Matthew Lillard almost played Negan on The Walking Dead
By Ariba Bhuvad
The Walking Dead’s infamous bat-wielding villain, Negan, could have been played by someone very, very different. Instead of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, there was the slight possibility that we would be looking at Scream’s Matthew Lillard instead. Crazy, right?
Honestly, I can’t even fathom it being anyone else than Morgan, but let’s go down this alternate reality wormhole anyway. According to Fanfest.com, Lillard shared an interesting tidbit during the Scream panel at Walker Stalker Con in Atlanta. “Did you know for less than five minutes I was cast as Negan?” he asked. “So I got a call. They said they want you to audition for The Walking Dead. It’s a big part. I’m like ‘okay cool.’ I didn’t watch the show, sorry. So I went in to audition and they loved it. They were like wow they really loved it you’re in the running for this part. I’m like oh that’s great. It usually means it’s going to somebody else.”
"And they were like, ‘hey they want you to come back and do it again. They don’t want you to be as funny, they want you to be a little more dramatic.’ I was like, ‘okay.’ So I went back in and did it again. And they were in Atlanta and I was working and doing the audition in LA. So they were like it’s between you and another guy and they want you to come in one more time. And they want you to come in one more time and they want to see if you can do both of them at the same time. Funny and dramatic."
Obviously, Lillard didn’t land the role, which happens. Just imagine a world where Shaggy from Scooby-Doo beat Glenn to death with a baseball bat…
No offense to Lillard, but I’m team Morgan all the way! Lillard just seems too goofy and silly for the role. Even as a murderer in Scream he was cracking wise, so I think The Walking Dead casting directors made the right call here.
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Clearly, Lillard is still dealing with the rejection. “Every time I see that G— Negan shirt I just want to say $*#& you!” he joked. “So I want you to know if you walk by him spit on him.”
Next. Jean Smart had never heard of Watchmen before being cast as Agent Blake. dark
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