The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln Revealed The Absolute Worst Season To Film
"The Walking Dead" is by no means easy to film. It's mostly out in the wild (often in the Georgia summer heat, no less), and given the fraught and often gruesome subject matter, it's also physically and mentally taxing. At least one cast member, Ryan Hurst, who played the Whisperers' Beta, was sent to the hospital for heat exhaustion in 2019 (via Entertainment Weekly).
Andrew Lincoln, who famously played Rick Grimes for 120 episodes before departing the series, knows this as well as anyone. Naturally, he has some seasons he's enjoyed more than others, although this has less to do with the physical demands of "The Walking Dead" and more to do with the toll it takes on his behind-the-scenes friendships. It's not surprising that cast members become close while filming over the course of several seasons, and understandably, when another actor arrived with whom Lincoln had a longer rapport, it was a bit disheartening for his more recent friendships.
The season when Negan arrived was Andrew Lincoln's least favorite
Andrew Lincoln revealed his least favorite season to film while playing "First, Best, Last, Worst" with The Hollywood Reporter. "When Negan arrived and paraded little puppy dog Norman, puppy dog Reedus, around in my face and I was sort of looking at him longingly, weeping for my bromance," he shared.
Although we first meet Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the leader of the Saviors, in the Season 6 finale, the first full Negan season is Season 7, so we're guessing that's the one Lincoln is referring to. He and Reedus, who plays the crossbow-wielding fan favorite Daryl, had become close friends since the start of "The Walking Dead," and Reedus was open about missing his "BFF" after Lincoln's departure (via The Hollywood Reporter).
That said, Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have also become close. Morgan described their own bromance to ABC News in 2016. "I spend a lot of time with Norman," he said. "Not only do we live next to each other in Georgia, but we both have this big affinity toward motorcycles." The two ride together so often, in fact, that Morgan has even guested on four episodes of AMC's "Ride with Norman Reedus." It makes sense, then, that Lincoln would feel a bit displaced.
Morgan has a lot of affection for Lincoln too
Given Andrew Lincoln's quasi-displacement as Norman Reedus' BFF and the hostile dynamic between Negan and Rick Grimes, it would be easy to imagine that Lincoln and Jeffrey Dean Morgan do not get along. You would be wrong to think that, though. In the same interview with ABC News, Morgan described how thoughtful he tried to be toward Lincoln when he arrived on "The Walking Dead."
"For Andy, he's worked six years in creating this character that was in control and kind of this balls out guy – the manliest of men," Morgan said. "And to have his character kind of ripped out from under him, I know it's been hard for him. I know he gets frustrated with it."
Morgan also said that while he tried to use that frustration to give a better performance, he also took the opportunity to show his appreciation for Lincoln at the end of the day. "I give him a huge hug, I love him. He's the No. 1 on the show. And he is truly the leader of this band of folks that is such an incredible family. And it all stems from him." Lincoln even made a surprise appearance on "Ride" to go dirt biking and engage in some good old-fashioned male bonding with Reedus and Morgan.
Meanwhile, since Rick's disappearance, Negan has gone from Big Bad to complicated antihero and a fan favorite. He's even earned his freedom after being imprisoned by the Alexandria survivors — not that this will necessarily stop his wicked side from returning on "Dead City."