'The Walking Dead' star says she knew about her character's fate on Sunday's episode since joining the show
Jace Downs/AMC
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" season 10, episode 12, "Walk With Us."
Alpha (Samantha Morton) was unexpectedly killed by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in a moment straight out of the comics.
In an interview with Insider, Morton shares that she knew exactly how she'd be killed when joining the show.
Morton said she hasn't watched herself on the show at all, but will one day. She compared it to listening to yourself speak on answering machine message.
Morton told Insider she didn't take anything from set, but now is thinking maybe she should have. She's growing back her hair and is currently writing a movie.
Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" surprised with not one or two, but three surprising deaths.
Among them was the death of Whisperer leader, Alpha (Samantha Morton). In a moment straight out of the comics, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) led Alpha into the woods and, when she least expected it, slit her throat. While the death may have been a surprise to some viewers, Morton knew exactly how she would go out since joining the show on season nine.
"Very early on I knew my story arc," Morton told Insider. "So, that wasn't a surprise. It was all known."
"I knew I was going to die by my head being chopped off by Negan," Morton added.
Morton discussed her unexpected death on the show, why she hasn't watched her performance on the show at all, how she was nervous to shoot that Alpha and Negan sex scene, and what's coming next for her now that her time in the zombie apocalypse is over.
Morton spoke with showrunner Angela Kang about how Alpha would die when she was in discussions to join the show
Jace Downs/AMC
Kirsten Acuna: I was not expecting this to happen on Sunday's episode. I thought Alpha's death was going to be something we may see in a finale. So, first, I'm wondering, when did you discover and find out that Alpha was going to be killed? What was that conversation like?
Samantha Morton: Well, I kind of always knew because when I was in discussions with [showrunner] Angela [Kang] under the early stages if I potentially was going to play Alpha, it was very clear that this character would have her head chopped off. So it kind of ... I always knew. Yeah, I just knew.
Acuna: OK. Now did you know Jeffrey Dean Morgan was going to wind up killing your character?
Morton: Yes. Very early on I knew my story arc. So, that wasn't a surprise. Yeah, it was all known.
AMC
Acuna: Yeah, because sometimes they'll change it up from the comics a little bit.
Morton: Yeah they do, don't they?
Acuna: Yeah. And were you hoping that maybe you were going to get to duke it out with Carol at all? I know plenty of fans have been wanting to see that, but I guess it sounds like you knew from the start where this was going.
Morton: I knew I was going to die by my head being chopped off by Negan, yes. And I suppose as a show, you get your episodes each week when you're filming. And you're like, "Oh, that's happening then. And that's happening then." And this year is just different because we have to shoot out of sequence. I think you probably know that. So, you just had to be really on the ball about what you were doing and when. But, yeah, I knew.
Morton wasn't phased that her character's death didn't come in the finale
Jace Downs/AMC
Acuna: How did you react to learning your death wasn't going to be a finale episode? This is a huge death. This is something I really thought was going to be in a finale.
Morton: I suppose I don't understand that question very well because I'm just playing Alpha and I don't really judge things in that way. I suppose my history, I've done a lot of television, but I've done, I suppose, more movies. And so when you're doing something, I don't look at what episode something happens in. I'm part of the bigger picture and I think when you're in "The Walking Dead," the show is bigger than any one individual character. Does that make sense? So I wouldn't know what that means or doesn't mean. Or I suppose in a way, maybe that's really great to the show. You don't know what else they've got up their sleeve.
Acuna: I guess, for me, what I'm getting at is if you followed the show for a long time, the big thing always happens in the finale. And since Angela Kang has taken over, I feel like she's been flipping the script a lot by giving us deaths when we don't expect them. There was one in the season nine premiere.
Morton: Yeah, and my character killed a lot of people, as well [ahead of the season nine finale]. Which is in the comic books, that's the source of inspiration.
Gene Page/AMC
Acuna: Yeah. I just think Angela has been doing a really great job of keeping us on our toes.
Morton: Indeed yes, absolutely.
What was going through Alpha's head when Negan killed her. Alpha hopes Negan may take over the Whisperers.
Jace Downs/AMC
Acuna: What do you think — and this may have been in the script — was going through Alpha's mind when she was killed by Negan? Because she's not expecting it. At first, she thinks that she's going to see [her daughter] Lydia.
Morton: I think it's very quick, so I don't think very much is going through her mind other than just shock. It's instantaneous. I think when she's dying, when she's bleeding out, she's hoping that he will lead the Whisperers. That's what she's hoping. He was a path to Lydia.
Acuna: Do you think Alpha regrets not having killed Negan in the woods when she had a chance?
Morton: In that moment when she's dying? No, not at all. No regrets.
Morton hasn't watched herself on 'The Walking Dead' and may not for years to come
Acuna: How do you think Beta's going to react when he learns Alpha's gone because I'm sure he wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of Negan taking over the Whisperers.
