THE Walking Dead’s Negan was once one of the zombie apocalypse’s most terrifying villains.
The former leader of the Saviours, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, first made his debut in the season 6 finale, toting his infamous baseball bat Lucille.
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The season 7 premiere that followed was perhaps the most brutal in the show’s history, as Negan battered Abraham and Glenn to death.
In the series that followed, Negan’s efforts to strike fear into the allied communities served as proof there was nothing he wouldn’t sink too.
However, Jeffrey admitted that playing such a thoroughly despicable bad guy left him feeling unfulfilled as an actor.
He claimed Negan lacked depth and complexity, resulting in a stagnant performance across the seventh and eighth series.
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“I thought the first couple of years that we knew Negan were very one-dimensional,” he told crowds at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta.
“To me, when Negan came out of the RV for the first time, we didn’t learn anything about him for two years, three years, and that was hard,” he continued.
“I felt like everything that I said coming out of that RV is sort of what I said for the next two years, and never shifted.”
However, he said that Negan’s bond with Rock’s son Judith had given him the opportunity to explore the more nurturing, emotional aspects of his character.
He also said that living in a more collaborative, equal community like Alexandria, albeit as a prisoner, had softened him up.
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“I think with the introduction of Judith, and that relationship, we got to see a little different side of him,” he went on.
“I think this year, with everything we’ve learned about him, it gives me the opportunity to do a lot more as an actor – and I think it’ll give you guys a lot more opportunity to get to know who Negan is, and that’s been great.
“You may hate it, I don’t know, but I am having a good time. I like being able to play a more whole character.”
Earlier this month Negan’s upcoming clash with Beta was teased by Ryan Hurst, who happens to be friends with Jeffrey in real life.
