The Walking Dead’s Samantha Morton opens up about violent past

The Walking Dead’s Samantha Morton opens up about her troubled past.

Whilst playing The Walking Dead’s iconic villain Alpha, British actress Samantha Morton portrayed a violent character with a disturbed streak and unhealthy relationship with her daughter. In real life Morton couldn’t be any further from this persona, as a settled happy mother of three and multi-award-winning actress. However, this wasn’t always the case.

In a recent interview, Morton opened up about her troubled childhood, drug use, and the events in her youth that led to her being charged with attempted murder.

Morton was speaking on the BBC’s world renowned  Desert Islands Discs – a radio show where celebrities pic 8 songs that mean a great deal to them, a book and a luxury item they would take to a desert island. They reveal these whilst talking about their life and career.

Speaking to presenter, Lauren Laverne, Morton talked very openly about her difficult childhood, and complicated relationships with both of her parents. She spent much of her childhood living with her father, but due to both of her parents’ mental health issues, she spent a great deal of time in social care.

During the years she was in and out of homes, she revealed she had suffered multiple kinds of abuse from people in authority. This, along with her unsettled life and yearning to be with her parents, led to her repeatedly running away, being expelled several times from school, and getting involved in minor law breaking such as stealing and mild drug abuse.

Sadly, a combination of a bullying girl in a home she was living in, another young male resident who was being abused, and a drug trip led to the incident where Morton threatening murder on another teenage girl.

Morton spoke at length on Desert Island Discs about how much she regrets the events, how sorry she is, and how much she now understands that were all being abused in different ways.

Thankfully around the same time as these events, she found acting as a release and way out of the system, as well as feeling love and acceptance in the English rave scene. Along with a faith in God, she was able to heal and begin moving on with her life.

Not only did she find love with fellow actor Charlie Creed-Miles, she started a family and her career began to take off in a specular way. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

Morton also opened up her health problems, including the stroke she suffered after a severe head injury when a ceiling collapsed on her, leaving her with life-long side-effects.

Her 8 chosen tracks for her desert island were:

UB40 – Burden of Shame

The Charlatans – Flower

Luke Kelly – The Town I Loved So Well

Talking Heads – This Must Be the Place

Spiritualised – Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating in space

Einstürzende Neubauten – Blume

Suicide – Dream Baby Dream

Molly Drake – I Remember

Now that Alpha is dead, Morton has left The Walking Dead. When asked about the future, Morton said she’s focusing more on programmes that she will be writing, directing or more creatively involved in, and has both a series and movie in the works.