‘The Walking Dead’ Cast Say Goodbye To Chandler Riggs

The Walking Dead said goodbye to Carl Grimes Sunday night, the longtime survivor meeting his end inside the scorched walls of the Alexandria church.

Actor Chandler Riggs, who told ComicBook.com he’s okay with his exit from the show and will use the opportunity to pursue a music career, was sent off with a touching episode helmed by series veteran Greg Nicotero.

“Listen, every single character death is different, every nuance and every moment,” Nicotero told ComicBook.com.

“But when you’re dealing with someone like Chandler who’s been on the show from the beginning, from literally the end of the first episode, it was rough. I mean aside from one of our original cast members going, I think the idea that it was someone that we grew up with. He was eight years old or nine years old when we first started the show. He was a little kid. So it was pretty intense.”

“I mean, it’s never easy, I’ll tell you,” he added. “It’s never easy saying goodbye to people on the show.”

Saying goodbye is exactly what The Walking Dead‘s stars had to do, as they have so often before.

But this one was different. The cast had to send off someone who they watched grow up on and off screen — someone who many had pegged to be the last man standing — and the tight-knit cast mates said farewell to Riggs with personalized videos, tweets, Instagram posts and songs.

Andrew Lincoln

Walking Dead leading man Andrew Lincoln paid tribute to his onscreen son with a farewell song, in the style of Camila Cabello’s “Havana.” 

Lincoln told ComicBook.com news of Carl’s future doom left him speechless. 

“This was the hardest,” Lincoln said. “The thought of the journey without Steven [Yeun] in the cast was unbearable but this is… I didn’t see it coming.” 

“I’m trying to figure out how he moves on from here,” Lincoln said of Rick in Carl’s Farewell.

Now that Rick doesn’t have his son anymore, Lincoln said, he’s “lost everything.”

“I think he will come back and he will be willing to lose every part of himself to wreak vengeance on this.”

Danai Gurira and Norman Reedus

“He started off almost like an old soul. He knew what he was doing, he knew what it all meant, he knew what it was all about from the beginning, and watching him grow into a leading man has been a real joy,” Daryl actor Norman Reedus said of Riggs in a segment aired on Sunday’s live after show Talking Dead. 

Reedus previously told EW Carl’s death and Riggs’ exit left him “desperately unhappy.” 

“I’ve seen Chandler grow up from a little boy. I’ve known that kid so long, and it always hurts when you lose a family member on the show,” Reedus said. “Chandler is definitely a family member to me. I was not happy about it. I always thought Chandler would be the last man standing, to be honest.”

Actress Danai Gurira, who plays the mother-like Michonne, summed up her reaction to Riggs’ departure with one word: devastation. 

“I was in so much devastation about the storyline, because it really was something I could not process,” Gurira said in the Carl’s Farewell to The Walking Dead Family featurette. “For me, Michonne grew as a character through Chandler and my interaction on screen, that’s how her heart opened, through Carl.”

Gurira previously admitted to HuffingtonPost the death left her “a little depressed for a while.” 

“You’re in the story. You’re in it, and you’re also in a family. It was hard,” Gurira said.

“So, yeah, I was devastated. Michonne was devastated.”

Katelyn Nacon and Lauren Cohan

“We always had school to do so we always knew the pain of being in AP classes and filming on this show, there was just a lot I could relate to with him,” Enid actress Katelyn Nacon told Talking Dead. “He was always really kind and always had a good head on his shoulders.” 

Nacon aimed a personalized video at Riggs on social media, saying it was “weird” to be saying goodbye. 

“I never really thought I would be making a video like this. It’s been a lot of fun working together, getting to know you, you’ve helped me out so much through this experience and it’s going to be very different without you on set and even off set,” Nacon said.

“But yeah, I just wanted to kind of say thank you. And I know you’re only gonna do bigger and better things from here, so I just wish you the best of luck, even though you don’t really need it. But yeah, good luck. Bye bud.”

