Details of Andrew Lincoln's final scene with The Walking Dead have been revealed.
The actor shot his last sequences as Rick Grimes on June 26, 2018, before heading back to the United Kingdom and calling it quits with the AMC zombie show. The date corresponds with production of the fifth episode of Season Nine. Entertainment Weekly was on hand for the last day of shooting, publishing the details on Tuesday.
"The star of one of the biggest series in cable-TV history is on the Senoia, Georgia, set of The Walking Dead for his very last day of filming as Rick Grimes," the EW report reads. "As cameras line up for a scene in which Rick will walk through a pile of bodies — many nameless to Walking Deadfans; some, not so nameless — the man who has been No. 1 on the call sheet for nine seasons paces in the corner of the room. Then he squats. Then he sits. Then he lies down. Then he’s up again. It’s a routine to which his castmates have become well accustomed: stand, pace, squat, sit, lie down, roll over, rinse, repeat.
"As he works his way through the regimen, Lincoln also intermittently croons the lyrics to Annie Lennox’s 'No More ‘I Love You’s’ ' playing on his iPhone earbuds. 'I used to have demons in my room at night,' he bellows in a voice that probably could wake the dead. 'Desire, despair, desire. Sooooooooooooo many monsters.'"
From there, Lincoln exchanged several hugs with his co-stars, including Daryl Dixon actor Norman Reedus and Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan. As seen during ComicBook.com's San Diego Comic Con interview, Morgan and Lincoln are quite good mates off of the show's set, despite being at each other's throats in the fictional world.
"Observers on set have seen variations of this before," EW's report goes on. "Ever the perfectionist, Lincoln will do whatever it takes to get in the right frame of mind for a scene, including verbally—and sometimes physically— punishing himself right before a take. (Later that day he will literally pull down the roof of a set right on top of himself while filming.) But they haven’t seen what happens next: a quiet vulnerability as the magnitude of the moment hits the actor square in the face. 'I’m scared, man,' Lincoln whimpers. 'I’m nervous. F—. It’s over, man. This is it. It’s over.'"
After this scene was shot, Lincoln's final efforts involved laying down and offering a grin, as Reedus revealed to ComicBook.com on Thurday's episode of ComicBook NOW. Then, of course, it is time for the infamous farewell dinner.
"A table of treats, including a cake shaped like Rick Grimes’ iconic cowboy boots and a giant skeleton arm holding a heart with a note that reads 'With Love, Your AMC Family,' sits in the middle of the Walking Dead cafeteria as cast and crew dine on chicken, salmon, and avocado mousse," EW reports.
Lincoln rose up about the cast and crew to offer a message of gratitude: “I just want to say I’ve had so much fun on this episode,” Lincoln said. “It’s the most fun I’ve had since the very first one. There is not enough time left on the planet to thank all of you. I love you. Thank you so much for your blood, sweat, and tears.”
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBDon Twitter
