After Frank Darabont’s harsh deposition, fans not familiar with the Georgian temperatures have been invited to learn about the heat and humidity in the region. In Senoia, Georgia, when the temperature was near 97 degrees, Jeffrey Dean Morgan who plays Negan, had somewhat of an accident on the set of The Walking Dead.
Plotwise, Negan has just arrived in Alexdria (the story for Episode 4) and he’s preparing to take inventory for his men. That’s Negan’s entire plan: take things. He’ll take your food, the shirt off your back, and even your wife. He’ll do so with a smile on his face and you’ll have to feel appreciative to give the donation.
The Walking Dead | Photo Credit AMC
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Loves Being Negan
“He is having way too much fun,” claims Andrew Lincoln who plays Rick. Jeffrey Dean Morgan dove into his character. He chugs Gatorades between takes to make sure he avoids dehydration from wearing his leather jacket in the hot sun.
Lincoln is referring to a scene where Negan is tormenting the town of Alexandria. He’s mocking and threatening the residents, but suddenly stops. “The other day he was smiling and carrying on so much he pulled a rib muscle,” laughs Lincoln. “He doubled down in pain. I was like, “Yeah, take that!” And it wasn’t even during a take. It was a rehearsal!”
Everybody joined in to mock the overly charismatic actor. “No one went to help him. We just went, “There you go. Suck it up, sunshine!” Norman Reedus confirmed the incident, along with Lincoln’s enthusiasm. “Andy was very excited that he hurt his rib and very excited that Jeffrey hurt himself,” laughed Reedus.
The Walking Dead | Photo Credit AMC
Laughing on a Tough Set of The Walking Dead
Don’t feel too bad for Jeffrey Dean Morgan though. “I’ve been fighting cramps,” he admits. “I get horrible cramps midway through a scene. My ribs will cramp up or my legs or something. So I just had this contraction and I was trying to yell, and it made me buckle over. I was screaming at him and laughing at the same time. So I’m still laughing, and he thought it was hilarious. He’s like, “That’s what you get! That’s what you get!”
Since the recent episodes have been so harsh, a smile on set is always rewarding. “It kills me that I’m having so much fun,” claims Morgan. “I’m like, “It’s not me, Andy, that’s having fun — it’s Negan!” But I mean, there’s a lot of that that goes back and forth in between takes, depending on the scene, of course. But there are other scenes that are so intense that there are days that the cast doesn’t even make eye contact until the end of the day, and I get it.”
It’s joyful for everyone to see Negan on the other side of pain, which is why this is such a funny moment. Andrew Lincoln has been at the top of his game as Rick Grimes for so long, it’s difficult to play someone submissive. This is equally true for Daryl, so hopefully these characters will figure out a way to fight back soon.
The Walking Dead | Photo Credit AMC
The Walking Dead | Photo Credit AMC
