X-Men ’97’s Rogue voice actress, Lenore Zann, has shared the tragic inspiration behind her performance in Episode 5’s most heartbreaking scene.
(Spoilers follow for the fifth episode of X-Men ’97.)
The animated show’s ‘Remember It’ episode ended on a devastating note, spurred by the Mutant nation of Genosha coming under attack by a giant Sentinel.
Gambit sacrifices himself to destroy the hulking robot, a heroic act that sends his would-be lover, Rogue, into a heart-wrenching spiral. Her final words before the credits roll won’t soon be forgotten: “Sugah, I – I can’t feel you.” Said as she touched his skin bare-handed for the first time.
It’s a scene that has critics and fans convinced the X-Men revival will receive an Emmy nod. Shortly after the episode premiered, Rogue’s actress shared the personal tragedy that informed her performance.
In response to a viewer tweeting that they’ll never recover from X-Men ’97‘s Episode 5 ending, Lenore Zann reassured them that exploring where the grief comes from can help handle the pain.
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Zann then disclosed that she speaks from experience, having lost her teenage niece not long before recording ‘Remember It.’
The actress wrote, “When my 17-year-old niece Maia died shortly before I recorded Ep 5 it was like a rusty faucet started gushing water I was afraid would never stop. It did. Hang on. The story continues.”
What the rest of the season may entail remains a mystery, though it’s worth noting that the surprises and heartbreak may be far from over. Speaking to one fan on social media, now-former showrunner Beau DeMayo teased, “This was our warm-up.”
New X-Men ’97 episodes premiere every Wednesday on Disney Plus.