Walker Stalker Con: The Originals panel at WSC Boston 2015
One of the panels on the second day of Walker Stalker Con Boston was called The Originals, and featured IronE Singleton (
) and Jeryl Prescott (
). Both were members of the cast in season 1, and both quickly became much beloved among fans. Neither actor had expected to be on the show for more than a few episodes, at most, and they certainly didn’t expect to have the impact on fans that they did. Also, neither of them had read TWD comics before being cast on the show.
Just how much they are still loved was clear this past Sunday. Both of these characters died on the show at least a few years ago, yet still received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd in the panel room. As we know, Jacqui perished at the end of season 1 when the CDC exploded. T-Dog’s heroic death came in season 3 when he saved Carol’s life, after having been bitten by a walker himself.
If you’re going to go out, why not go out heroically?
IronE and Jeryl were first asked questions by the panel moderator, Dave Solo from WalkerNation.net, and then by members of the audience who stepped up to the microphone. The questions ranged from lighthearted to serious, and it became clear that both of them felt a special bond with the characters they had played. Jeryl’s one word description of Jacqui was “explosive.” IronE’s one word description of T-Dog was “loyal.”
When asked about Jacqui’s decision to stay at the CDC, knowing that it was going to explode, Jeryl said that she had had comments and complaints about that from family and friends which basically amounted to “Black women don’t kill themselves!”
That being said, she also said that she didn’t judge Jacqui for her decision, she just tried to see the situation through her character’s eyes. According to Prescott, she understood Jacqui as being a woman whose life had been a happy one, and had left her feeling fulfilled. She had experienced love, had done everything she wanted to do, and didn’t feel like she had missed anything. Looking at it that way, Jacqui’s decision makes a little more sense.
When asked what she thought might have happened to Jacqui if she
hadn’t
died at the CDC, Jeryl said that she didn’t necessarily see her character as one who would have stayed with the group. Looking at the various potential leaders in the group after season 5, there wasn’t anyone in the group who she though Jacqui would have been willing to follow. Instead, she said that she imagined that Jacqui would have secured her own area in the woods and protected it herself.
Who would T-Dog have followed? When asked the question, IronE hesitated. He quickly eliminated Rick and Carol. This didn’t seem surprising since, let’s face it, Rick’s in a bit of a scary place at the end of season 5. Carol, too, is at the point where she’ll do pretty much anything to see her group survive, no matter what she has to compromise. IronE said that he thought that if T-Dog had survived, he would have followed “…Morgan… or Daryl… or Glenn.”
IronE was asked about T-Dog’s death, at which point a member of the audience near the front yelled out “BOSS!” The actor echoed that term, saying that “if you’re going to go out, why not go out heroically?” It was pointed out that T-Dog saved Carol when walkers overran the prison in season 3, which allowed Carol to save the rest of the group from being Gareth’s crew’s next meal at Terminus in season 5. Therefore, T-Dog’s final sacrifice literally saved everyone.
When asked about T-Dog’s backstory, IronE said that he had mentally attached much of his own life story to the character. Being born in the projects and overcoming many obstacles to go to college were the parts of his real life that he also attributed to his TWD character. He also said that in his opinion, T-Dog would have wanted an opportunity to resolve things with Merle. This seems to be right in line with T-Dog’s character as the guy who could be trusted to do the right thing.
Both actors were asked what they would do if they had a child who had been bitten. They both said that they could only imagine the scenario if all of their children had been bitten and not just one. At that point, IronE said that his “fearlessness would be elevated,” and that he would take out as many walkers as he possibly could before going out with them. Jeryl replied that she would kiss them, and let them bite her so that they could all go out together.
When asked about their favorite scenes of all the ones they filmed, Jeryl said it had to be the girl talk scene at the quarry, which had showed the characters’ need to laugh, even in such stressful times. She also revealed that they discovered during the filming of that scene that there were leaches in the water at the quarry. The cameramen, who were in the water with their pants legs rolled up, were apparently the first ones to discover this.
IronE had trouble narrowing down a favorite scene, but said that if he was forced to choose, it would be the Atlanta rooftop scene, “because it was the beginning of something special.” However, when the audience member who had asked that question revealed his own favorite scene, IronE seemed to want to change his answer.
Also regarding that Atlanta rooftop scene, interestingly, Jeryl said that while Jacqui’s flipping off Merle (played by Michael Rooker) was unscripted, it wasn’t the improvisation that she had wanted to do. She had actually wanted to hit him, she said, “but they said I couldn’t.”
The best way to get to Merle, in Jeryl’s opinion, would have been to go up to Daryl and give him a big kiss. This revelation produced a laugh from the panel audience, because we all know that Merle was more than a little bit racist.
Would you have liked your character to come back as a walker? Jeryl replied that she wouldn’t have wanted that for Jacqui. IronE also said that he wouldn’t have wanted that fate for T-Dog, because the actors who play the walkers “work too hard. I’m not that hard of a worker.”
Both actors agreed that their favorite part of having been a part of The Walking Dead was the relationships that it allowed them to have. Jeryl specifically talked about the strength of the ties between the cast as well as the chance to connect with fans, through cons like Walker Stalker. She said that Andrew Lincoln sets the tone that everyone is equal, and that it carries across everyone involved with TWD.
IronE summed things up well when he described The Walking Dead as a metaphor for life, because “we don’t just quit and give up. When there are dire circumstances, we can find a way to survive.”
Jeryl had an equally deep moment, saying that “some characters are dead before their hearts stop beating. You can see it in their eyes.” She raised a question that is very relevant for the show today: At what point have you lost so much of your humanity that it’s no longer worth it to survive?
This panel was definitely one of the highlights of Walker Stalker Con Boston 2015. Many thanks to these two extraordinary actors for being a part of it – and to IronE for showing off his dance moves before exiting the stage!
Next: Fear the Walking Dead: Mixed reviews on social media for the pilot episode
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