Fans will remember that in season two, Dale Horvath was disemboweled by a walker then finished off by Daryl – not the best way to go, in the grand scheme of things.
But it turns out it was actor Jeffrey DeMunn’s decision to be killed off in the show. DeMunn was outraged after executive producer Frank Darabont was fired as The Walking Dead’s showrunner in 2011, and demanded that he be killed off the show.
Speaking to Cleveland.com, the 70-year-old explains: “Dale’s death was my decision, 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 realised, ‘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.
Dale’s death originally came a lot later in the comics, so took viewers by surprise.
DeMunn worked with Darabont on many occasions over the years, including on The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, and Darabont cast the actor on The Walking Dead – so we commend his sense of loyalty.
Darabont is still locked in a legal battle with AMC, which began in 2013 after his sacking. While Dale was the first major character to be killed off the show, pretty much everyone has followed suit, including Glenn, Shane, Lori and Carl.
Pretty much everyone except Rick, basically. There are three episodes remaining in season eight, with season nine expected to premiere in late 2018.
Source: Metro
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