“Paul Wall’s mom was my second grade teacher,” says Lindsey Morgan, enjoying a chill break between takes at her exclusive cover shoot at the Mobli Beach House on Venice Beach. “Chamillionaire went to my high school. Mike Jones performed at our prom,” she laughs. “I’m so Houston. I’m a southern girl at heart.”
She is attracted to passion and ambition, a self-proclaimed kickass drawn to action and addicted to adventure, an admitted tomboy who grew up in Texas with Hip Hop cowboys and football fanatics. So when Lindsey Morgan, breakout star of CW’s popular post-apocalyptic drama “The 100”, sets her sights on a goal there is simply no stopping this sexy starlet from gaining ground and reaching her full potential. She leased daytime television before claiming the evening, and now, owning the night. Next stop is to take up residence on the big screen - where her legend will live.
In 2011, Lindsey left college in Austin, arrived on the Hollywood scene and began auditioning for challenging film and television roles. Shortly thereafter she landed the coveted and competitive role of Kristina Davis on iconic ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. The character was complex, troubled, and emotional, which are daunting traits to capture in concert, especially for a first-time actress. But Lindsey was up for the challenge, taking the character to new heights of popularity en route to earning a Daytime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Young Actress in recognition of the accomplishment; capturing the attention of movie producers searching for the next star to cast in there project along the way. The scripts came marching in like the Saints down south.
After co-starring in a few big screen fun films like: “Detention”, “DisCONNECTED”, and “Chastity Bites”, and guesting on fan favorite TV series’ like: “Franklin & Bash”, “The Flip Side”, and “Shark Bites”, Lindsey landed the role of Raven Reyes for “The 100”. Based on the Kass Morgan book of the same name, and produced by Jason Rothenberg, the hit network series takes viewers to a futuristic place on earth nearly 100 years after a nuclear war. A series favorite, Lindsey gets to channel her tomboy and tough girl sides while drawing from her innate gifts for dramatic presence, screen believability, sex appeal and sheer will that have crowned the 25-year-old one of young Hollywood’s hottest new stars.
Editor ToneSwep sat down with Lindsey at Mobli Beach House for her exclusive DOPE Magazine cover shoot on Venice Beach. In this in-depth interview the dazzling actress dishes on dating games, pursuing passions, taking risks, and repopulating the planet earth (but not necessarily in that order). Lindsey also talks Heath Ledger, Kobe Bryant, Manny Pacquiao, and the beauty of being dedicated to who and what you love.
Written by ToneSwep
Images by: Rocco Ceselin
Styled by: Ali Levine
Hair & MUA by: Alexandria Storm
Location: Mobli Beach House, Venice Beach, CA
(ToneSwep: TS) You left college, packed up and moved to Los Angeles, to pursue an acting career. That was a daring decision considering you weren’t a child star. What compelled you to make such a power move?
(Lindsey Morgan: Lindsey) I think at that stage in my life I had the naïve and ignorant energy working for me (Laughs!). It played to my advantage. I was more reckless; threw fear into the wind, which is exactly what you need to do when pursuing your true passion. I was in Austin studying and got my first agent. She sent me out for Friday Night Lights, and while there I got very close to one of the girls who was based in LA. It was such a fluke. I didn’t know what a big deal it was to be honest. It gave me such a confidence boost and I found my place in the industry. It was like the first sign that I took the right turn and was headed in the right direction toward living out my dream of becoming an actress. When you want something bad enough you take risks and fight for it. And then you will get signs along the way that you are doing the right thing.
(TS) You are an extremely talented young actress, one of the most popular rising stars in Hollywood. Where does the natural ability derive from?
(Lindsey) I have an ability to bridge my personality between comedy and drama without making it seem forced. People have always told me that I’m an old soul. I have a deep appreciation for reading, literature, poetry, art. And I feel it all to my core. Drama is easy for me to get lost in. I lose myself in the story and in the character, and then convey the truest expression of the story we are telling. Actors are story tellers.
(TS) You grew up in Houston. What was the scene like? We don’t hear as much about your city like New York, LA, Vegas, or Miami even though it’s a party town.
(Lindsey) Houston is an interesting city. We have Lil Wayne, Drake, and even Beyoncé talking about it. Houston is humongous. A giant city. And it’s a commuter city, so everything is distant. It’s very spread out and each part is a little different. I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, so it was like track homes and high school football teams. It was pretty vanilla (Laughs!). I grew up in Jersey Village, which is named after a cow farm. But I can say there is nothing like Houston on TV, so there isn’t really a show I could mention to compare it to… But the city has a cool vibe; has like an urban aspect to it but is also very quiet and conservative in places. And hey, Paul Wall’s mom was my second grade teacher (Laughs!). Chamillionaire went to my high school. Mike Jones performed at my prom. And then everyone goes to Baptist church on Sunday! Now, there is a new arts scene emerging versus a very republican conservatism that is already present. Mix all of that with some punk and indie rock thrown in. Plus an influx of Latin culture with it being so close to Mexico.
