After Riverdale wrapped in 2023, Vanessa Morgan had to let go of Toni Topaz, the Southside Serpent she had played for seven seasons. Not long after saying goodbye to the cast and crew, she embarked on another series, this time as the lead. In the CBC and The CW’s procedural Wild Cards, she is Max, a spirited con woman who teams with by-the-book cop Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) to solve cases in exchange for her freedom. 

Throughout Season 1, Max put on multiple disguises and used her trickery skills to not only help Ellis earn his detective post back, but also allow her to walk away handcuff-free. Although they bonded while on the field and even developed feelings for each other, the season closer proved that Max was scheming behind Ellis’ back all along. 

After scoring an 100% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, the series was renewed for a Season 2, premiering on January 8. In the latest batch of episodes, Morgan’s character has a lot to prove in order to regain Ellis’ trust. After finding a clue as to who might’ve killed his brother, Max gives up millions in con money by returning to the Metro Police headquarters. As she gets reassigned to work with Ellis in exchange for lowering her father’s prison sentence, the protagonist is ready to do whatever it takes to get back on good terms with her partner on the job.

Ahead of Season 2’s release, we chatted with Morgan about heading back to set only five weeks after giving birth, as well as where Max and Ellis’ relationship is headed in the latest batch of episodes. The actress also spoke about her transition from Riverdale to Wild Cards, and which co-star from the teen drama she would like to guest star in the CBC series. 

You’ve played a wide range of characters throughout your career, from a vampire in My Babysitter’s a Vampire to a Southside Serpent in Riverdale. When you found out about Wild Cards, what drew you to playing Max considering your previous roles?

It was so much fun to play Max compared to my previous roles. Max is obviously a leading character. She’s a con artist, but she knows how to read people. There’s so much depth to her and she is such an intelligent character. To be able to con people successfully, you’ve got to be a little bit of a genius. She always believes everything is working out for her and I just love that about my character.


You worked on Riverdale for seven seasons before jumping into Wild Cards, so what was the biggest challenge you faced closing that chapter of your career and joining a procedural?

Missing the family of Riverdale was the hardest part for me and missing playing Toni. It was weird because I was so used to playing her. I was ready to move on, but I felt like I was Toni at the same time. That was the hardest part; letting go of another character. But then it was so exciting to be able to embark on a new one and Max is just so fun. I was blessed to have such an easy and quick transition where I didn’t have to go through the “I miss it and I’m not working.” After three weeks I was already going into prep. 

Throughout Season 1, your character went from being a con artist on probation to being very hands-on when it came to the criminal investigations, earning her freedom. Yet, the finale showed she hasn’t let go of her old habits. How did the Season 1 closer set up Max’s arc for the upcoming season?

One thing is that we found out potentially who Daniel’s (Ellis’ brother) killer is, so she is literally taking a risk coming back. Obviously, she cares about Ellis. She could have been off on a plane, so it shows that she cares for this guy and that those are genuine feelings. It sets up that we’re going to really dive into Daniel’s murder.

Let’s talk a little bit about shooting this season. You gave birth to your second child just a few weeks before going back to filming. What was that like? To play Max while also caring for a newborn?

Oh my gosh, it was so hard. There’s no sugarcoating it. It was very difficult. I had an emergency C-section, so I was trying to do pain management while I was filming and remember lines postpartum. I’m so grateful that I had so much help.

I didn’t feel like I fully recovered but as soon as I felt better again, it was so much easier to act through and play Max. I’m really grateful for the Wild Cards team, because they were really supportive from day one. Telling them I’m pregnant and taking care of me afterwards. I felt like it was a great family to me. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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It is lovely to hear that you had that support. Talking a little bit about the connection that you have with the cast, I would like to focus on your relationship with Giacomo. I feel like the both of you have such an incredible onscreen partnership. How has it been for you two to work together and ensure that your characters have chemistry?

Obviously, outside of the set we don’t have much time to socialize. We live in different cities. He lives in LA and I live in Canada. But as I’ve told everybody, we are just so grateful that we get along. We have great chemistry. It’s just a blessing and a gift as an actor to have a co-star who you work with every single day, all hours of the day, that you’re genuinely great friends. He’s one of my best friends. From the beginning, we just got along and you can’t really ask for anything more as an actor, because it would really suck if we didn’t get along. 

The finale showed that Max and Ellis are now not as close as they were before. What can you tease about the characters’ relationship in Season 2?

I can tease that Max is going to do everything to try to get back in Ellis’ good books, which might be really frustrating for her, but she has a way with her words and her actions. Her goal is to make him trust her again and show that she was genuine with him.

Max is so nuanced and full of surprises. Every episode, we learn something new about her, and she adapts to the different cases she is trying to solve. Was there a particular moment that stood out to you about her con act?

Max is just really confident when she plays these characters. My favourite one to play was Darlene in Season 2, Episode 2. Whenever Max is doing a character, she just goes all in. She’s kind of winging it, which makes sense for her. She’s like, “I’m just going to commit and it’s going to work out.”

Max’s father is still in prison, and he notices that his daughter had a bit of a change of heart. She’s still a con woman, but her closeness to Ellis is somewhat shifting her morale a bit. How is Max and her father’s relationship like in Season 2?

They’re only getting closer. She’s trying to get him out of prison. That clock is still coming down and it looks like it’s working out for her. You’re going to see that closeness and that bond between them. I love Jason Priestley. He’s great and he plays George so well. They’re a great father-daughter duo.

The cool part of a procedural is that there is always an opportunity for a guest appearance. If you could pick one co-star from Riverdale to come in for an episode, who would it be?

I mean, I love all of my Riverdale cast. Anyone would be amazing, but obviously, Madelaine (Petsch), who played my girlfriend on Riverdale. That would be just so much fun for us and I would love that.

The Wild Cards Season 2 premiere will air on January 8 at 8 p.m. on CBC and can be streamed anytime on CBC Gem. New episodes premiere every Wednesday. The complete first season is currently available to watch on CBC Gem.