Samantha Morton: ‘Andrew Lincoln’s The Walking Dead legacy inspires me’

New The Walking Dead star Samantha Mortonis inspired by the legacy created by the newly departed Andrew Lincoln.
The British actress plays the AMC show’s latest villain, Alpha, the leader of The Whisperers – a mysterious group who disguise themselves with zombies’ skin to blend in with the “walkers”. And her arrival comes as the show is dealing with the loss of its main character Rick Grimes, played by fellow Brit Andrew.
“His legacy and what he has created is incredibly inspiring, he set the standard very high,” Samantha told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. “I feel like this is a really special baby that I have been handed and I need to be really careful with it.”
Ratings on the show fell during seasons seven and eight, but new showrunner Angela Kang, who took over for season nine, has already begun to reverse the downward trend.
“The show is bigger than any one part and we serve the show and we are all a family in that way,” the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them actress continued. “You very quickly realise it is a well-oiled machine, they know what they are doing and they do it incredibly well.
“Just because the show has been going on a long time it doesn’t mean that people aren’t still at the top of their game. If anything the stakes are higher, there is a huge legacy there that needs to be carried on, it’s an honour to be a part of the show.”
When asked what she might do in the event of a zombie apocalypse, Samantha said she believes she would handle herself just fine.
“I have never thought about it, but my family were in the military so I think I’d be alright,” the 41-year-old laughed. “I would do the survival thing and copy what Alpha does, it’s just so clever.”