The CW’s The 100 cast was, of course, peppered with questions about Lexa’s death while they participated in the 2016 WonderCon. But when we sat down to chat with Christopher Larkin, the questions were focused on Monty being stuck between loyalty to the 100 and his mother. Larkin, who fit right in with the WonderCon crowd dressed in a hoodie and carrying a backpack, was eager to share his insight into what Monty’s going through and even confirmed he’s ready for Monty to have a love interest.
Christopher Larkin Interview:
Monty has difficult decisions to make including the possibility of going against his mom. Can you tease anything about that?
Christopher Larkin: […]He has an allegiance to the 100 after everything they’ve been through together for the past five months. But, his mother raised him – that’s the past 15 years so it’s very difficult. Even if she’s on the wrong side of history, he doesn’t want to turn his back and abandon her now that her husband/his father is dead as well. So hopefully they’ll be able to figure things out. It won’t be as black and white as everyone’s making it out to be.”
It seems like Monty’s really thinking for himself at this point.
Christopher Larkin: “I think that’s the big thing about season three. Monty’s finally finding his own sense of agency and acting for himself instead of for Clarke, for Jasper, for his mother. What does he want? And I think that’s something that I’m just discovering as well as we move forward.”
How much advance information do you get about Monty? Did you know far in advance which side he would ultimately take?
Christopher Larkin: “No, no. Sometimes we get the script a day before we start shooting – and just that episode. It’s hard to track the full arc. Yeah, it’s nice. It keeps you in the moment. You can’t plan ahead if you don’t know what’s coming.”
Have there been big story points where you’ve been totally shocked by what happens?
Christopher Larkin: “I feel like my brain’s automatically going to season two. It was not Lexa’s death. It would not be Lexa’s death – that was a big one. You know, to be honest given that I know that all the deaths are coming, it’s usually when I watch other people’s scenes because I’m not there to shoot. I’m usually blown away by – I’m going to throw him credit right now – Richard Harmon. We never work together and I always see what he has to do and go, ‘How is he going to pull that off?’ and he always crushes it with subtlety and grace and humor, which is so important. There’s no levity anymore, so he’s the only comedy point in the show. So, watching that always surprises me.”
What are we going to see moving forward in terms of Monty’s relationship with Jasper?
Christopher Larkin: “Well, I think in Monty’s eyes that’s Jasper’s move at this point. He put his heart on the line at the end of 304 and Jasper crushed it. And, he’s done everything he can. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves and I think he fully realizes that now. And so it is Jasper’s initiative if he wants to repair the friendship or not. And right now I think Monty’s too concerned with what’s going on in Arcadia. They’re a bit distracted at the moment.”
Any worries that you’re going to read a script and it will say that Monty’s dead?
Christopher Larkin: “If that were to happen, I would just hope that he did it for someone he loved. I would hope that it was for something. If it is an accidental death, so be it. But you always hope and root for characters having some sense of heroics at the end. And even if they fail, at least their death is not in vain.”
Will Monty have a love interest at some point?
Christopher Larkin: “I hope so. I think it’s a big point of growing up. I also hope that he gets his heart crushed. I think your first heartbreak is much more important because you have the optimism and then you have the realism, so blending them and making him a hopeful realist moving forward.”
Watch the full interview with Christopher Larkin on The 100 season three:
