Jon Bernthal Reveals If He Would Return To The Walking Dead

Jon Bernthal, who famously played Shane Walsh on The Walking Dead, has moved on since leaving the show to appear in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Fury. With his star rising, would he ever consider returning to The Walking Dead, likely in a flashback sequence?

Nerdist posed the question to Bernthal, who said he'd consider it, but it would have to be for something more significant than a cameo or an Easter egg:

It's a good question… I love the people, I love the actors on that show. I love the people who make that show. They're all very near and dear to my heart, and I'm just extraordinarily grateful to have been a part of that. I'm also extraordinarily grateful to be where I am now. I love that I get the opportunity and I love that I got killed off. Had you asked me that a few years ago, I don't know that I'd say that. But now I'm just so grateful that I get to work with all these great artists and great filmmakers. So I think it's two answers. I think it's yes, everything has been said about Shane — and I love everything that's been said about Shane, but yeah, if they find something more to say about him that would add to the resonance that he has for Rick and the group, I would be down. I wouldn't want to do it just because. I wouldn't want to do it unless it served the overall story. And I wouldn't want to do it just because people want to see a little more Shane.

Even so, Bernthal goes on to say that he's happy with the direction his career is currently heading in, and he's not exactly sitting at home pining over the idea.

But that being said, I think the writers and producers of The Walking Dead… Scott Gimple is an incredibly talented guy, and I think that's the only way he would do it. If they wanted to do it and it worked out I think it would be cool. But I am by no means waiting by the phone for that one. [Laughs.] I'm really happy doing what I'm doing.

The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC.