The Walking Dead star Lennie James has revealed that he did not enjoy the fame associated with him at the peak of the post-apocalyptic horror series. Speaking to inews, ahead of his upcoming eight-part drama series, Mr Loverman, James, 58, reflected on the career-defining role as Morgan Jones in the AMC show.
“No,” James informed the publication. He described working on the horror series, which has since expanded into a larger franchise with Tales of the Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon, and Dead City, as “an experience.”
Appearing alongside Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in the first episode of the season, James portrayed a survivor conflicted with the death of his wife and later his son in the third season before returning in Season 5 ahead of a promotion to series regular in Season 6.
James exited the show after the eighth season and joined the fourth season of Fear the Walking Dead, a direct spin-off set in the same world as the flagship series.
Other notable roles include Glen Boyle in the Sky 1 medical drama Critical, Robert Hawkins in Jericho on CBS, and corrupt police detective DCI Tony Gates in the first series of Line of Duty for the BBC. James has also created and starred in the Sky Atlantic drama Save Me alongside Suranne Jones and fellow Line of Duty actor Stephen Graham.
Mr Loverman follows Barry (James), a 74-year-old Caribbean immigrant in a secret gay relationship for most of his life, based on the best-selling novel by Bernardine Evaristo.