‘Preacher’: Ruth Negga Teases an Angrier Tulip in Season 3

Jacob Bryant
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TV

Coming back from the dead is no small thing, and Ruth Negga promises Tulip’s experience beyond the pale in the third season of Preacher has a lasting effect.

“She has some sort of epiphany about herself, and her abilities, and where her strengths lie,” Negga told FANDOM. “Anger for some people is a really good motivation. It can be a force for change, and it can be good. This anger she finds toward God is quite cleansing and strengthening for Tulip.”

The show’s sophomore season ended with Tulip being shot by Lara (Julie Ann Emery) — a member of The Grail who had tricked Tulip into a friendship. Panicked, Jesse (Dominic Cooper) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) took her to the only place they good think of — Jesse’s childhood home — with the hope that the preacher’s Gran’ma can bring Tulip back. Although it works, Negga says Tulip isn’t too keen on meeting this side of Jesse’s family.

“There are no rules with Gran’ma,” Negga said. “On behalf of Jesse, she sort of feels this outrage for his childhood. They’re not people she approves of — or feels comfortable in the presence of — but she also has to be sensitive to Jesse. They are his family.”

Negga added that Tulip has never been the kind of girl to sit down to discuss childhoods with her friends or lovers. That focus on the difficulty of opening up this season is something the actress is proud of.

“We watch so many shows and TV where everyone is super honest with each other — or discussive about each other’s mental health — and I don’t think that’s everybody’s reality,” she said. “People are not able to verbally discuss things like that no matter how close they are, or how much they care about someone. I think that’s how both Tulip and Jesse work.”

Despite her struggles to be more open with the people in her life, Negga is excited for fans to see Tulip’s growth in the new season. Especially when it comes to dealing with her anger and fear — emotions Negga says Tulip has been trying to bury and get rid of for a long time.

“She comes to terms that these things are part of living and I’m very proud of Tulip because she’s learning to live with these things,” Negga said. “Last season you saw a Tulip who was paralyzed and disabled by fear and anger, but she’s finding a way to make them conducive to progress.”

Preacher’s third season premieres June 24th at 10 pm on AMC.

Jacob Bryant
Jacob Bryant is a writer-for-hire with a penchant for the gory and caped shows. He thinks Jericho is the greatest television achievement of all-time.