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Interview: The Walking Dead's Gilliam, Marquand, Payton, & Ridloff on Their Characters' Journeys

The Walking DeadTomorrow, the hugely popular series, The Walking Dead, takes its final bow as the last episode airs. Earlier in the week, SciFi Vision spoke with cast members of the series and asked them to look back at their characters’ journeys and talk about what they felt was the most defining moment of the series for their character and how it changed them.

For Seth Gilliam, who plays Father Gabriel in the series, it was when he lost his vision in his right eye. “It seems to coincide with him seeing things a lot clearer and being a little more devout in his belief in himself and his decision-making process and his courage level and his conviction levels,” the actor told SciFi Vision. “I think he went partially blind and gained a bit more insight into himself.”

“It's always been Shiva for Ezekiel,” said Khary Payton about his character’s tiger, “because, to me, Shiva dying, it coincided with Ezekiel losing half of his Kingdom in the war, in all out war, and I think he has been fighting to come back from that ever since…She was always, for me, the embodiment of the Kingdom itself. So, when [he] was grieving her and mourning her, it was Ezekiel mourning his people and his worth as a leader, and as a person, for thinking that the power of positive thinking means that everything's always going to be okay, and coming to find that really, it's about persevering. It's not that everything's going to be okay; it's how you get through and still make life worth living.”

For Ross Marquand, who plays Aaron, it was also about losing a loved one. “I think where Aaron loses Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) was definitely the one that shifted him completely, because in that one episode he loses his longtime partner of God knows how many years,” he told the site. “I mean, it's arguably one of the longest relationships that we ever see on the show…He obviously loses his partner, which devastates him completely, but he also gained a daughter…After just having killed her father, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) comes out with this baby, and I think Aaron is so lost in this moment that he needs to take the baby and just do something and tether himself to this new life, because he's lost. He's just like a cyclone of emotions this point, and if he doesn't tether himself to somebody or something, he's just going to go off the deep end, and he's just going to lose his mind. So, it's a beautiful moment where a man who has lost everything all of a sudden gains this new responsibility. I think it's wonderful that he's taken on this role…I look back, and I think it was just perfect. It was a perfect and very logical transition for him after having just lost his partner.”

Lauren Ridloff, who plays Connie on the series, said that her defining moments come from the episode “On the Inside,” because so many viewers have asked about how Connie has been able to survive. “I think that on that episode, it gave people an opportunity to see how Connie navigates that world. I really loved the way that episode focused on some specific things that involved conversations I had with Greg Nicotero before we actually shot that. When I first read the script, it had Connie just walking down the hall and looking around the hall, but I told Greg, ‘As a deaf person who has nothing but her eyes to rely on, she would find other ways to navigate. She would need more information,’ because at this point to survive, you need all the information you can gather about what's happening around you. So, to get more information, Connie would use her hands…I think that kind of specific information played out on the screen so well.”

For more from the cast, read the full transcript below, and be sure to watch the series finale, tomorrow on AMC and AMC+.

***Edited for length and clarity***

QUESTION:  
Your character Gabriel has changed so much since we first see him in season five. So, how much have you enjoyed seeing his character grow over the years?

The Walking DeadSETH GILLIAM:   I’ve really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic challenge and kind of like yearly pay off playing Gabriel, because there were so many changes, either subtle or outright drastic changes, to his nature over the course of the last, I guess, it's been seven seasons now. It was not something that I foresaw. I've said before I thought that he was walker bait. I thought he was dead in three episodes. I thought this man is not long for this world. I had not read the comics, so I didn't have any any history or knowledge about the character, but I just thought that he was a plot device to get somebody of more importance killed. So, all of the different changes and platforms that he's been able to climb over these past seasons has really been extremely exciting to play, and I feel very, very fortunate to be the guy who got to take the ride with him.

SCIFI VISION:   So, for each of you, in your own opinion, what has been your character's defining moment, and how has it changed them?

