Chandler Riggs On Emotional Goodbye To 'The Walking Dead'

For nearly half of his life, Chandler Riggs has been playing Carl on The Walking Dead. Saying goodbye to the series and its cast was no easy feat.

"It was obviously really emotional with all of the cast and all the crew, because I've had such an awesome experience working on the show for eight years," Riggs told EW. "And it's definitely been such an awesome ride and I'm super, super happy to have had this opportunity. And though it was a sad time on the set, it helps that they had such a positive outlook on it because of how bittersweet it was, for me, because it was just quite the shock to hear the news."

Riggs and his family have previously shared a mixed bag of emotions regarding the news but, months removed from it now, the actor seems to be at peace with his goodbye to Carl. "It was a weird kind of goodbye in that I now get to do all these other things and have so many more opportunities, but it was also kind of bitter because I have worked with these people for so long," Riggs said. "And it's really a family atmosphere."

The strangest part of not being a part of it all, anymore? The disconnection from the continued narrative, according to the young actor. "It's so weird not knowing what's happening while they're all down there," Riggs said. "But I still get to see a lot of the actors at conventions, so it's not really a final farewell. I'm still going to see them every few weeks and get to catch up and hang out. It's definitely weird not being a part of it. But it's really cool knowing that my character still has a legacy that was left behind. Carl wasn't being forgotten. He might be gone, but he's leaving behind something that's going to last for a long time."

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.