A ‘Walking Dead’ Actor Reveals That He Insisted He Be Killed Off The Show: ‘I Was Furious’

There are few certainties when it comes to AMC’s zombie-thriller The Walking Dead. Glenn? Gone. Carl? Deceased. The lesson, as always, is that zombies are unpredictable.

Despite earning a passionate fanbase since its 2010 premiere, the series has cycled through its fair share of showrunners. The show started with Frank Darabont at the helm before Glen Mazzara and eventually Scott Gimple took over (Angela Kang will take the reins next season). Even for a show with such a high body count, that’s a lot of turnover.

Turns out that one of those high-profile changes resulted in one of the original cast members asking to be killed off the show.

During a recent interview with Cleveland.com, original Walking Dead survivor and current Billions star Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale) opened up about how his longtime relationship with original showrunner Frank Darabont — the two worked together on The Blob, Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile — led to him quitting the series.

“Dale’s death was my decision,” the actor said. “I was furious about how Frank was pushed out of the show. I spent a week not being able to take a full breath. And then I realized, ‘Oh, I can quit.’ So I called them and said, ‘It’s a zombie show. Kill me. I don’t want to do this anymore.’ It was an immense relief to me.”

RIP, Dale. We’ll always remember your pragmatism. And your hat. Mostly your hat.

(h/t UPROXX)

Where to stream The Walking Dead