Emily Kinney on The Walking Dead and the WhyHunger initiative

Walking Dead Emily Kinney
Photo: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

She endured one of the most sudden and tragic deaths in Walking Dead history last season. So what is it like for the woman who played Beth Greene to watch the show now after her demise? We asked Emily Kinney just that when the actress/singer stopped by Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105) today to talk about working with WhyHunger as part of its annual Hungerthon campaign. (You can help fight hunger by bidding on items like co-hosting EW Morning Live with yours truly for a day.)

While Kinney at first did not watch the show after Beth was killed, she is once again taking in the zombie drama, although she is a few episodes back. “I still am traveling quite a bit with the tour and everything, so I’m behind,” she says. “I’ve only seen up to episode 4 this season.” (SHHH! NOBODY TELL HER WHAT HAPPENS TO GLENN!)

So what is it like watching the show she starred on for four seasons? “I think in some ways it’s more fun because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” says Kinney. “But then, in another way, it still feels like my friends up there going through this stuff, so I don’t know. It’s a very interesting experience watching.”

It can also be a bit weird. “The people that I haven’t even met that are big [characters now] — that’s sort of like, whoa! I don’t want to compare this amazing job to high school, but it’s a little bit like when you go back to your high school to be like, ‘Oh, hey, teacher I miss, or friend I miss,’ and you feel like there’s something different and feel a little weird. It’s nothing bad, but you’re sort of like, oh, I guess I’ve moved on in a certain way. It’s just what happens.”

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As if having her character killed off wasn’t difficult enough, Kinney didn’t even get a chance to enjoy the nice new filming location of Alexandria, which is about 100 million steps up from the dank and grimy prison. “Totally! They have it so easy!” laughs Kinney. “That whole episode me and Daryl are out in the woods with tics and out in the heat, and they’re now in this nice little sweet town!”

Still, Kinney has fond memories of her time on the show, even in less-than-ideal conditions: “The prison got to the point where it felt homey, though,” says Kinney. “I think back to the prison and I think, awwwww.”

To hear Kinney for yourself, click on the Soundcloud player above.

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