KHARY PAYTON:   It's always been Shiva for Ezekiel, because, to me, Shiva dying, it coincided with Ezekiel losing half of his Kingdom in the war, in all out war, and I think he has been fighting to come back from that ever since. So, even when I was mourning Shiva on the show, you know, because it was a CGI Tiger, she was always, for me, the embodiment of the Kingdom itself. So, when I was grieving her and mourning her, it was Ezekiel mourning his people and his worth as a leader, and as a person, for thinking that the power of positive thinking means that everything's always going to be okay, and coming to find that really, it's about persevering. It's not that everything's going to be okay; it's how you get through and still make life worth living. But yeah, it all goes back to Shiva for Ezekiel.

LAUREN RIDLOFF:  I was just thinking about for my character for Connie. I was thinking about when Connie actually saves the baby, but then I thought also about the episode that we shot, “On the Inside.” I think that truly was Connie's defining moments, because I know that there're so many times that people ask, “Okay, so Connie is a survivor. She's arrived, she's strong, she can fight. She can save the baby. She has a good heart.” But the burning question was, “How exactly did she survive?” So, I think that on that episode, it gave people an opportunity to see how Connie navigates that world. I really loved the way that episode focused on some specific things that involved conversations I had with Greg Nicotero before we actually shot that. When I first read the script, it had Connie just walking down the hall and looking around the hall, but I told Greg, “As a deaf person who has nothing but her eyes to rely on, she would find other ways to navigate. She would need more information,” because at this point to survive, you need all the information you can gather about what's happening around you. So, to get more information, Connie would use her hands. She would probably put her hands on the wall and feel the vibrations, you know, feeling the floor creek if somebody's walking behind her. I think that's how Connie would gather that information. There's no way that Connie would just walk down the hall. It just wouldn't happen, because all her vulnerability is going to be what's behind her back. She would probably put her back up against the wall and use her hands to to guide herself so she can keep her eyes on both angles. So, I think that kind of specific information played out on the screen so well. I feel like I was just excited to actually finally show everybody how kind of Connie had survived.

ROSS MARQUAND:  Yeah, I think where Aaron loses Eric was definitely the one that shifted him completely, because in that one episode he loses his longtime partner of God knows how many years. I mean, it's arguably one of the longest relationships that we ever see on the show, rivaled probably only by Rick and Laurie, but in that episode, he obviously loses his partner, which devastates him completely, but he also gained a daughter. I think when Rick comes out of the Sanctuary - not the Sanctuary, but whatever that compound is, after just having killed her father, Rick comes out with this baby, and I think Aaron is so lost in this moment that he needs to take the baby and just do something and tether himself to this new life, because he's lost. He's just like a cyclone of emotions this point, and if he doesn't tether himself to somebody or something, he's just going to go off the deep end, and he's just going to lose his mind. So, it's a beautiful moment where a man who has lost everything all of a sudden gains this new responsibility. I think it's wonderful that he's taken on this role. At first, I was surprised that the showrunners wanted me to really raise this kid, but now I look back, and I think it was just perfect. It was a perfect and very logical transition for him after having just lost his partner.

The Walking DeadSETH GILLIAM:  I think it was when Father Gabriel lost his vision, not fully, but in his right eye. It seems to coincide with him seeing things a lot clearer and being a little more devout in his belief in himself and his decision-making process and his courage level and his conviction levels. I think he went partially blind and gained a bit more insight into himself.

QUESTION:   What can you tease about the finale, and also what was the experience like to film that last episode and to also put these characters away?…And for each you?

