Morgan Jones is one of the survivors who continue in the fight since the story of ‘The Walking Dead’ began. He is also the only character from that apocalyptic universe who went on to star in the derivative series: ‘Fear The Walking Dead’, which opens its seventh season this Monday (8:45 pm on AMC). We spoke exclusively with the British actor Lennie james about his emblematic role and what it represents for him.
Obligatory question. Will we see Morgan Jones return at the end of ‘The Walking Dead’?
(Laughs) Even if I had the answer to that question, I wouldn’t give it to you, but I’m grateful that if ‘The Walking Dead’ comes to an end, it had a chance to end on its own terms and shut down the kind of influence this series has had on. the history of television.
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What has been the hardest thing for you to build a character like Morgan?
It has been an honor to have the opportunity to constitute such a complicated character, I am very honored that the writers have thought of this challenge for me. As an actor, I have also given them some challenges to continue developing Morgan as a character, to make him grow more. I think it was very difficult to be brave like Morgan like when he wanted to stick to his principles that all life was valuable. Another difficult moment was his journey to open up to the possibility of falling in love with someone other than his wife. I, like Lennie, am not nearly as brave.
In ‘Fear The Walking Dead’, the world lives in chaos: a nuclear missile has fallen and the survivors face terrible challenges, in addition to the zombies. Many fans have compared the pandemic to this apocalypse. Do you think that ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ represent, in any way, the chaos that our world is experiencing due to wars, environmental pollution, corruption, poverty and migration?
I think apocalypse genres are always like the moral of a story that says if you’re not careful you can end up like this. I think that the pandemic that we are going through and that, thankfully, still does not destroy the world in the way that zombies do, has given people a very close look at how the things that we more or less portray in the series they can come to pass in the world through the decisions of people, governments and countries. We have countless examples of that today. What happens now is not as catastrophic as what happens in the series, but our show is a warning on a certain level to the world, a call for them to wake up and to say ‘be careful and try to make things better, not worse’ .
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Personally, how did you deal with this pandemic? What things did he give you and what things did he take from you?
It took time away from seeing my family and friends and that had a profound effect. It made me very aware of how much I need and want to be with the physical company of the people I love and care about. I think something that the pandemic has shown us all is that we as humans desperately want company, that we need to be connected, no matter if they are strangers. Everyone, regardless of race, color or religion, economic or social situation, experiences the same thing and we know that being isolated is bad.
How has it been to share the cast with Rubén Blades?
He is a great artist. This season I have directed two chapters and while I was in the direction room seeing what to do, I listened to Rubén’s album that had just come out and had been nominated for a Grammy and I loved it. I already knew Rubén and his music from before, because my father-in-law is a big fan of him. Now, to count him as a partner, colleague and friend has been a great honor, very nice. Something that very few people know is that Rubén is an extremely funny man, he likes to make jokes to people, he is very naughty. Every time he arrives we try to get together and go out. We had a good time together.
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What will happen after ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Fear The Walking Dead’?
I don’t know (laughs). I’ve written a UK TV show called ‘Save Me and Save You Too’ and if we go for an eighth season of FWD, in between the two, I’d be doing a play in London next year.
What character would you like to do after Morgan?
I’d like to play a character who takes people by surprise, who makes unexpected decisions, one who doesn’t necessarily associate with me. I would like a completely opposite role to Morgan: frivolous, selfish, who only thinks about himself and is not intelligent.
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