Bingham knows how to keep a secret
Anyone who has ever tried keeping a secret can appreciate how difficult it must have been for Margot Bingham not to reveal the big twist involving her character on “The Walking Dead” for as long as she did.
Bingham made her “Walking Dead” debut in 2019 as the voice on the other end of the radio communicating with Eugene (Josh McDermitt). She didn’t physically appear on “The Walking Dead” until early in the show’s 11th and final season, which is now airing on AMC.
At that point, she was revealed to be Max, personal assistant to Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), governor of the new world settlement known as the Commonwealth. Eugene was under the belief he had been conversing with Stephanie (Chelle Ramos) over the radio before the show’s March 6 episode, when that relationship proved to be a sham. That’s when Max finally let him know she was the one he had connected with over the airwaves.
“I’ve been waiting for three years to essentially have my coming-out party,” Bingham said. “I’ve had to keep it quiet. I was announced as this voice character. It was really cool to be Max. I can finally be myself.”
Television fans might recognize Bingham from her small screen roles on shows such as HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” NBC’s “New Amsterdam,” ABC’s “The Family” and Netflix’s “She’s Gotta Have It.” Anyone who has enjoyed Bingham on “The Walking Dead” can catch more of her work in upcoming projects like the film “Dotty & Soul” and the TV series “Leopard Skin.”
Her role as jazz and blues singer Daughter Maitland on “Boardwalk Empire” “broke me into the film and movie industry,” Bingham said. She recorded upward of 50 songs for that show and said she was surprised by how many of them were used to underscore various scenes. Bingham cherished working with big names like Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Wright and the late Michael K. Williams.
As a big fan of “The Walking Dead,” Bingham was thrilled for the opportunity to join the show’s cast before its impending series finale. Less exciting was how Max’s big reveal was delayed after production was forced to shut down due to COVID-19.
“If that’s the worst thing that happened to me during the pandemic, I’m really lucky,” she said.
Despite still getting over having his feelings crushed by Stephanie, sparks quickly fly between
Eugene and Max as they nerd out over the story beats of Eugene’s sci-fi novel. Bingham said that McDermitt “is the funniest dude,” and she feels lucky to be part of an ensemble where everyone gets along and is so talented.
Now that Max’s true identity is public knowledge, Bingham is beginning to feel the love from “The Walking Dead” faithful. She experienced that firsthand recently via the warm reception that greeted her at the first fan convention she attended after the big Max reveal.
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