Chandler Riggs Opens up About Andrew Lincoln Leaving 'The Walking Dead'

Chandler Riggs was among the last to find out Andrew Lincoln’s exit from The Walking Dead was [...]

By Brandon Davis

Chandler Riggs was among the last to find out Andrew Lincoln's exit from The Walking Dead was officially happening but may have actually known long before anyone else.

While Riggs exited the AMC show and his Carl Grimes role in its eighth season, he does keep in touch with the actors whom he grew quite close to during his eight-year tenure. During a panel at Walker Stalker Con in Orlando, Florida, Riggs was asked about Lincoln's departure from Rick Grimes, where he spoke quite candidly on the subject.

"I don't want to speak on behalf of Andy, but I think Andy leaving was more of his choice because he had to leave his family for seven months," Riggs said, as opposed to the network's choice of killing Carl. "He had to leave his family for seven months at a time. Having to leave and go to work. He would come over to the states and film for that long, every single year for nine years straight. It's just insane. There were times where I was going to school while I was on the show and there were times where I just was like 'Why am I even here? This is so pointless!'"

"If Andy can leave his family every single year and come to do this show and be that dedicated to his work then I can spend a few hours at school every day. I always looked up to him. He was such an inspiring person to me, and I'm sure he was to you guys as well. But to hear them, to hear that he was leaving. It didn't really surprise me," Riggs added.

However, the way Riggs found out might have been a bit of a surprise. Like most others here, Riggs read about Lincoln's exit from The Walking Dead online. "But we had talked about it about a year before," Riggs noted. "About him, what he wanted to do with his future. And it didn't really involve the show."

Below is video from Riggs' panel at the Orlando event, discussing Lincoln's departure.

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the back half of its fourth season on Aug. 12th at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7th. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!

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