across three different shows now, making Jadis one of the longest-running and most "traveled" characters in the universe.

It’s rare to see an actor get to play so many different versions of the same person. One day she’s an artist in a junk heap; the next she’s a military investigator making life-or-death decisions for thousands of people.

Fun Facts About Pollyanna McIntosh

• She’s a Director: As mentioned, she’s very active behind the camera. She's directed episodes of television and her own feature films.
• The Hair was Her Idea: That signature Jadis look? McIntosh had actually done a similar style for a different film and thought it fit the "outsider" vibe of the Scavengers. The producers loved it.
• She’s Actually Scottish: In real life, she has a lovely Scottish accent. It’s always a shock to fans who only know her as the monotone Jadis.
• She Recently Remarried: In 2024, she married comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait.

What to Watch Next if You Love Her Performance

If you've finished The Ones Who Live and you’re missing that Jadis energy, you should definitely check out Vikings: Valhalla on Netflix. She plays Queen Ælfgifu, and she brings that same calculating, powerful presence to the role of a Viking queen.

You can also find her voice work in Scavengers Reign, a brilliant animated sci-fi series where she plays Kris. It’s weird, it’s beautiful, and it fits her brand perfectly.

Actionable Next Steps

If you're looking to catch up on the full Jadis/Rick Grimes saga, here is the exact order you need to watch:

1. The Walking Dead Seasons 7-9: This covers the introduction of the Scavengers and the bridge incident where she saves/kidnaps Rick.
2. The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2: This is essential. It explains what Jadis did during the time jump and how she rose through the ranks of the CRM.
3. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: This is the "final boss" version of Jadis. It ties up her story with Rick and Michonne in a very intense way.

Watching her evolution in order makes you realize just how much heavy lifting Pollyanna McIntosh did for this franchise. She took a character that could have been a one-note villain and turned her into a tragic, complex, and ultimately unforgettable part of TV history.