A well-known character actor from Hollywood has shared that he nearly landed the famous villain role of Negan on The Walking Dead. He was very close to getting the part – but lost it in just 10 minutes. He’s now starring in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series.
Matthew Lillard could have played Negan in The Walking Dead
Matthew Lillard recently shared on The Big Thing Podcast that he auditioned multiple times – with three callbacks – for the part of Negan on The Walking Dead, but ultimately wasn’t selected for the role.
Frank Darabont, the show’s creator, revealed to Lillard at Comic-Con that he’d initially cast him in the role, but about ten minutes later, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s representatives confirmed Morgan would be taking the part instead.
Lillard explained that his version of the character would have been very different from Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s. He envisioned a more mischievous and humorous take, while Morgan played the role as incredibly tough and masculine. Lillard learned about this while at Comic-Con promoting Twin Peaks, when the creator of The Walking Dead approached him with the idea.
Looking back on missing out on the role, Lillard explained that the show’s creator told him he’d almost had the part, but it was taken away after just ten minutes. He believes landing the role would have meant a decade more consistent work for him.
Lillard highlighted the lasting impact of Morgan’s portrayal of Negan, explaining that the character has become iconic. He pointed out that at fan conventions, you’ll still see many people dressed as Negan. Morgan initially played Negan as the show’s main villain, but the character later developed into a more complex antihero over several seasons.
The popular TV show The Walking Dead first aired on AMC in 2010 and continued for 11 seasons. While actor Matthew Lillard didn’t get a part in the show, he’s stayed busy with other projects, like the Scream movies, various Scooby-Doo animated series, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. He most recently appeared in Daredevil: Born Again.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Comingsoon.net.
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2026-03-31 08:27