The season 3 premiere of The Walking Dead had its fair share of gruesome moments – from multiple zombie deaths to Herschel’s lost leg – and it might be a little too much for Andrew Lincoln to handle.
As the character who took responsibility for chopping off Herschel’s leg, Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes sees a lot of bloodshed. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lincoln shared that this season really got to him.
While talking about the scene with Herschel’s leg, Lincoln says, “It was one of the most shocking things I have ever had to do. That night I couldn’t sleep. After work, I just got in my car and couldn’t fall asleep until 3 in the morning.”
We can’t blame him. It was a pretty gory scene. Was it too much for Lincoln?
He seems to be shocked at the level of grisly moments the cast has to face this season, and it’s not just with Lincoln’s character.
“This season has pushed me – pushed all of us – to the brink.”
Laurie Holden, who plays Andrea, hasn’t had as big of a role yet this season, but her character continues to evolve. It seems like the first two seasons were too much for her, but now she’s starting to come into her own.
“I love the writing of this series. [Andrea] has gone from this suicidal woman and this sad, mess of a woman to evolving into a more empathetic leader. It just keeps going, her journey.”
By being stuck in Woodbury with the Governor later this season, we can only assume she’ll see some bloodshed as well.
Daryl Dixon actor Norman Reedus shares that the struggles of the characters often match the struggles of the cast. It’s not always easy filming for The Walking Dead.
“It’s actually a part of our show. You’re out there. It’s 120 degrees. You’re sweating. You’re scratched up. There’s bugs. I don’t think we could shoot it in Burbank. You know what I mean? It actually works for us as characters.”
It seems like the reality of the filming helps the actors get into character and create a better show overall for us. We can definitely expect to see a lot more of the grueling aspects of the show later this season.