The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln Wants To Be In A Star Wars Movie

The Walking Dead leading man Andrew Lincoln, who plays Sheriff Deputy turned zombie slayer Rick Grimes on AMC’s long running hit series, says he’s always wanted to be a part of Star Wars. Appearing on The Walking Dead after show Talking Dead, Lincoln was asked by host Chris Hardwick what life would have been like had he not taken the role of Rick Grimes:

“I may have been a cheese maker. Or a pig farmer,” Lincoln joked, before citing former co-star David Morrissey, who played lead antagonist the Governor in seasons 3 and 4. “But Dave Morrissey and I… we used to sort of joke that we were the only actors in British Equity that hadn’t been in the Harry Potter franchise, so maybe I would have been wizarding about Hogwarts or hobbit-ing about Middle Earth, and I always fancied the idea of getting my hands around a lightsaber.”

Lincoln has served as The Walking Dead‘s leading man since the October 2010 pilot, which would give rise to what is now a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most successful television shows of all time. Lincoln, who was best known for his role as Mark in the romantic comedy Love Actually before becoming synonymous with Rick Grimes since starring in the zombie drama, has little time for projects outside The Walking Dead these days: he’s only appeared in three unrelated productions since 2010, excluding lending his voice to “Rick Grimes” in the recent animated Robot Chicken Walking Dead special.

It’s unlikely Lincoln will be leaving the rotting world of The Walking Dead anytime soon, despite series creator Robert Kirkman saying the zombie tale can and will continue even without Rick Grimes. “I’ve said before, Rick does not survive to the end,” Kirkman said at San Diego Comic Con 2017. “It was years ago so you guys probably forgot, but I foresee there being more story after his eventual demise.”

Lincoln himself said the show could “absolutely” change hands and pass the protagonist role down to Rick’s son, Carl (Chandler Riggs), with The Walking Dead becoming Carl’s story instead of Rick’s. If (or when) Rick dies, Lincoln is at least open to it, saying: “There comes a point where there are too many gray hairs on your chin. I think the audience deserves an end game. It’s a lot of time to invest in a story without some kind of resolution.”

With Disney and Lucasfilm aiming for a Star Wars blockbuster almost every year for the foreseeable future, who knows — Lincoln might someday get to trade in his red-handle machete for a lightsaber.