(TS) How would you describe your upbringing, the early childhood years? What was little Lindsey up to?
(Lindsey) She was DOPE! (Laughs!). My parents split up when I was in the fourth grade, so before that things were very perfect. Afterwards was a little tougher, but still nice. Then I had an older brother and was sort of a tomboy. I was super curious, did everything, wanted to be in Debate, Soccer, Art Classes, Drama. I drove my mom crazy! I was really into the visual arts for a very long time. It exposed me to so many different types of people and various worlds. My mom saw at an early age that I was artistic and encouraged it. And she also gave me freedom to pursue different things in the arts. She took me to my first musical when I was seven. She advocated for me to become more cultured. And my mom was pretty strict, too, so I couldn’t do just whatever the hell I wanted. I grew up without television, for example. No TV! They boycotted it in my household, so now I’m a television actress (Laughs!). Oh, the irony (Laughs!).
(TS) Being of mixed race, Irish and Mexican descent, did your household have a balance of both cultures? Both are very distinct with rich heritages.
(Lindsey) Growing up you don’t think it’s weird. We’re having enchiladas today, and then my dad would make corn beef tomorrow. Then I would go over why white friend’s houses and ask for hot sauce and they would be like “What?” And then I’d go to my Spanish friend’s houses, but I didn’t speak Spanish. And they’d be like “What?!?!” (Laughs!)… But my parents found a midway and created a hybrid culture of sorts. Holidays were interesting to say the least.
(TS) In the dating game, what are some key differences between Texas guys and Cali guys?
(Lindsey) Manners. Not in a bad way, Cali guys are polite. Not like New York guys, who are just direct but miss the manners part to me. I feel like Cali guys are kinda shy. They’re like “do you want to go to lunch?” And I mean, it’s such a random meal, you know Tone. It’s like salad, salad, ok blah blah (Laughs!). It’s the middle of the day, it’s all sunny. Okay, now what are we doing here (Laughs!). Texas guys would be like – “I’m taking you to dinner. I will pick you up.” Not meet you somewhere. They would make it a date. They would meet my mom - who is super strict. Southern guys have more old fashioned ideas to dating or courting. But as a girl it’s kinda nice. But then if you don’t like the guy you’re kinda stuck with him sometimes (Laughs!). You’re like, okay go away. But then with Cali guys you don’t know where you stand. So I guess those are the pros and cons.
(TS) You landed your role as Kristina Davis on General Hospital relatively quickly. You’d really just started acting. Was it a challenging role to prepare for and master?
(Lindsey) Yes, there was tons of pressure. When you audition for a soap opera they don’t prepare you for the workload that is ahead of you. 30 scenes a day, every day, five days a week. For me, I was really green. I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t ready for it. My first day I had 60 pages of dialogue. You get one take and have to nail it. And then it’s tough because you are working with so many pros and don’t want to look like an amateur.
(TS) Did Kristina’s character being so complex, and also very established in the story, compound that at all?
(Lindsey) Yes, absolutely. See because Kristina had been portrayed by other actresses before me. So I had to capture a role that was played by others and I had to make it my own. There is a lot of work at General Hospital that I am proud of. But then my confidence got shaken bad on that show and I lost myself for a while. I read some internet hate and it shook me up a bit. People recognized me from the show; some liked me and some didn’t like me. I didn’t know how to navigate it. And when I cry on camera, I can’t fake cry. I have to actually cry for real. So I have to hurt for real. I cried everyday on General Hospital because of the role. Exhausting, emotionally taxing. I would leave home for work, get tortured for six hours, come home and recuperate, then go back to work the next day and do it all over again. I would take stress and worry from the job home with me. But I learned a few things. One, you can’t let anyone tell you who you are. That’s bullshit. And two, I also learned that sense I gave so much of my heart away on set I had to find ways to replenish it.
(TS) Kristina Davis vs. Raven Reyes, what would happen if those two got into an argument?
(Lindsey) Kristina would win the argument, because Raven couldn’t deal with all the yelling and girly emotional crap. But then Raven would just knock her out (Laughs!). She’d just totally start kicking her ass.
(TS) People are addicted to “The 100”, maybe the best post-apocalyptic drama since “Lost”. How has it been to have such a pivotal role on one of television’s hottest shows?
(Lindsey) I am always fascinated to meet the fans, because we have such a wide range of people who watch. A lot of 15-year-old girls who are like Hunger Games fans come up to me and say they love the show, but then you have 40-year-old men who love it, too. The viewership is so broad. When I ask why they are interested they have a completely different reason for enjoying it. And I think that is amazing, for the show to be so good in so many various aspects that different audiences from different demographics are watching.
(TS) Fans of the series say the second season has been quite a ride thus far. When reading the script did you anticipate this season being even more exciting than the first?
(Lindsey) I definitely knew that the theme for first season was darker, each episode got darker and darker and darker. Our writers and producers would push the darkness as far as the network would allow, which I thought was really cool. Even we didn’t know what was in store. So many plot twists and turns. It really keeps you on your toes because each episode is its own little epic film and adventure. You get the script a day before you shoot. They don’t give you the script too far in advance because they’re afraid we may leak the story, or pieces of it.
(TS) If you were part of an actual apocalypse, would you want to be a member of the first 100 to repopulate the earth or wait until it’s determined the planet is habitable?
(Lindsey) I’d want to be a pioneer. It would be a lot harder and a lot more dangerous to discover and explore. But only the first people get to do that. I have a very adventurous side and can be a little stupid in a good way (Laughs!). So you’d have to be fearless and stupid to do that. But I would have to be first.
(TS) Are you headed for the big screen? What type of role would catapult you into household name status?
(Lindsey) Films are a goal of mine. Something I got into this business to do. It’s a huge, huge goal of mine. I love action movies. And I think we need more female action heroes. I love training and fighting. I would love to portray a female super hero or action hero, a young one for the young girls out there to have as a role model. Out there saving the world, administrating justice and rocking those sexy costumes and pulling off her own stunts.
(TS) Who would be your male costar in that breakout blockbuster film?
(Lindsey) I’m a huge Tom Hardy fan. I think he really does a great job in every film he’s in. We’d make for a DOPE on screen dynamic duo.
(TS) What is life like for you away from acting?
(Lindsey) I’ve been traveling a lot. This year my resolution was to be more adventurous. I did a whole Asian track and went everywhere. I’m in wanderlust. I just want to see the world. You have to abandon your comfort zone sometimes, it’s necessary. It really helps you grow as a person to experience other cultures, other parts of the world.
(TS) Who is your celebrity crush?
(Lindsey) Mine will always be Heath Ledger. Ever since “10 Things I Hate About You”. It hasn’t changed and probably never will. He will always be one of my favorite actors and people.
(TS) Which term best describes you: badass, kickass, or trash-talker?
(Lindsey) Kick Ass! I think I’m kickass, because I can kick it for real (Laughs!). I kick box when I work out. And also because I’ve gotten my ass kicked (LAUGHS!). And kickass has a doing element to it. I’m an active person. I’m a doer. Trash talkers just talk a lot, I don’t. I just do it. And badasses are just sort of over there in the corner like, you know, I’m a badass and everybody knows it (Laughs!).
(TS) Essentially a retired kickass. The badass is like, I used to kickass. So now I’m just known for kicking ass. Which is badass.
(Lindsey) (Laughs!). Exactly. That’s exactly it. They’re like, I’ve kicked enough ass now it’s your turn to do it (Laughs!).
(TS) What is your main inspiration? What drives you?
(Lindsey) Sometimes I ask myself that… I think other people’s stories drive me. I’m inspired a lot by athletes. I’m a big Clippers fan, but I love Kobe. I like boxing. I like Pac-Man (Manny Pacquiao). I think acting and athleticism are very similar. The way an athlete performs on game night is how actors perform on opening night. You want to be on point from the time they say “Action!” From the point of kickoff, or the opening tipoff. The lifestyle of it all, too. The conditioning. The best athletes have a strong mentality. Like Kobe said in his documentary: he can’t take a break or rest. He’ll win a championship and be in the gym the next day. I want to work that hard. There is so much beauty in that to me.
(TS) I want to talk about heroes. What is a hero to you?
(Lindsey) I think a hero is someone who self-sacrifices. We live in a day and age where it is so easy to be selfish. You don’t have time to care about other people. To put your life on the line for someone else and their cause is very admirable, and a very rare quality and mission in this day and age. They are heroes in my book.
(TS) Lastly, and this is the most important question – what is it going to take for a fella to snatch that hottie named Lindsey Morgan up and take her off the singles club list?
(Lindsey) I need somebody who is better than me. I want them to make me better. And I’m pretty competitive, so that means you have to beat me in everything! I’m really attracted to talent and ambition. People who put in work every day and are passionate about what they do. I’m attracted to passion, because that quality will translate into how they love.
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