Actress Lauren Cohan, who has been with the series since season 2 in 2011, bid farewell to Riggs on Talking Dead. 

“I always just think of Chandler as this sound, caring person, who you can get honest advice from,” Cohan said. “And he’s a beautiful, compassionate, spiritual person.” 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is mourning the kid — and the pivotal comic book moments that will never make it to screen. 

“Honestly… a huge reason I wanted so badly to join this band of misfits… was because I was such a fan of the Negan Carl relationship in the comics,” Morgan wrote in an Instagram post made in tribute of Riggs’ time with the show, adding he will “forever be disappointed” the television show just “scratched the surface of what could have been” with the Carl and Negan relationship. 

“You, my friend, are an incredible young man. Well before joining this cast I was a fan… a fan that loved watching you grow up in front of a camera,” Morgan wrote.

“You’ve grown into an amazing young man as well as a powerful actor,” Morgan added. “The world is your oyster Riggs. We all get to sit back and watch you kill it. So.. know you are missed on the show… but know you have a big ole group of family all here for you if needed… and eagerly awaiting whatever comes next.” 

 

Alanna Masterson, Melissa McBride and Josh McDermitt

He’s like my little brother and we talk about music, and I’ve just seen him grow into this awesome man,” Tara actress Alanna Masterson told Talking Dead. “I’m really gonna miss him.” 

“I’m certain I’ve never felt such a mix of surreal and real at the same time,” Carol actress Melissa McBride wrote on Twitter, attaching a personal photo of Riggs and Lincoln. “Oh, the heart. Beautiful and heartbreaking.”

“One of my favorite memories of working with Chandler was during season 2, and Chandler and I were sitting on these big rocks,” McBride recalled on Talking Dead. “I took some pictures of him, he asked if he could take my picture, and we just took portraits of each other. And it was kind of fun and turned out Chandler took one of my favorite portraits I’ve ever had taken.” 

Eugene actor Josh McDermitt offered his own goodbye on Talking Dead, directed at Riggs, the couch’s guest of honor. “Dude, I think we’re all really jealous that you have your whole life ahead of you and you’ve already put in more time on a television series than any of us have,” McDermitt said.

“We love you and please return my texts.” 

 

 

Lennie James and Ross Marquand

“One of the best things about Mr. Chandler Riggs is the young man that he is, and it’s a real testament to the people who have brought him up,” Morgan actor Lennie James said on Talking Dead. “And a large chunk of that bringing up of Chandler Riggs was this show.” 

James, who has also since left The Walking Dead to take part in Fear The Walking Dead‘s fourth season, sent Riggs a video message over the weekend, calling Riggs “an incredible young man” and “an amazing actor.” 

“I’m really excited for you, actually,” James said. “I’m sad, because we’ve both left now, so I’m sad about that. But I’m really excited for you, because you’ve got a hell of a career in front of you.”

“Lots of love to this incredible young man,” wrote Aaron actor Ross Marquand on Instagram. “Can’t wait to see the next stage of your journey!”

Michael Cudlitz and Peter Luis Zimmerman

“Soar my friend,” wrote Walking Dead alum Michael Cudlitz in a tweet aimed at Riggs. “SOAR!!”

“Thank you Chandler Riggs,” tweeted Peter Luis Zimmerman, who plays the Hilltop Colony’s Eduardo. 

Michael Traynor and Major Dodson

Other Walking Dead alumni, including Michael Traynor and Major Dodson, took the opportunity to bid farewell to Riggs. 

Riggs wrote his own goodbye aimed at fans on social media, writing “it was always for the fans, and always will be.” 

Co-executive producer Denise Huth, speaking in Carl’s Farewell, said the actor has a bright future ahead. 

“He started this when he was 10, he ended when he was 18,” Huth said. “He spent almost half of his life on television, and not only on television, but on a giant television show. For the first time since he was 10 years old he gets to do whatever he wants.”

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.