PITTSBURGH — Anyone who has ever tried keeping a secret can appreciate how difficult it must have been for Margot Bingham not to reveal the big twist involving her character on "The Walking Dead" for as long as she did.
Bingham, a South Hills native, made her "Walking Dead" debut in 2019 as the voice on the other end of the radio communicating with Eugene (Josh McDermitt). She didn't physically appear on "The Walking Dead" until early in the show's 11th and final season, which is currently airing on AMC.
At that point, she was revealed to be Max, personal assistant to Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), governor of the new-world settlement known as the Commonwealth. Eugene was under the belief he had been conversing with Stephanie (Chelle Ramos) over the radio before the show's March 6 episode, when that relationship proved to be a sham. That's when Max finally let him know she was the one he had connected with over the airwaves.
"I've been waiting for three years to essentially have my coming-out party," Bingham told the Post-Gazette. "I've had to keep it quiet. I was announced as this voice character. It was really cool to be Max. I can finally be myself."
Television fans might recognize Bingham from her small-screen roles on shows including HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," NBC's "New Amsterdam," ABC's "The Family" and Netflix's "She's Gotta Have It." She also played Cass in the Pittsburgh-filmed CBS All Access (now Paramount+) series "One Dollar." Anyone who has enjoyed Bingham on "The Walking Dead" can catch more of her work in upcoming projects like the film "Dotty & Soul" and the TV series "Leopard Skin."
She is the daughter of former Steelers linebacker Craig Bingham, the first Jamaican to play in the NFL. Growing up, she called players including Craig Wolfley, Jack Ham and Joe Greene her "uncles." Her father still occasionally gets texts from his ex-teammates about his daughter's acting career.
"It's almost like they're passing the baton on to me," Bingham said. "It's awesome. I feel like I have a family that can totally kick someone's ass, so it's great."
There's still "major Pittsburgh pride" coursing through Bingham's veins. She went to CAPA and attended Point Park University for two years before moving to New York City. Bingham fondly recalled early jobs at the Squirrel Hill JCC and Pure nightclub in the Strip District. She even had the opportunity to record songs with Allderdice High School graduates Wiz Khalifa and the late Mac Miller.
Bingham posited that Pittsburgh produces so many entertainment-industry stalwarts due to the blue-collar values that have become synonymous with the Steel City.
"People are gritty," she said. "Usually when people are strapped, they get creative. That's where the best art stems from. ... There's just a bond there that's very grounded and real, and I think people flock to that and appreciate that."
Her role as jazz and blues singer Daughter Maitland on "Boardwalk Empire" "broke me into the film and movie industry," Bingham said. She recorded upwards of 50 songs for that show and said she was surprised by how many of them were used to underscore various scenes. Bingham cherished working with big names like Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Wright and the late Michael K. Williams.
Filming "One Dollar" in her hometown proved to be a surreal experience, when she wound up shooting a scene right by her old apartment in the South Side during her first day on set. She was impressed with the work put in by local crews on that production and said that "if I could work in Pittsburgh all the time, I would."
It didn't take long for Bingham's Western Pennsylvania roots to become an asset for her on "The Walking Dead," after executive producer and fellow yinzer Greg Nicotero overheard her talking about Pittsburgh soon after she first arrived on set.
"I feel like every single time I meet someone from Pittsburgh that there's this automatic bond that crosses all bridges and dimensions and binds us for life," she said, with a winking reference to Pittsburgh's status as the city of bridges. "That's definitely one thing that's happened with Greg. ... All of a sudden it was off to the races. We haven't looked back since."
As a big fan of "The Walking Dead," Bingham was thrilled for the opportunity to join the show's cast before its impending series finale. Less exciting was how Max's big reveal was delayed after production was forced to shut down due to COVID-19.
"If that's the worst thing that happened to me during the pandemic, I'm really lucky," she said.
Despite still getting over having his feelings crushed by Stephanie, sparks quickly fly between Eugene and Max as they nerd out over the story beats of Eugene's sci-fi novel. Bingham said that McDermitt "is the funniest dude" and she feels lucky to be part of an ensemble where everyone gets along and is "so damn talented."
Now that Max's true identity is public knowledge, Bingham is beginning to feel the love from "The Walking Dead" faithful. She experienced that firsthand recently via the warm reception that greeted her at the first fan convention she attended after the big Max reveal.
Bingham just appreciates the support from the show's loyal followers and from everyone cheering her on back home.
"There are a lot of talented people from Pittsburgh," she said. "I feel like in a lot of small towns, people are always open to talk about other celebrities and other names. But we have so many from our own backyard, so I appreciate anyone who supports our own."
