Eliza Taylor talks about Season 2 of The 100

Eliza Taylor talks about Season 2 of The 100 which has just began airing on E4 in the UK on Tuesday nights at 9PM and is currently being shown on the CW in America.

When the audience last saw Clarke in Season 1, she woke up in a white room. What is the significance of that white room?

I think Clarke’s journey has been really, really interesting in The 100. She’s come full circle. She's gone from being in a prison cell in the first episode of Season 1, to being wild and free and a leader – but now she's back in some kind of cell. It's going to be interesting to see her use the skills that she picked up on the ground to fight her way out of there. We start the new season right at the point where we left off, so we get straight into that storyline. It’s a lot of fun.

A lot of fans are rooting for Clarke and Bellamy to get together. Do you think this might happen in Season 2?

We haven't even found Bellamy yet, so we don't know if he is alive or dead. That sort of chemistry between them wasn't intentional. It wasn't written; it was just something that the fans clung onto. I think it would be cool if we saw more of that relationship, but I think there are more important things for Clarke to deal with – like fighting the Grounders and surviving. There is still a lot to come out and I want people to learn the secrets about Mount Weather, the Mountain Men, the Grounders and the Reapers. I can't wait for people to explore it with us.

Can we expect conflict between Clarke and Anya in Season 2?

For me, Clarke and Anya have a really interesting dynamic. They are both leaders of their groups and they both think that their tribes have the best ways. There's a lot more to come from these two.

Will Clarke be reunited with her mother in Season 2?

I think they will be reunited. I think they must! I think it would be really interesting to see what happens if they did because there's a lot of tension there. They've both changed so much that I think it will be interesting to see if they even recognise one another. Clarke has to deal with the knowledge that her mother had her father killed. They've been through so much together, but Clarke has gone from being a little girl and she’s now this fierce, scary leader woman. Things have changed for The 100. When we first landed on Earth, we were scared little kids – but now we have all become hunters and warriors. It’s intense.

Clarke's character has been full of contradictions. Will we see more of that darker side to her in Season 2?

Absolutely. I think she's on that path and there's no turning back. She's definitely blurring the lines, which is something I think you have to do as a leader. And personally, I'm loving it. It's so fun to play that moral dilemma. I'm doing things as an actor that I never thought I could do. It's cool.

How does it feel to play a strong female character on television?

It's fantastic. I've never been able to play a character like this before, so it's a dream come true for me. She’s smart and strong and soulful, which is fantastic for me to portray.

How much do you enjoy the physical aspect of your role?

It's been challenging, but great. One thing I watched back on Season 1 that I've been trying to do in Season 2 is focus more on my physical abilities. I am a girly girl, but there are scenes where I noticed that I was doing girly movements – but Clarke isn’t like that. That's been really challenging, trying to be grounded and strong and really get more of that masculine physicality.

How long do you spend in makeup getting all that dirt applied?

For the guys in the show, I think it was pretty easy to get dirty – it’s just some sweat and mud. Sometimes, you forget about all the stuff that’s on you. Once, I went home after a shooting a long day and I had fake blood everywhere; it was all over my hands I didn't even think about it. I popped into a local store to pick up some chewing gum and when the guy served me, he looked at my hands and said to me, “Erm, are you okay?" I was like, "Yeah, I'm fine..." And I hurried out.

Is the role more physically challenging, or mentally challenging?

It's all pretty challenging, but it depends on the day. I've definitely had to step up my work-out regime and all that stuff, which can be hard at times. I've definitely cried at training sessions. And I just don't like running. Emotionally, it can be very demanding. I remember that scene I shot in episode eleven, where I kill a guy and I hold my hands over his mouth while I watch him die. Filming that scene was really, really emotionally tough for me. That was a whole 12-hour day of just killing. Being in that mindset, it's hard to go home at night and not feel all those things. You need to ease out of it.

Did you have any worries about what was in store for Clarke in the second season?

I was scared I wasn't going to be as strong as the script demanded for the first couple of episodes. Clarke is a fighter now, but I'm not like that in real life. I'm not a fighter. I think Clarke's heart is still intact this series, but she has had to learn how to compartmentalise things.

How far in advance do you hear about upcoming storylines for your character?

We only get our scripts two or three days before we start shooting that episode, which can be really, really nerve wracking. We know where the plot is going, but at the same time, it changes all the time. Plus, they don't mind killing people off. It's a terrifying show to work on in that respect.

Have there been any other scenes that you found tough to work on?

One scene was hard to be part of was the torture scene with Ricky Whittle, who plays Lincoln. He was in the restraints for so many hours and that scene took so long to film. Visually, it looked great, though.

Courtesy of E4.