Steven Yeun Says He Was Relieved After The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere

The season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead served as the death knell for Glenn, but it also served as a place to finally exhale for the actor behind the role, Steven Yeun.

The actor sat down with GQ right after the Talking Dead 90-minute special to discuss his character's death, and how he feels now that the secret is out in the open.

"To be quite honest? I feel relieved. We've known for so long, and in this day and age—with how social media works, and how people get information in an instant—it's harder to keep secrets. That was eating away at me more than anything."

He won't miss having to constantly say "no comment", but overall he didn't mind people's inquisitive nature.

"Honestly, that wasn't even it! I'm trying to remember… but it wasn't even that people were asking me too much. I think people were respectful enough. You get the random, "Hey, who's gonna die on Sunday?!" But you also get people who say, "I hope you don't die." And I think that's something all of us, as a cast, experienced collectively."

AMC worked hard to keep the premiere, along with its two deaths, a secret. They kept people in cloaks while on set, placed people purposefully in areas or scenes that they weren't in, and filmed several death scenes just to throw people off the trail.

All of that took place during filming for season 7, but it turns out that Yeun's secrecy has been in effect since the season 6.

"I actually found out at the beginning of Season Six. I knew that it was coming eventually, and I was excited about it. I obviously didn't want to leave the show, and didn't want to leave the wonderful people on it. But it was such an iconic moment, and a death that I couldn't let go to anybody else. If it was designated for Glenn, I really wanted to experience it."

While he's no longer part of the show, he is now responsible for one of the most brutal and yet iconic moments in the show's history.