‘The Walking Dead’ Star Andrew Lincoln On Rick’s ‘Unpleasant’ Season 7 And ‘Extraordinary’ Season 8

Warning: This article may contain The Walking Dead Season 8 spoilers.

Everyone agrees that Rick Grimes had an absolutely brutal story arc in The Walking Dead Season 7. He was broken, humiliated, indecisive, and meek, while dealing with Negan for most of the season, before finally breaking out of his trance and rallying his team to fight back over the last few episodes.

In a new interview with ComicBook, Andrew Lincoln admits that it was difficult for him to play such a passive version of his character over the first half of The Walking Dead Season 7, even though it really pushed him as an actor.

“I mean, the thing that I’ve always been so thrilled about playing this role is the writers and the gang at AMC have always been very keen on pushing it in different directions and exploring different areas of who Rick Grimes is, which has been one of the great thrills,” he said.

“This has been one of the more unpleasant aspects of his psyche, this submissive version, but certainly the first eight would be not a pleasant experience but it was a great challenge. A good acting challenge. And certainly I enjoyed having a bit more bite, bit more grit in my belly, sharing scenes with Jeffrey Dean Morgan.”

Speaking of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, viewers were chomping at the bit to see Rick (or Daryl or Michonne or anybody) finally take out Negan at the end of Season 7. That didn’t happen, but Lincoln hinted that Rick isn’t going to be backing down from Negan in The Walking Dead Season 8.

“I think it’s going to be a lot more fun Season 8, pitted against him with a bit more push back,” Lincoln teased.

In a separate ComicBook interview, Lincoln also sounded pumped to begin filming The Walking Dead Season 8, which begins shooting in May.

“I’m more excited, my friend,” Lincoln gushed. “I’m more excited about this season than ever and this is not — I’m not blowing smoke up anybody — this is so real. I am ready to go. I can’t wait. It’s going to be insane this season.”

According to ComicBook, Lincoln didn’t drop any specific Walking Dead Season 8 spoilers, but he did promise that the next season will be “scary” and “extraordinary.”

The English actor also talked about the general sense of excitement surrounding the filming of The Walking Dead Season 8 premiere — which will be the show’s much-anticipated 100th episode.

“I know, you know, that we are going to have to come and bring one of the greatest episodes we’ve ever attempted, and we’re going to start the season with it. And, it will be the 100th episode, which is one of the greatest. I never thought when we started this thing seven years ago — eight years ago it will be when we air. And, I never thought that we would get to, you know — I was very happy with one season. I was very happy with the pilot. Let alone, a hundred episodes, a hundred hours more because of the extended slaves. It’s a huge milestone.”

Lincoln’s enthusiastic comments about The Walking Dead Season 8 echo the sentiments he recently shared with Entertainment Weekly.

“I can’t wait,” Lincoln said. “This is not hyperbole. This is not a cynical act to try and amp up enthusiasm for the hundredth episode in season 8, but I am genuinely more excited about this next episode and the following 15 than I’ve ever been in my life. I can’t wait to get back.”

What do you think Walking Dead fans? Will The Walking Dead Season 8 live up to the hype? More importantly, will it be better than Season 7, which was quite a downer, according to longtime fans? Let us know in the comments below.

The Walking Dead Season 8 returns to AMC this fall.

[Featured Image by AMC]