Margot Bingham has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, but she’s best known for her The Walking Dead character Maxxine “Max” Mercer (also known as Stephanie). The character was introduced only through her voice in season 9 but throughout The Walking Dead’s eleventh and final season, Bingham’s screen time increased, along with Max’s significance in the series. Befriending Eugene Porter over the radio, the pair became romantically involved and married each other. However, unlike Eugene, the ex-Commonwealth resident is courageous and can stand for her cause even against her own community. After coming across the Commonwealth’s corruption, Max conducted her own investigations.
Bingham’s past TV experience and natural acting charms made the plucky Max/Stephanie stand out on The Walking Dead, and hold her own against other Walking Dead characters who were long established before Max arrived on the scene. In addition to TV, Bingham has also appeared onstage, appearing in the 2011 Off-Broadway revival of Rent. The actress, singer, and songwriter also has several movie credits to her name, including Barbershop: The Cut. However, she has achieved the most success on TV, with The Walking Dead being a prime example.
Margot Bingham Got Her Start On In Between Men
Before she played Max in The Walking Dead, Bingham starred as Kendra Sharpe, a bold and straightforward publicist in the romantic dramedy series In Between Men, appearing in 13 episodes. The show can be compared to Uncoupled and Sex and the City, thanks to its focus on upscale living and fashion in New York City. Premiering in 2010, In Between Men centered around a group of four gay men and a woman exploring their everyday professional and romantic lives in the big city.
While In Between Men likely won’t receive a third season, Bingham still shone whenever she was onscreen, and her character showcased the show’s theme of “not fitting in”. The male protagonists have trouble trying to juggle between two worlds with Kendra also trying to fit in within her professional space. This theme carried over to a major storyline for Bingham’s Max Mercer, who became aware of corruption in her The Walking Dead community, the Commonwealth.
Bingham Played Jazz Singer Daughter Maitland On Boardwalk Empire
Bingham’s first claim to fame was a role in the Steve Buscemi-fronted HBO period drama Boardwalk Empire. With the story taking place during Prohibition-era America, the crime series is a decade-long saga chronicling the exploits of corrupt politician Enoch “Nucky” Johnson (Buscemi). Bingham had a recurring part in seasons 4 and 5, playing the jazz singer Daughter Maitland. Her appearance in 11 episodes proved to be a major step for her career given the critical success of the HBO original. Along with the likes of Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey, Boardwalk Empire is considered to be one of the best TV period dramas set in the 1920s.
As the Onyx Club performer Maitland, Bingham also got to put her singing skills to good use. Bingham’s musical talent is evident but unsurprising, as a pop music career under the alter ego Margot B., Bingham drew positive reviews from critics for her screen presence. She revealed in an interview with New York Daily News that even though she has been trained in 1940s-style jazz before, she had to forget everything and start fresh. As The Walking Dead alumna explained, “In the ’20s, singers had nothing to base it on. They were selling what came from their soul.“
Bingham Worked With Spike Lee on She’s Gotta Have It
Largely considered one of the best directorial debut films of all time, Spike Lee’s black-and-white comedy-drama She’s Gotta Have It established him as a significant creative voice of Hollywood back in 1986. Decades later, after directing many more acclaimed movies, Lee ventured out into streaming, directing a remake of his own film for Netflix. The TV adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It ran for two seasons with DeWanda Wise starring as the young, lively, and outspoken graphic artist Nola Darling who deals with the ups and downs of her simultaneous romantic encounters with three men. Bingham appears as Clorinda “Clo” Bradford, Nola’s close friend and an emerging art curator.
Clo is an updated character from Lee’s original She’s Gotta Have It film, and Bingham was promoted from recurring character to a series regular in season 2. Despite being ambitious and uptight, Clo is ultimately an understanding friend. Talking to Us Weekly, Bingham explained how she personally connects to the She’s Gotta Have It character: “Clorinda has a lot of imagination, a lot of drive. I’d like to think I’m a little piece of that.” The Walking Dead star also appreciated how brutally honest Clo can be with Nola adding that “that’s kind of what I always hoped for my friends.”
Bingham Had A Recurring Role On New Amsterdam
NBC’s New Amsterdam may suffer from medical drama cliches similar to Grey’s Anatomy, but it satisfied fans of the genre for five seasons. Set within the confines of America’s oldest public hospitals, the series follows an idealistic medical director who sets out to reform his mismanaged medical institution even if it makes him go against the bureaucratic forces. Ryan Eggold, who plays protagonist Dr. Max Goodwin, is joined by an ensemble that also included Bingham as Evie Garrison, New Amsterdam’s Medical Center’s Associate Director of the Legal Department. Evie was a recurring character throughout New Amsterdam‘s first three seasons, with Bingham appearing in 19 episodes.
Much like Max in The Walking Dead, Evie’s character arc also involved a long-distance relationship. But the difference is that Max got a happier ending. Evie’s partner Surgeon Floyd Reynolds might not be as likable as other New Amsterdam main characters but he was quite committed to Evie. Their relationship was tested when Evie found a better professional opportunity in San Francisco, and even though Floyd managed to relocate to be with her, other circumstances led to the conclusion of their relationship, as Floyd moved back home to care for his elderly mother.
What Bingham Will Do After The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead finally ended in 2022 after its impressive run, with Bingham’s Max heavily featuring throughout season 11, the show’s last. Given the many spin-offs The Walking Dead has spawned, Bingham can always make a guest appearance as she thankfully wasn’t one of the characters who died in the Walking Dead finale. But since the finale, she hasn’t had any new acting roles. Bingham’s IMDb profile currently lists one of her upcoming projects as the documentary Polarized on which she is credited as executive producer and co-host. Covering the widening gap between the Democrats and Republicans in various American cities, Polarized is directed by Bingham’s co-host Salome Mulugeta.