KHARY PAYTON:   I'm going to start by saying we're not teasing a goddamn thing. You waited twelve years for this episode. You are going to wait another five. We're not teasing anything. I'm not telling you if the grass is green or brown. I'm not telling you if the dirt is gravelly, or if there's if it's smooth. I'm telling you nothing. It was too cold that day. It was too cold that day for me to be teasing anything. No, but seriously, that's really how I feel. I mean, I feel like so many people, they want us to tell something, but to the crew and the cast and everyone that has waited this long, I think patience is a virtue. That's what I will say. I will also say that I have still not mourned the end of this whole thing. I'm not sure if I will. Maybe when I see everybody at the finale, I will finally have some kind of cathartic experience, but Cristian tried to do this, like, two years ago, when we started filming this last season. She started to tear up, and I was like, “Don’t you do it. Don't you do it, girl. I am not going to cry for two years.” and I think I shut it down. I shut it down. Ever since then. I might just end up being a blubbering mess on Sunday, but I have yet to truly come to terms with letting things go.

QUESTION:   Anybody else?

KHARY PAYTON:   She, she just skipped right over me. She was like, “Yeah, somebody else tell me.”

QUESTION:   Who's got the loose lips? Lauren, Seth, [Ross]?

KHARY PAYTON:   I love it. I love it, man. I love you guys right now. Your silence is like love to me. It is sweet ambrosia.

SETH GILLIAM:   Much like Khary, it's still not over for me. The work part is over, but the relationships aren't over. The show hasn’t finally finished airing. There's still a finish line ahead. So, I'm not going to sit down on the track and unpack my bags just yet. I'll cross the finish line and then see how I feel late next Sunday night.

LAUREN RIDLOFF:  I guess this is kind of like a real long goodbye, and I don't think that it will ever get to that point. I just feel like this is a goodbye that’s just going to keep going on for another twelve years. I mean, we finished shooting this back in March. Well, first week of April we were done shooting it. Since then, I've seen Seth; I’ve seen Norman. I've seen other cast mates every now and then. We get together to do a lot of interviews like this. And now the show has been coming out, so it hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm really looking forward to this Sunday, because that actually means finally, hopefully, most of the cast will be able to get together and look back on all of the work that we've done. It's such a huge honor to be a part of this. This is a cultural phenomenon, in my opinion, and I was part of that narrative, and what an honor it has been. I had a chance to watch the final episode. I finally got to see it, and it's big. The finale is huge, and I think that we the viewers will feel content and satisfied, but at the same time, I don't want people to expect it to just be a nice bow at the very end, because it's still going to go on, just like real life; nothing really ends.

QUESTION:   My question is for Seth, can you talk a little bit about how playing this character has helped you both personally and professionally?

The Walking DeadSETH GILLIAM:   But that would make me somewhat of a bore, wouldn't it? Just another act of talking about himself? I've had an opportunity to see parts of the world I never thought I would. I've met people from all walks of life that I did not imagine when I first started out as an actor being able to have access to. I've seen places I didn't think I'd see; I've met people I did not imagine meeting. I've had fantastic exchanges and experiences and conversations with people both about the show and about my life [directly related] to the show, or indirectly related to the show. I've made friends for life. My life has been enhanced and enriched in ways that I can't really measure from being a part of the show. I guess that's why I haven't closed the book on how I feel about it, because I am so full from the experience that I've had on the show that I have no place to put up a wall with it, you know?...Professionally. Yeah, I've done a couple of films and a play since the movie ended, that I don't believe I would have been able to do, that I would not have been the first choice for, if they've not seen my work on The Walking Dead. So, we'll see if that continues moving forward, but it's worked so far.

QUESTION:   Unlike from an acting standpoint, because some of the group is still with the Commonwealth, and some of the group is on the outside, do you guys mention that to each other in passing or to kind of keep the integrity of both those kind of performances, not kind of acting, knowing in the back of your mind that you know where it's going on their end?  It's a little convoluted question, but I'm just curious how you kind of stay in your own moments and not overlap?

