How Melissa McBride Behaved On Set Of The Walking Dead, According To Co-Star Khary Payton – Looper

“Melissa McBride is probably the thing I will miss the most about the show,” Khary Payton told the Knockturnal. “She is the greatest acting teacher I’ve ever had.” Payton played Ezekiel Sutton, first introduced as the Kingdom’s titular “king.” He and Carol meet, fall in love, and fight for survival together. It is only the death of their adopted son, Henry (Matt Lintz), that ultimately drives them apart.

Payton is certainly no greenhorn when it comes to acting technique. He’s been at it for more than 20 years, appearing on shows ranging from “Walker, Texas Ranger” to “General Hospital,” which is to say nothing of his impressive voice acting résumé. Melissa McBride, meanwhile, had had only a handful of roles before landing the role of Carol on “The Walking Dead.” Still, the best actors are always willing to learn — and to see each job as an opportunity to do so.

“I learned something beautiful and nuanced from her every time I’m on set with her,” Payton elaborated. “The thing is, she teaches you without even trying. She is a raw nerve and a live wire. … She takes and uses it and she’s pointed out things to me along the way that have just changed my perspective on a scene and the way that we interact with each other.”