The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s Norman Reedus

Many of the original cast members of The Walking Dead did not survive the hit zombie apocalypse drama’s penchant for suddenly killing off its main characters. Norman Reedus, as Daryl Dixon, made it through all 11 seasons of the AMC drama—being upped to series lead in season nine—and was then tapped for his own franchise extension. In its first season, Daryl Dixon brought its titular protagonist to France. In its second season, which recently launched on AMC and AMC+, Dixon is on a quest to protect a young boy and is reunited with fellow Walking Dead survivor Carol, played by Melissa McBride. While in Spain filming season three, Reedus spoke to TV Drama about his journey on the show.

TV DRAMA: Where is Daryl Dixon as you embark on season two?
REEDUS: He’s fully involved with the people that he’s with now. He’s grown very fond of them. He initially took on this task just to get from point A to point B. Because of the circumstances and the situations, he’s starting to care for them. He’s starting to want the best for them. He’s made a promise to look after this kid and get him to a safe place because he’s being chased. He doesn’t think this kid’s going to survive on his own. The world’s a bad place, and he’s got to make sure that they’re OK. So, going into season two, he’s at the height of all of this. He’s just fully engulfed!

TV DRAMA: You’ve embodied Daryl Dixon for 14 years. What have you learned on this journey with the character?
REEDUS: It’s a real gift to be able to play a character for this long. Daryl is so different from when he first started on this show. He’s trying to make better decisions. He’s been influenced by the people in his life as he’s gone on this insane journey. Daryl from season one would have just fought someone! He’s got other people to think of besides himself. What’s best for them?

TV DRAMA: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon started with you in France. You’re shooting season three in Spain. Has the franchise expanding its geography allowed you to take the character places you couldn’t have imagined at the outset?
REEDUS: I don’t think Daryl would have ever thought he’d make it to Paris. There’s something [special] with this storytelling, taking that character from those woods and having him look at the Eiffel Tower and the architecture and the way people live there. There’s a great scene in season one where he sees an older couple in a window. He can hear someone playing a cello or a violin. Life and culture—they’re fighting to keep these things. That character has been fighting and running his entire life. Even before the apocalypse, he didn’t like his life. When [his brother] Merle left, he could slowly become a new person. It’s a gift to be able to play a character who evolves. Especially a character who you get so wrapped up in. You have all these theories of what he should and shouldn’t be.

TV DRAMA: Season two sees the return of Melissa McBride as Carol. What’s it been like working with her again?
REEDUS: I’ve been waiting for Melissa to show up since I got here. It’s like one of those days you mark on your calendar. Those two characters together are dynamic. They always have been, even when the show started. Those two characters were always looking after each other, checking in on each other, while all this other drama was happening. The best part about that relationship is it’s earned. People watched them earn their relationship. When they meet, finally, it’s earned. The scene had to live up to it. It couldn’t just be, “Oh, hey!” You take Daryl at his lowest moment—he’s failing miserably, everything’s burning around him, and he’s trapped. He’s lost. He has one chance to get out, and his headspace is nowhere near running into Carol—and he runs into her. It’s like the world stops. We nailed that reunion.

TV DRAMA: Season three was announced before season two premiered. Do you have a sense of how much longer you want to tell the story of Daryl Dixon?
REEDUS: I’ve put too much work into this character to just wave to the camera and go home. Here’s the drone shot! It has to be good enough. It’s all a business, but to me, it’s beyond a business. I’ve learned so many things as Norman playing this character. I’ve grown up playing this character. I’ve changed in many ways that coincided with this character. And these two characters together [Daryl and Carol], I want them to have peace. I want them to have a good ending. When people ask, How do you see Daryl’s ending? I used to joke: He walks up over a mountain and a little puppy comes out of the field next to him, and he just follows him, and people go, whatever happened to that guy? I don’t feel like that anymore. I want to see a conclusion.

TV DRAMA: You work in features, you’re doing scripted television, you made an unscripted show. What attracts you to projects? Is it all gut instinct?
REEDUS: It’s gut instinct. I take pictures on a gut instinct. I get interested in things on a gut instinct. Sometimes I’m interested in people and what motivates them and then I can get motivated by that because I like that person, or a time period, or a style of ironworking, or a sofa! It all depends.