Based on the crowd of loyal fans in the Cosplay Theatre at Brisnova back in November, you wouldn’t have known that the CW’s hit post-apocalyptic drama The 100 had wrapped up its final season in late 2020. The fan base is as strong as ever, with a legion of fans turning out to welcome Aussie Supa-Stars Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley, who will return to Supanova this April, treating fans at Melbnova (22-23 April).
Morley had been filming new ABC comedy Limbo in Brisbane after wrapping up last year’s acclaimed series Love Me, while Taylor had branched out into directing and producing, as well as appearing in The Orville. Oh, and they’re married and just had a kid together. The pair treated audiences to insights on their craft and upcoming projects, reflected on their time on The 100, and what they get up to in their personal lives.
Below are some highlights from the panel.
If you could play any other character on The 100, who would it be?
Eliza: “I get asked this a lot and I always have a different answer, like, what is the answer today? Who do I want to play today?”
Bob: “I think Octavia had the best storyline of the series, and that would’ve been really cool.”
Eliza: “Yeah totally, it was an incredible arc from the pilot to the last episode. Her transformation was insane. I would have liked to play Harper or Monty.”
Bob: “I think you would’ve been great as Jasper. You’re fantastic at comedy and that would’ve been cool to see.”
Bob Morley as Bellamy and Eliza Taylor as Clarke in ‘The 100’. Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW
What are you fans of?
Bob: “One thing that’s consistent that we watch is Grand Designs.”
MC: “The Australian version or the one with Kevin McCloud?”
Bob & Eliza (immediately): “Kevin McCloud!”
Bob: “That’s kind of where our heads are at, building houses, nesting, that kind of stuff at the moment. But we’ve watched The Office so many times.”
Eliza: “New Girl is a big one for me, I think that if I met anyone from New Girl I would completely lose my mind.”
Favourite moments on or off-camera from the set of The 100?
Bob: “For me, one of my favourite moments, we had a scene on the beach before we go over to Luna’s oil rig, and then those guys come out and knock us out. Also, the car chase was quite-”
Eliza: “That was amazing! That was crazy!”
Bob: “That was so not in the world of The 100 to have a car chase, though the cars were super slow.”
Eliza: “They looked fast though! That was a great day.”
Bob: “I’d also like the days when we’d do speeches and stuff like that, and we’d have competing speeches.”
Eliza: “See, you loved those days. I was terrified of those days. Giving speeches is like your bread and butter, you’re so good at it, so commanding. I, however, was a nervous wreck because I’m really bad at public speaking. But delivering a speech where I’m, you know, commanding people and owning it, I was like, ‘No! Scary!’ Fake it till you make it.”
L-R: Eliza Taylor as Clarke, Lindsey Morgan as Raven, and Bob Morley as Bellamy in ‘The 100’. Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW
Eliza, how do you produce your films? What’s your process?
Eliza: “On the last couple [of films] that I did produce I was just like a sponge, I was just trying to learn everything from the other executive producers. While I’ve worked with a lot of producers over the last twenty years… I’ve never really had a grasp on what they did! Apart from put everything together. I was really fascinated with the whole process, with being a part of a project from its inception to its premiere. It was so different from just turning up on set. I’m excited to take what I’ve learnt to actually applying it as a process, but I’m not there yet.”
Bob: “I would say you’re selling yourself a bit short there. You’ve been working for twenty-odd years, there’s a lot that you bring to the table and understand through osmosis and just as the type of person you are. From what I’ve seen, you’ve definitely been more instrumental in your producing than you give yourself credit for.”
Eliza: “Aw, shucks!”
If you were trapped in a fictional universe, which one would it be?
Eliza: “Pokemans!”
Bob: “You want to be trapped in Pokemans? But there’s 400kg Bulbasaurs walking around.”
Eliza: “I know, but it’s so cool! I’m obsessed with Pokémon Go, so I’m in that world a lot anyway.”
Bob: “She’s always training.”
Eliza: “Always training! Never not training! How about you?”
Bob: “…it’s gonna be so lame but, yeah, I’ll be with you.”
Audience: “AWWW”.
Bob Morley as Bellamy and Eliza Taylor as Clarke in ‘The 100’. Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW
Were there any actors or characters that you wish you had more interactions with on The 100?
Bob: “I didn’t get to spend any time with the guys from Mount Weather. But I felt like, for the most part, we were taken through most circles.”
Eliza: “I would have liked Clarke to have more stuff with Indra. Adina [Porter] is just a powerhouse to work with, she’s so incredible at what she does, she just commands a room and you can’t take your eyes off her when she’s working. I got to do more scenes with her in the last seasons but I would have liked Clarke and Indra to have had more of a relationship.”
Out of all the characters you’ve played, who is most like you? Who do you wish you were more like?
Bob: “You guys haven’t seen this character, Nate, I’m playing yet in Limbo, but he was a really amazing character to play. There’s aspects of him that I‘ve taken with me. When we’ve spent so much time with Bellamy and Clarke, there are things that you take away from them, and you also give to them. I think the one resounding thing from The 100 and Bellamy and all the characters is this sense of resilience and determination.”
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
Eliza: “One thing that is very important to know is that you’re never fully cooked. Keep learning, I find that every time I go to a class or watch someone seasoned in the industry speak, I’m always learning and I’m always growing. Also, just go easy on yourself. It’s tough, there’s a lot of rejection. If you’re in the public eye, there’ll be a lot of nasty comments that will take you by surprise, so you have to really be kind to yourself and know that it’s not about you, it’s about them. It can be quite challenging.”
Bob: “There is no exact science as to how you get a role. There are some people who have trained for years, there are people who were discovered on a construction site. The underlying thing is that passion for it, and to continuing to learn and becoming comfortable with being vulnerable. There’s just gotta be a drive from within. Eliza’s journey to here and my journey to here have been completely different, everyone has their own path.”
Morley’s next project Limbo will air on the ABC sometime in 2023, but you can catch Love Me on Binge in the meantime. Taylor’s first forays into producing, It Only Takes a Night and I’ll Be Watching, are both in post-production so keep an eye out for a release date! Her episode of The Orville, ‘From Unknown Graves’, is on Disney+, though you may have trouble recognising her!
Lead Image: Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor on stage at Supanova 2022 – Adelaide. Photo by Maddie Purdon
