The Walking Dead series is based on the comic created by Robert Kirkman. The main hero of the comics is Rick Grimes, and the casting did a bang-up job of choosing Andrew Lincoln for this role. In 2015, Lincoln talked with Entertainment Weekly about his favorite scene and when he knew the show would be a success.
On October 31, 2010, Rick Grimes was first seen on screen during the premiere of AMC's new apocalyptic series, The Walking Dead. Viewers saw Rick walking down the road, a gas can in one hand and a bag of guns in another. This would change the lives of the majority of viewers forever.
Lincoln wasn't the first choice for portraying Rick. According to Uproxx, showrunner Frank Darabont wanted Thomas Jane, who starred in his movie The Mist, for the role. Other actors who auditioned for the role include Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Mark Pellegrino (Lost), and Stuart Townsend (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait), who eventually landed a role in the series, also auditioned.
Below is a video from Entertainment Weekly in which Lincoln talks about his most memorable day on set, which also happens to be the point when he realized this series would be a success. This was after waking from his coma and meeting Morgan Jones (Lennie James), he enters Atlanta on horseback.
Lincoln portrayed Grimes from season 1 until season 9 when he decided that he need to step away from the role to spend him with his family. It was a sad time in the fandom as Rick had been a staple in the series since the first scene. The series continued for two more seasons but never felt the same without Rick.
At the end of The Walking Dead series finale, fans were treated to a coda scene featuring Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira), who left the series in season 10 to go in search of Rick. During this moment, a collective roar of excitement was heard across the fandom.
Rick and Michonne would return in the sixth spinoff series, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which debuted on AMC and AMC+ in 2024. The limited series showcased the reunion between the two characters and a reunion with their children. Overall, the series was a fantastic way to continue their stories and fill in the gaps while they were parted.
Fans are eager to see if Rick and/or Michonne will return in another series in the future. Currently no information to that effect have been announced.
All eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, eight seasons of Fear the Walking Dead, and season 1 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon can be viewed on Netflix. Dead City and The Ones Who live will be added to the streamer in January 2025.
