7 Questions with Emily Kinney of The Walking Dead

walking-dead-season-4-emily-kinneyEmily Kinney, the 29-year-old songbird who plays Beth Greene on AMC’s The Walking Dead says that while she’s endlessly grateful Beth survived to Season 5, she’s especially happy that the youngest Greene has finally been able to stop minding the children and show the world what she’s made of.

“You don’t see Beth a lot in those first couple seasons, so as an actor, I’m filling in those gaps, filling in things that aren’t written with my imagination,” Kinney says of the second half of Season 4 that saw her holding her own (and revealing her innermost thoughts) while on the run with Daryl — until a mysterious vehicle spirits her away to what looks like an equally brutal new reality in Season 5. “For me, it was very satisfying to finally get to say, ‘Oh, this is how she was feeling. Now we have it fleshed out.’ That was so helpful for me, and I think it was also helpful for the audience because they got to know the character in a different way.”

Kinney’s also happy the show’s writers have been able to incorporate her considerable musical talent into the show as a way of tapping into her character’s psyche, too.


We asked Kinney to reveal a few of her own secrets via our “7 Questions.”

1. You’re at a magazine rack and can only pick three titles. Which ones do you choose?
I love a psychology magazine, so Psychology Today. And then Paper magazine and New York Magazine.

2. If your TV carried just three shows or networks, what would they be?
Nashville, Homeland … and The Walking Dead!

walking-dead-season-5-emily kinney3. What has been your strangest fan encounter?
Hmmm. People are always so nice! I do get a lot of people who want me to act like a zombie in pictures, so that’s always interesting. Or they’ll be like, “Can I pretend I’m biting you?” I get a lot of that.

4. Tell us about a time when you were starstruck.
I do remember meeting Alec Baldwin after a show in New York City — like, standing at the stage door — and getting really nervous. I think he’s a really good actor. I also got to work on a movie with him, Meryl Streep and Steve Martin quite a while back. I wouldn’t say I was starstruck then, but I was definitely anticipating it and was really, really psyched.

5. What are three things you have to have in your fridge or pantry?
I love popcorn. I love fizzy water, like San Pellegrino. And chocolate. Or coffee! I have to have coffee. I mean, it’s like a constant stream of coffee, all day long.

6. What’s a movie you can watch over and over again?
I like all those Meg Ryan romantic comedies, like When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. I can always sit down and watch those, like when I’m at home at Christmastime or whatever.

7. Do you think there’d ever come a point, a role, a level of success in either genre when you’d give up music for acting or vice versa?
No [laughs]! For me, it’s so much a balance. With acting, it’s so much about being picked for a certain part, or the right opportunity coming along, and that can be very up-and-down. Sometimes you’re working a lot and sometimes there’s just not things to audition for and not a lot going on, and for me, music keeps me creative. And that’s something I can control. I write the songs. I can book a show. I love making stuff and being creative and it’s a way for me to have control, to have an outlet. I feel like both of them are just part of my life, regardless of any certain amount of success. Of course I would love if my songs took off, but it’s not the goal. I just like writing them. And I love acting. I just want to do both as much as I can!

The Walking Dead Season 5 premieres Sunday, Oct. 12 at 9/8CT on AMC.

Photos: AMC/Gene Page

About Lori Acken 1195 Articles
Lori just hasn't been the same since "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure" went off the air.