Everyone with a cable subscription and an internet connection knows that Andrew Lincoln, who plays leader Rick Grimes on AMC’s zombie series The Walking Dead, is leaving the show at some point in its upcoming ninth season. What fans of the show may not realize, however, is that the actor almost made plans to leave the program much earlier. According to a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lincoln revealed that he and a Walking Dead producer discussed the possibility many years back, during the production of season four.
“I had a conversation during season 4 with Scott Gimple,” Lincoln recalled:
“You know, we shared young families and there was a lot of synchronicity between the two of us that were two heads of a show that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. We spoke about it and said, ‘There’s got to be a shape. We need a shape to work out if we get to season 5 then maybe we’ve got a couple more.’ There were all these ifs and buts and strategies. And I said, eight sounds like a good number.’ Eight seasons was certainly something. Last season was a shape that I had in my head and it was certainly something that Scott was possibly thinking about as well that was a completion of a certain chapter which could be called Rick’s falling.”
As for Lincoln, Gimple and company’s decision to keep Rick around for a chunk of the new season, the actor said things “got more complicated.” And it perhaps a friendly bit of trolling, he went on to explain the decision in terms of preparing for a “funeral,” albeit a metaphorical one:
“I realized that rather than have the funeral, I had to prepare for the funeral and I had to make sure everybody was comfortable with the funeral arrangements. And I don’t think I was ready for the funeral! You know what I mean? I was like, I don’t think I’m ready to go yet!”
He’s just being metaphorical about this whole “funeral” thing, right? Guys?
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
