Khary Payton plays Ezekiel on "The Walking Dead." Josh Stringer/AMC
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" season 11 premiere.
Khary Payton spoke with Insider about his personal ties to his character's story line.
If Ezekiel dies, Payton just asks that he go out with his head held high, he said.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
While most of "The Walking Dead" survivors are trying to outlast the dead, starvation, and other formidable groups on the AMC series, Ezekiel, played by Khary Payton, is fighting a very different battle on the show's final season.
After trying to hide it, Ezekiel shares in season 10 that he has thyroid cancer, something that ran in his family. He seeks out the Commonwealth with Eugene at the end of that season. Fans have been hopeful the group may be able to help with treatment.
In the season 11 premiere, during an interrogation, Ezekiel breaks out into a coughing fit while chewing out the Commonwealth's army leader, Mercer (Michael James Shaw).
Ezekiel does not want the Commonwealth to know about his illness. AMC
For about 30 seconds, Ezekiel struggles to catch his breath until he's finally given a glass of water.
When Insider asked Payton, who has played the former zookeeper on the series since season seven, about filming that scene and what he drew on for his performance, he took a long pause before answering.
"I'm trying to figure out how to answer that question because it's really personal ... that kind of struggle," Payton said earlier in August. "My dad has fought cancer for seven, eight years now. I lean on that a lot.
"I also, honestly, I lean on the people who have come to me and talk to me about their struggles through this character. Yeah, it's personal."
Payton's Ezekiel has long outlived his comic character. Josh Stringer/AMC
Ezekiel has long outlived the death of his character in the comic books that the show is based on.
In issue No. 144 of Robert Kirkman's comic series, Ezekiel's head is placed on a pike by the Whisperers, along with that of a pregnant Rosita.
Story continues
Now there's potential for Ezekiel to get an original death or survive the entire series. Payton said he was OK with any outcome to Ezekiel, with one caveat.
"I've told Angela and Scott - actually, years ago, I was like, 'I don't care if Ezekiel lives or dies. I'm preparing for either scenario,'" Payton said, referring to Angela Kang, the series' current showrunner, and Scott Gimple, a former "Walking Dead" showrunner.
"But I told them, 'Whatever you do, when you write him, don't have him die with his head hung. You know, have him die with his head up and looking out for some kind of light,'" he added.
Payton compared Ezekiel's struggle to some of his personal ones.
"I've suffered with depression in my life," Payton said. "Fortunately, I'm able to recognize it now in my life. I can almost visualize the clouds rolling into my world and covering the sky.
"I love that analogy because clouds don't stay in one place. If you can just remind yourself of that, you can weather any storm - that even above the clouds, there is blue sky. You just can't see."
"I give that kind of mentality to Ezekiel as well," Payton added. "No matter how long the coughing fit, there is a reminder that there's always some blue sky."
Josh Stringer/AMC
When Payton looks back at his time on the show and the legacy he hopes Ezekiel leaves behind, he holds on to the relationships he's cultivated with people he has barely met, or never met at all, over the years while on the show, he said.
"It's the reason that I found purpose in what I do," Payton said of the show and playing Ezekiel. "I wanted to tell stories that could be recorded so that someone I've never met or never will meet will watch it and find kinship and strength and a kindred spirit, and be able to use that in their own life."
He added: "Ezekiel has given me that in spades."
The show is "something that I can always point to that makes me know that even if I never do anything else again, that this is why," he said, adding: "This is why I will do things again because the purpose is clear to me now."
Payton said: "The real purpose of all of this is that strength that we can give each other through storytelling, and I'm really grateful to have been a part of that."
You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.
Read the original article on Insider
See the original post here:
'The Walking Dead' star Khary Payton told the showrunners years ago that if he was killed off the show to 'have him die with his head up' - Yahoo!...
