Only a few days are left before The 100 returns to the CW. As we count down to the Season 5 premiere, we’re rolling out interviews with members of the cast and production team from Wondercon 2018. Richard Harmon sat down with reporters to talk about what’s ahead for his character, Murphy, and the new villains coming onto the show, including “Graveyard” McCreary.
Is Murphy still a villain?
Q: So you’ve told everyone in all the interviews that McCreary is your favorite character for the next season.
Richard Harmon: William Miller does such a stupendous job and I think it’s just such a blessing that we have him on the show.
Q: Isn’t he supposed to be the villain on the show?
RH: Yeah. Pike was my favorite, I’m my favorite. I like the villains, clearly.
Q: Well, is Murphy still the villain in this story?
RH: I don’t know if he was ever the villain. I think he’s a person who is fighting a battle inside of himself, to go with the addict in him which would be to ditch his moral compass, and he knows if he does that, getting what he wants is a lot easier. But he also had someone like in Emori that gave him the fresh start when no one else would give him a second chance. She gave him a first chance. So I think there is that battle inside of him even going into this season six years into the future.
I think it’s tough for him. So I wouldn’t say he’s a villain still, but he’s fighting that addiction inside of him to do what he wants to do.
Q: Is he going to be looking up to McCreary? Is he going to idolize him?
RH: Who knows if we even have scenes together? I have no idea. But I will say this, I think… It was described to me at one point perfectly so I’m not gonna take credit for it… One of the writers once told me that McCreary is kind of like looking into a funhouse mirror for Murphy. It’s like this person he could be, it’s like seeing a lot of himself in him. I think McCreary’s that guy who stopped fighting that war inside of himself. He’s let the venom win and just take over his decision making. He’s ditched his moral compass a long time ago, whereas Murphy’s trying to fight that.
Q: What’s it like to play a Murphy who’s ready to be the good guy?
RH: Well, that’s presumptuous to think he’s ready to be the good guy. I think he does what he thinks is right moment to moment. What’s it like to play him… is a dream cause he is a guy who’s very complicated to play in that way and I don’t just get to be perfect. Not everything that I do is like a cheat code in a video game and I’m like great at this great at that. He has to work at things and I think he sees that other people are much … he’s a lot of fun to play.
Q: Do you have creative input in the character now?
RH: I think right off the bat by them keeping me around that it was creative input because I just did what I wanted to in the beginning and Jason really seemed to love that and run with it. So now I just… trust what he’s done with it and if I have something to say, Jason will hear me out and usually agree. But for me… as an actor I’m a mercenary, I’m a hired gun so whatever you want to write, you write and I’m gonna make it work. They don’t make it too hard on me either.
Meet “Uncle Murphy?”
Q: What’s the dynamic gonna be between Murphy and Madi? She seems like she’s a little stubborn person?
RH: Again, who’s to say that we have scenes together? But I love Lola. And without giving too much away we have spent a lot of time together on set. I think she’s such a talented … I’m not even going to say little actor. I’m just gonna say she’s a talented actor. … The last time Murphy really had a kid of that age around him was Charlotte, and I don’t think that really went all too well so I think if he ever sees her he’ll be like “Oh my God… Charlotte’s back!”
I don’t think he’s really used to kids. But there’s nothing to dispute maybe Uncle Murphy can’t be a thing. I don’t know. I think he’d be a cool uncle. I think there’s something to learn… she could learn something from Murphy that Clarke, with her moral compass, couldn’t teach her int he six years. I think that would be a valuable thing to look into.
Q: What do you imagine Murphy would be doing in space for six years?
RH: Lot of hating it. I… My journey this season was kind of thinking of why he is the way he is when… there’s nothing wrong really up in space other than a little bit of claustrophobia. But that’s not really what gets to Murphy. I think that on the ground with all the war going on and people constantly trying to take his life away from him, it kind of gave him reason to be the way he is and kind of have that thing inside of him that warns. But when there’s nothing there to attack him and sometimes he wakes up in the morning and is so sad or messed up inside of him that he can’t get out of bed, he’s too proud to talk to other people about it. Because I think the issue of mental health isn’t something that people talk about anymore in our worlds… not in our world, we talk about it a lot, but I think in the world of the 100, I think the talk of mental health died out when the bombs went off. No ones’ really caring or talking about it… So i think Murphy’s pride doesn’t allow him to tell everyone else that he’s not okay.
Q: Does that drive a wedge between him and Emori?
RH: I think so. Because Emori’s someone who… she finds a way to be useful. She finds a way to come fit in. And this whole new world for Emori that has been opened up to her in the last six years, she kind of thrives in that world. Cause it’s people that are finally giving her a chance. Whereas Murphy takes away all his chances. He always seems to find a way to do that. So I think that would be hard between the two of them.
Q: So he’s going to find a drinking buddy in Echo who also may not feel like she’s connecting to people?
RH: Those two are are pretty similar I’d say.
Season 5 of The 100 premieres April 24 at 9 p.m/8 p.m. Central on The CW.
