‘The Walking Dead’: Norman Reedus on Jon Bernthal’s Return

One way or another, Jon Bernthal is reprising his role as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead‘s ninth season but it didn’t phase Daryl Dixon actor Norman Reedus much, at all.

“You know I see Jon all of the time already,” Reedus told ComicBook.com with a laugh. “So, to me I was just like, ‘Hey a–hole, welcome back!’” However, for the rest of the crew behind the AMC show which doesn’t travel with Walker Stalker Con events around the country, seeing Bernthal again is more of a rarity.

“To the crew it was really good for them, you know?” Reedus said. “I mean we have so much of our crew from the beginning that are still there, you know, which is kind of unheard of. And you know, sure people get promoted and they move on to other things just like life but we have a lot of the old core group there and they’re still fans of this show. And for them to see them it was kind of cool to sit in the back and then just watch everyone freak out, you know. Cause we are kind of a big family on there but it’s, that was cool. But I see that jerk all the time anyways, so…”

Of course, Bernthal’s return to The Walking Dead comes just as Rick Grimes actor Andrew Lincoln is primed to make an exit. During one of the upcoming episodes, fans will see Rick on their television screen for the last time. Reedus admits, he knew long before anyone else that Lincoln would leave.

“I was the first to know,” Reedus said. “I knew before it was even brought up. You know, I mean that dude’s kind of been my BFF forever. I talk to him in the morning before work. I talk to him at lunch. I talk to him as soon as we wrap. Like, I’m at his house, he’s at my house. We made a pact early on like ‘If you leave, I leave. Don’t leave without me.’ Especially during a time when like people were dropping like flies all of the sudden! He told me like ages in advance and, of course, I tried to talk him out of it and, ‘Move your family to New York! I’m in New York, you know it’s an hour and a half!’ I did all of the tricks but I understood why he left, you know, I get it. I totally get it. He had two kids and you live a million miles away.”

During an appearance on ComicBook NOW on Thursday, Reedus broke down the hilarity which ensued during what sounded like an emotional last scene for Lincoln on the set of The Walking Dead.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!