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Not Eligible for Emmys Limited Series Category, Will Submit as Drama (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Dead City to film in Worcester - heres when and where - MassLive.com - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Walking Dead Characters Who Need Their Own Spin-Off - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "She was not in that first movie": Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Nearly Didn ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Fear The Walking Dead Main Villains Ranked - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Seasons of 'The Walking Dead', Ranked From Worst to Best - Collider - May 1st, 2024
- She was not in that first movie: Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Nearly Didn ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- Where are Rick and Michonne at the End of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Here's What We Know - Flickering Myth - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincoln's Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincolns Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Best Episodes of The Walking Dead Season 8, Ranked - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "I hadn't thought about it that way": The Walking Dead Actress Never Knew Her Character's Death Would Cause Such a ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray (Netherlands) - Blu-ray.com - May 1st, 2024
- Surprising 14-Year Walking Dead Actor Record Shows Who The Franchise's True Main Character Is - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- The Ones Who Live All But Confirms 1 Walking Dead Mystery Will Never Be Answered - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- "I must have been on their radar": Why The Walking Dead Star Andrew Lincoln Nearly Refused $650000 Per Episode ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Wallpaper You Know You Need - Bleeding Cool News - May 1st, 2024
- This Underrated Netflix Zombie Show Did One Thing Better Than The Walking Dead - MovieWeb - May 1st, 2024
- DEI is the walking dead | Commentary | bgdailynews.com - Bowling Green Daily News - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Season 11 | Rotten Tomatoes - April 22nd, 2024
- About The Walking Dead | News, Bios and Photos | AMC - April 22nd, 2024
- How to Recreate the Most Iconic Location From The Walking Dead in 3D - 80.lv - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol Sets Tribeca Debut - Bleeding Cool News - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead star joins Superman movie in major role - Digital Spy - April 22nd, 2024
- Rick Grimes' Ending Finally Honored The Big Promise Walking Dead Made In Season 5 - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- When Will 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 Premiere? - UPROXX - April 21st, 2024
- The Surprising Reason HBO Turned Down 'The Walking Dead' - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- "You Really Have to Consider What He's Been Through": Walking Dead Creator Admits It's Hard to Root for Rick, But ... - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead Animated Series Can't Happen "Until I Get the Rights Back From AMC" - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- Morgan Jones' Got The Sendoff He Deserved On Fear The Walking Dead - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Animated Series Happening Depends On One Important Thing - GameRant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman Says The Walking Dead Animated Series Can Only Happen Under One Condition - MovieWeb - April 21st, 2024
- Daryl Dixon season 2 could make the Walking Dead universe even better here's why - Tom's Guide - April 21st, 2024
- 7 New Walking Dead Villains That Could Replace The CRM - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Fails Rick Grimes and Here Are All the Reasons Why He Deserves A Better Fate - Hollywood.com - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Is a Reckoning of Hope - Reactor - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman Shares What's Holding Back the Planned Animated Series - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Behind the scenes as 'Dead City' films in Taunton We talked to zombie, caterer and more - Taunton Daily Gazette - April 21st, 2024
- Die creators Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans' new original graphic novel is a cross between The Walking Dead and ... - Gamesradar - April 21st, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 and 'Presumed Innocent' Headline the 2024 Tribeca Festival TV Lineup - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman wants an animated show, but there's one issue - Winter is Coming - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - imdb - April 21st, 2024
- Tom Payne and Wife Jennifer kerman Welcome Twins (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer - ComicBook.com - March 24th, 2024
- What The Song Means In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 (Does It Reveal The Ending?) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Is Avoiding A Problem That Nearly Killed The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Has A Walking Dead Easter Egg You Might Have Missed - Looper - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Review What We - Den of Geek - March 24th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 4 Recap: It's Rick, Michonne, and Carl? - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Includes a Rare Sex Scene on The Ones Who Live: 'It Is About Pain,' Says Andrew Lincoln - PEOPLE - March 24th, 2024
- Daryl Dixon Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Episodes 5 & 6 Get Ominous Tease From Walking Dead EP - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- TWD The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer: Rick & Michonne Find Trouble Escaping - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Does Rick Leave the CRM on The Ones Who Live? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Into The Kirkmanverse? Invincible Teases A Major Connection To The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Pulled a Bait-and-Switch on Walking Dead Fans, But It Works - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Well, That Was The Walking Dead's Raunchiest Episode Since The Show Began In 2010 - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible x The Walking Dead Crossover is Now Likelier Than Ever Due to This Season 2 Character - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 - Release date & time, where to watch, and more - Sportskeeda - March 24th, 2024
- Rick Grimes Just Massively Insulted Lori, 12 Years After Her Walking Dead Exit - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Ep. 4 Review: "What We" Needed - Bleeding Cool News - March 24th, 2024
- I Asked AI What TV Characters Who Died Too Soon Would Look Like If They Still Alive Today - BuzzFeed - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Rick has a tough decision to make in "What We" - Winter is Coming - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - A Testament to Survival and Humanity - Age Of The Nerd - March 16th, 2024
- Which Side Thorne Is On In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Why She Tries To Shoot Michonne Explained - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Where The CRM's New US Mountain Base Is Located In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Season 2 Gets Cryptic Tease From Walking Dead Showrunner - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Theory: The CRM's Echelon Briefing May Have Sinister Plans - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 16th, 2024
- What Would Happen To The Walking Dead's Main Group If The CRM Found Alexandria - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Predicting The CRM's 500-Year Plan In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead's Creator Admits 1 Criticism of the Franchise Is 100% True - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 Clip Shows Rick Trying To Make A Deal With Jadis - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live leaves us on the edge of our seats in Episode 3 - Winter is Coming - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live's Villain Just Nailed Rick Grimes' Entire Walking Dead Story With One Line - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Best Horror Games Where Your Choices Matter - TheGamer - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Ones Who Live' Showrunner Wants to Keep Future Plans Open - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Star Addresses Shocking Return (Exclusive) - ComicBook.com - March 16th, 2024
- Five Thoughts On The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live's Bye - Multiversity Comics - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead: Ones Who Live Star Explains Why Jadis Is Loyal To The CRM - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero