Tom Payne Talks Jesus’ Character Arc at Walker Stalker Con New Jersey
While wrapping up our Walker Stalker conventions is never our favorite thing, we do enjoy looking back on the weekend and all of it’s stand out moments. From panels to cosplay and moments where fans meet their favorite celebrities – the weekends are immersive experiences for all of us.
One of our favorite moments at the New Jersey convention this weekend was the panel with Tom Payne. Jesus is one of the most talked about characters this season, and rightfully so. Some of his decisions have left fans questioning who he is, and that idea plays out on screen as well. There’s no show of that more prominent than his fight with Morgan this season and Tom discussed that, and more, with us this weekend.
While he was told that Jesus would have a major character arc this season, he wasn’t sure how that would play out at first. There’s a secretive nature to the set, and rightfully so. To keep the characters and their emotions/reactions as natural as possible, there are some things they can’t know about each other or themselves. It has to play out as realistically as possible.
One of those moments this season was the battle between Morgan and Jesus.
“Scott Gimple came to me before the season and told me a few things about my arc” @justanactor talks about how secretive it is on set #WSCNJ pic.twitter.com/sZ1L0DX5AC
— Walker Stalker (@WalkrStalkrCon) December 10, 2017
In addition, he says that while he’s not always sure what’s coming his way, Jesus always feels physically in control of a situation. If he can’t physically take down an opponent, he can always evade them. It’s mind over matter for Jesus when necessary, and that helps him in more ways than one.
“I feel like Jesus is always in control of the situation” @justanactor #WSCNJ pic.twitter.com/LyLnzINTXt
— Walker Stalker (@WalkrStalkrCon) December 11, 2017
He went on to say that we still haven’t really seen Jesus really own a fight. While he does know that he can do it, holding that power also means that he holds back a little. This isn’t something he started on set, it’s something he’s always felt. If you know that you are capable of that, you try to hold back a little more.
“We’ve still never seen Jesus kick someone’s ass” @justanactor #WSCNJ pic.twitter.com/FnfhK29nNt
— Walker Stalker (@WalkrStalkrCon) December 11, 2017
We can’t wait to see what’s next for Jesus when The Walking Dead returns to AMC in February. Be it mentally or physically, Jesus is always on his toes, and that’s extremely important in the post-apocalyptic world.
‘…but I knew him’
