SDCC 2016: ‘The 100’ Star Eliza Taylor Chats About Clarke’s Isolation in Season 3, Lexa’s Final Goodbye & Hopes for Season 4
Nora Dominick ’17/ Emertainment Monthly Co-Executive Stage Editor
After a season filled with devastating losses, a larger than life villain and much more The 100 delivered one of its darkest seasons to date. Between trying to stop A.L.I.E to the never ending chaos between the Grounders and Skaikru, The 100 continues to expand its world season after season. Of course, leading the charge is Clarke Griffin. Now entering its fourth season and another apocalypse heading their way, Clarke and the gang have to figure out how to save the ground.
At SDCC 2016, Eliza Taylor chats with us about being isolated from most of the main cast this season, Clarke and Lexa’s final goodbye and much more.
In terms of attending SDCC 2016 in general, Eliza Taylor says she will never fully get used to her fame. She says, “Stepping on that red carpet stuff, it’s not a world I knew. This time three years ago I was waiting on tables. So, it’s different and I’m still nervous as f*ck all the time.”
In all three seasons of the show, Clarke has never truly had a moment to fully process everything that has happened to her since being shipped to the ground in the pilot. Eliza Taylor talks about the new, looming threat handing over Clarke’s head going into season four. She says, “[There is] another save the world moment, which distracts her from all the other save the world moments. So, she really doesn’t ever move on.”
Taylor talks about wanting Clarke to finally have a moment of self-reflection. She says, “One thing that might be cool about this season is having her actually get to have a moment where she breaks down or actually gets to process everything that’s happened to her.” She continues saying, “I don’t know if that going to happen. What I really hope for this season is it’s going to be a lot more hopeful. I think last season was dark, even for us. That’s saying something.”
One of the darkest moments in season three was Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) being killed. A moment that sent fans in a frenzy. Taylor talks about losing Lexa during season three. She says, “I think she already had to say goodbye once, which was hard. It’s just really hard. Really f-ing hard.” Taylor then went onto discuss Clarke and Lexa’s second goodbye in the season three finale when they meet in the City of Light. She reflects saying, “Then, at the end, to see her again and for her to say ‘I’ll always be with you,’ I think it was easier. It was the love of her life, but it was something she needed to hear. You will always be with me and I know it and I feel you every day. That’s what she needed.”
On the subject of having to pull off emotionally exhausting scenes on The 100, Taylor says it’s really hard to go all the way emotionally for some of the darker scenes. She says, “There have been times where I go home from doing really emotional scene and just sobbed. It’s incredibly hard to get out of.” She continues saying, “You know, a lot of people say when you play a character it’s 70% you and 30% the character. You put so much of yourself and your feelings into whatever your character is going through then of course you are going to take that home with you. It’s very tricky and it’s something you really do have to learn to separate yourself from as much as you can.”
Last season, Clarke spent most of the time separated from Bellamy (Bob Morley) and the rest of the core cast. When asked about Clarke spending more time with them in season four, Taylor smiles and says, “I would LOVE that to be honest.” She says, “It would be so nice to be with everyone again. For like four or five months I was away from all of them. I was doing my thing. Doing Alycia.” She continues saying, “Then the band was back together and it was so nice because it was us from the pilot, you know? And I missed that so much. So, I hope in this season I get to do more of that.”