Andrew Lincoln's simple request for fans for Rick Grimes' death scene in season 9 of 'The Walking Dead'
The impending exit of Andrew Lincoln from AMC's 'The Walking Dead' following the conclusion of the season 9 has left the fans in disarray, with many now unsure what direction the show will follow after his departure. Lincoln's Rick Grimes served as the primary protagonist of the post-apocalyptic horror series since its conception and premiere in 2010, with the actor announcing that he would leave once the production for the upcoming season wrapped up.
While the news is undoubtedly dreadful for the fans, they can solace in possibly knowing how Rick will bid goodbye. In an interview with EW in 2014, Lincoln had revealed how he would like to die in the show, suggesting that he would like "a kid to take him out."
He said, "It’s funny because I was in the car yesterday, and I texted Scott Gimple [the showrunner] and I said, ‘Promise me, when I die, on the credits sequence, you play Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt.' And he just said, ‘I can’t make that promise obviously.’ So when I die, please print it in your magazine so that the fans will know to play it, even if we can’t. Even if Scott Gimple decides not to, please everybody play Hurt."
Lincoln had previously expressed his desire to see a fitting end to Rick Grimes' character arc, telling Comicbook.com, "There's part of me that really wants to complete something. How long that takes? I don't know but certainly, I really think the fans and my character deserves an endpoint as some time in the future."
It is currently unclear whether Lincoln is departing for personal reasons or whether it's an indication of a new creative direction for the show, though there are supporting arguments for both. The actor has, in the past, expressed how he would like to be closer to his family in the UK and was tired of the grueling shooting schedules. That, in combination with the death of his son, Carl (Chandler Riggs) on the show, arguably played its part in his exit.
"I think that when we got the news that Carl was dying on the show, it certainly for me, it felt like very much a bookend of a much bigger journey that began in the hospital," he said. "Searching for his wife and his son were the two engines that kept this man alive at the beginning of the show eight years. To lose the second engine that fueled him, at this point, certainly did feel, to me personally, not just the end of a chapter but a book, really."
'The Walking Dead' has seen itself go through quite a makeover and a reshuffle in the past few months. Gimple vacated his role for a new position as Chief Content Officer for both 'The Walking Dead' and 'Fear the Walking Dead,' with Angela Kang tasked with taking over the reins for the popular AMC show.
Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Greene, has also confirmed her exit/reduced role, with Danai Gurira, who has portrayed the katana-wielding Michonne since season 3, also entering the final year of her contract. Lincoln's departure will most likely mean that another fan favorite, Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon, will now take over the mantle of leading character in the show. AMC has reportedly offered the actor a $20 million contract for season nine, which would make him one of the highest paid actors in the industry.
'The Walking Dead' will return for Lincoln's last season this fall, and if the actor has his wish, expect millions around the country to raise their phones with Cash's 'Hurt' playing in tribute.