Morton: I have no idea. I don't know. I don't watch the show. I will one day. And I don't psychoanalyze all the other characters, if that makes sense. So I just play Alpha and I don't really know what Beta's going to feel or what's going to happen to him or any of that stuff.
Jace Downs/AMC
Acuna: You mentioned that you don't watch the show. Is there a reason why?
Morton: Because I'm in it. I'm acting in it. I don't watch myself. I've never watched myself until years later.
Acuna: OK. That's fair.
Morton: For me personally, I don't watch myself each week. It just doesn't work for me. But I think if the director needed me to see my performance on set and playback and can you do this or that, then maybe there's a discussion, but, no, I can't watch myself. It's just weird. It's like when you hear your voice on the answering machine message the first time. You're like, "Oh, is that what I sound like? No. Oh my gosh." No, I can't do that.
AMC
Acuna: OK. I totally get that because I'm the exact same way listening to myself in recordings.
Morton: Some actors are really good at it. I'm not.
Acuna: I think Andrew Lincoln was the same way. He said he hadn't watched himself on the show. So, that's not uncommon.
Morton: It doesn't mean that one day I won't. But, certainly at the moment.
Morton didn't take anything from set, and she's thinking maybe she should have a Whisperer wig now
Acuna: What has been your favorite moment or what are you going to remember most from your time on the show?
Morton: I think my favorite moment... I think all of it, really, and just kind of a collective feeling of achievement and working with some of the best people I've ever worked with. The nicest people, the kindest people, the most professional, decent people. A cast that was so generous with their time in welcoming me and making me feel safe and part of the family — I'll never forget that for the rest of my life. It's like college memories or something. I'll just remember those people forever with a special place in my heart.
Jace Downs/AMC
Acuna: Did you take anything from the set?
Morton: Did I take anything? No. No, I didn't. It's not mine.
Acuna: I know that sometimes people take little things with them, so I had to ask.
Morton: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Maybe I should have done. I didn't do that.
Jace Downs/AMC
Acuna: Oh, I'm sure you still have a moment. I'm sure Jeffrey [Dean Morgan] or Ryan [Hurst] would take something for you.
Morton: Yeah! Get me a Whisperer wig! I don't know. Some skin off a... I don't know.
What playing such an iconic character on the show has meant to Morton: A huge honor
Jackson Lee Davis/AMC
Acuna: You really brought a life and an energy to this show that "The Walking Dead" really needed after Andrew Lincoln left. You helped ground it in something scarier, more haunting, and I hope you're immensely proud of that. What has playing this character meant to you?
Morton: Oh, thank you. I think playing an iconic character, such as Alpha, what it means to me, is I just felt hugely honored, deeply honored, that I would get the role. It isn't like any other show. It belongs obviously to everybody and it's such a huge fan base. And so when you arrive, I felt I had a real duty of care to Andrew and to everybody that had been before me to respect everything they've done and to do my best work each and every day, which I do anyway. But I think I just felt a huge sense of responsibility and pride. And as I say, honored that I was given that role, honored.
What's next for Morton? She's growing her hair back and writing her next movie.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Acuna: What's next for you? Are you going to start growing your hair back or have you grown accustomed to the shorter?
Morton: I am. I've grown it back a bit, but I think I'll keep it short for a little bit because I don't know, I quite like it short. I won't have it like short-short. And then I'm writing. I directed a movie a few years ago and I've been in development. I'm writing a TV series and I'm writing my next movie.
Acuna: That's wonderful.
Morton: That's what I'm doing. Thank you!
Acuna: Well, I think I'm going to ask you one more thing and then I'll let you go. I have to ask, I was so blown away by the unexpected Negan and Alpha sex scene in the woods. What was your reaction when you read that in the script?
AMC
Morton: It just made me laugh, in a sweet way. Like, "Oh OK, they get it. OK, all right then. OK, we're doing that. That's what we're doing." And then logistically, how do we do that? And they were all amazing and making it all painless and harmless and just calmed. Yeah, I was quite nervous that day. I kept forgetting my lines and Jeffrey [Dean Morgan] was just kind and patient with me. I just kept forgetting my lines. I think it's because sometimes when you're in the mask, your head gets so hot and it's really hard for your concentration. And anyone who's ever played a walker or anything like that will hopefully know what I'm talking about, but you kind of get a bit of brain fog because you get hot. And I was nervous.
Acuna: Well, it didn't come across that way.
Morton: I think it went well.
Acuna: Yes, it did. Well, Sam, thank you so much for taking the time to speak today. Is there anything I didn't ask you that you want to share before I let you go?
Morton: I just want to say thank you to the fans for responding so well to me and loving to hate me. And thank you to you for talking to me. It means a lot. Just a huge thank you, I suppose.
Acuna: Oh, thank you. I'm so excited for everyone to see Sunday's episode. I think it's really going to catch them off guard, as well.
Morton: Brilliant. Well, that's what we like.
You can follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage here.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Read the original article on Insider
Solve the daily Crossword
