Yahoo News Walking Dead star responds to Dead City's throwback Negan scene
Spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 2 'Who's There?' follow.
The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared his first reaction to Negan going back to his gruesome roots in Dead City.
Episode 2 of the New York City-set spin-off saw Morgan's redeemed antihero return to his old ways during a brawl, with his performance including both a 'knock knock' joke and violent gore.
"Oh, thank God," Morgan recalled saying when he first read the script (via Entertainment Weekly).
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"I've been saying for years, 'Look, Negan's still in there.' The Negan that you love to hate is still in this guy. No matter what we try to do in a redemptive way with this character, Negan is Negan," he added.
"That opportunity to do that again and bring out the showman and the guy that is not afraid to throw blood around was a joy for me as an actor."
The actor was thrilled with the opportunity to bring Negan's nasty side to light again – saying he was pleased both about being able to have some fun with the scenes as a performer and also by fan reaction at a Tribeca preview screening.
Things just are a little more complicated than when Negan wielded his barbed wire-covered baseball bat back in his Walking Dead days.
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Determined to prove that he's a changed man to Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Negan feels ashamed when he realises she's seen his violent showdown in full.
"She saw the Negan come out that he has been keeping at bay for years, and he never wanted her to see it again — probably for a lot of reasons," Morgan explained.
"I think he genuinely has been trying to change, especially when he was with our group."
But Morgan is convinced that his character actually believes to be in a different place.
"Negan, to Negan, is not a bad guy," he said. "He just happens to be someone who knows how to be effective. And his way of being effective and making change is bringing out that showman."
Dead City airs on Sunday nights on AMC in the US, with a UK release date is yet to be announced. The Walking Dead aired on AMC in the US and STAR on Disney+ in the UK.
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