What Frank Dillane Has Done Since Leaving Fear The Walking Dead

Frank Dillane played Nick in the spinoff Fear The Walking Dead for four seasons. A prequel in the Walking Dead universe, the show followed the same successful formula as The Walking Dead, in which an ensemble cast had to make it through the apocalypse. The characters in Fear The Walking Dead are mostly new, and the show stars with high school teacher Madison Clark and her family as they attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse. Madison's son, former drug addict Nick, was quickly established as a character to watch as he adapted to the apocalypse.

Nick's death in season 4 came as a shock to viewers. Nick, played by Frank Dillane, went from a troubled and rebellious teen to a competent but flawed survivor who dedicated his life to gardening, and his storyline appeared set to continue, with Nick learning from Morgan. However, Frank Dillane asked for Nick to be killed so that he could "pursue other projects." His best-known role before Fear The Walking Dead had been Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This was a surprising decision, but Dillane has gone on to display his acting range in other roles.

Frank Dillane's Movie & TV Roles Since Fear The Walking Dead Explained

John Dorie Actor Garrett Dillahunt Also Asked To Leave Fear The Walking Dead

Since leaving Fear the Walking Dead, Dillane has mostly starred in British productions, including the horror Astral, and the comedy How To Build A Girl, before joining the cast of Renegade Nell, where Dillane plays Charles Devereux - a formerly-wealthy son who becomes a highwayman. He also starred as ambitious surgeon Dr Luke Garrett in the gothic romance The Essex Serpent, and he will star alongside Game of Thrones's Sophie Turner in the upcoming series Joan, based on the true story of jewel thief Joan Hannington.

Nick's death wasn't the only Fear The Walking Dead character death that had come at an actor's request. Cowboy and fan favorite character John Dorie was tragically killed when he was shot into a river and died of blood loss. Actor Garrett Dillahunt said that he loved being on Fear The Walking Dead, but he was getting "antsy" and wanted to move on to other projects. Despite leaving Fear The Walking Dead, Dillahunt did not leave the zombie apocalypse genre right away, as he then starred as Martin in Zack Snyder's zombie heist movie Army Of The Dead.

Nick's Story Ended Too Soon In Fear The Walking Dead

Nick Was Important To Fear The Walking Dead's Final Episodes (& Possibly The Walking Dead Future)

The Walking Dead universe has used previous character's backstories to great effect. In The Walking Dead, Carol identifies domestic abuse based on her own experiences, while Fear The Walking Dead shows Morgan's character development when he gives Nick the Art Of Peace book, telling him "I know where you are, Nick, because I was there." The Walking Dead viewers will catch the reference to Morgan's single-episode Walking Dead storyline in which he meets and learns from pacifist Eastman. This scene sets Nick up as a potential future mentor, adding to the shock when he is killed soon afterward.

Nick's death was abrupt, and it sometimes felt as though Fear The Walking Dead had moved on too quickly, especially while Nick's killer, Charlie, was a main character. Madison's season 8 return addressed Nick's death, at last, giving her Nick's ashes and allowing viewers to see the characters' emotional trauma, caused by his death. Nick appeared in flashbacks in the Fear The Walking Dead final episode, and these memories are what inspired Madison's plan to return to Los Angeles, so Nick's memory may influence later Walking Dead universe characters, just as Eastman's actions did with Morgan.