ROSS MARQUAND:  It's interesting, because I think a lot of frustration, not like a genuine frustration, but just more like a shucks kind of frustration, that we've had this last season is that it's been so chopped up in terms of groups. I mean, we've kind of fallen into these little cliques this last season, and I really haven't hardly seen Lauren or Khari at all this season, I think. And I can't say if I will in the last episode, but I'm barely seeing a lot of people that I usually work with, or would like to have worked with more. And it's very interesting, because I feel like, of course, we get the scripts ahead of time, and we get to read what happens, but it is very interesting to just keep track of every different group and where they are and how they're fitting into this giant storyline. I mean, Angela and Scott laid out this incredibly ambitious and very involved final season, and there's just so much going on. I mean, it's espionage and things falling apart, both internally in Commonwealth, and outside of it as well. Then, how do we fit into all these groups? Who do we trust? There're a lot of moving parts, and that is a great question. I don't think we've ever really had a a strong consensus to a large degree of where everyone is at all times, but we, of course, get the scripts, and that's the only real clues that we have of where everybody is.

SETH GILLIAM:   Well, you didn't mean to infer or imply that you didn't enjoy working with the actors that you were working and hooked up with this season.

ROSS MARQUAND:  No, I mean, I mostly worked with you.

SETH GILLIAM:   That’s why I need clarity.

ROSS MARQUAND:  And I am implying [that]. I mostly worked with you

SETH GILLIAM:   [laughs]

ROSS MARQUAND:  So, I am, yes.

SETH GILLIAM:   I just wanted to be clear. I just wanted to be clear. Yeah, it's a lot to keep a track of. Ross is smarter when it comes to that kind of stuff than I am. I pretty much just learn my lines and hit my mark and hope that the editing would tell the story that that I was not taking on. I think there are so many things that you can concern yourself with as an actor to begin with, that when you start thinking of structure and minute plot details that aren't directly related to you and your character in the moment, you can get a little lost planning ahead and missing the moment that you're in. So, I did not undertake it, because as you know, as I said, I try to keep it simple, stupid.

The Walking DeadLAUREN RIDLOFF:  Yeah, I also wanted to say, like Seth, I have to say, just watching you and some of the actors and other cast members, it's such an intuitive sense for you at this point. And I felt like so many of the cast members already know their character so well, that it didn't quite matter what was happening in the script. At that point, they just know how their character would respond in that specific moment. I definitely looked up to that and tried to incorporate that into my character as much as I could. Just over the last three seasons, now she's developed. It was challenging and confusing, especially this season, just because we're doing so much cross boarding, and the rewrites were insane. The scripts kept changing. The sides we got were sometimes different day to day. So, just looking at, you know, Norman, and looking to the other experienced actors, and they would just roll with it, and I always tried my best to kind of follow the experience that they had, the veterans of the show, but then I started to realize that part of my confusion was natural. That naturally just contributed to the storyline for the final couple episodes, because it is confusing, and you can feel that people are confused, and I think that's just real. For me, putting all of that together, it's definitely like a puzzle, a huge jigsaw puzzle without seeing the actual photo on the box to see how it's supposed to come together. So, we just have no idea. We're just trying to search for the pieces that fit.

KHARY PAYTON:   I think, at the end of the day, our job is to stay true to our character and their journey and that the pieces will come together, and sometimes it's frustrating. Honestly, one of my favorite things is to frustrate the hell out of Greg Nicotero. They’re like, “I can't do that.” You know damn, well Ezekiel can't do that, And the beautiful, lovely exasperation of a man who is trying to please everyone, and I tear it all down, so we can build it back up. But seriously, our job is to stay in the moment, and the best thing that we can do, I think, for the production and for fellow cast mates when we're standing across from each other, is give them a moment of truth that they can play off of, and, thankfully, one of the strengths of this show is that they have found people who give you truth when they're playing these characters, and it's awesome to see. It's awesome to continue to be surprised by all of my cast mates, I mean, these three people here included. It's humbling to be a part of a group of truth sayers in what many call “just a zombie show,” but there's truth in this blood. Honestly, there's usually truth in blood [laughs], but even in this fake blood.

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