The end is near for Rick Grimes. The upcoming season of The Walking Dead will be the last for Andrew Lincoln as he’s leaving to focus on family and new projects. While he’ll remain part of The Walking Dead family, it hasn’t been easy for the cast to say goodbye. At the Thursday, September 27, Los Angeles premiere of season 9, many cast members opened up to Us Weekly about what they’ll miss the most.
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The end is near for Rick Grimes. The upcoming season of The Walking Dead will be the last for Andrew Lincoln as he’s leaving to focus on family and new projects. While he’ll remain part of The Walking Dead family, it hasn’t been easy for the cast to say goodbye. At the Thursday, September 27, Los Angeles premiere of season 9, many cast members opened up to Us Weekly about what they’ll miss the most.
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Masterson, who plays Tara on the drama, was very understanding about Lincoln’s departure. “He’s got to have a life as well, and he has children. I’ll work with him again. He’ll direct. It will be great,” the actress, 30, said. “Andy’s daughter and my daughter are really close. They are good friends. That’s what I will miss a lot. When people leave, you become friends with their families and their children and so I’ll miss that.”
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While Nash only joined the show last season as Siddiq, he already has a ton of memories with Lincoln, 45. “He’s a legend and we miss him but we will honor him going forward,” the 34-year-old told Us, adding that his favorite memory was from season 8. “I was struggling a bit with the scene, but he is a great player and very compassionate. He’s very giving. It was a very difficult and emotional scene to tell him how his son died but he was 120 percent there for me and we just played. That’s all you hope for as an actor.” Nash also noted that the cast had a going away pool party for Lincoln!
Credit: Paul Butterfield/FilmMagic
Since the show began, Reedus and Lincoln have been best friends – something that the 49-year-old actor will make sure continues after Lincoln leaves the show. “I talk to him all the time. I know his family. He knows my family. We’re good friends,” he told Us. “I don’t think he’s ever going to escape me too far.” He also revealed that the two constantly prank each other, sharing that while they were in Japan on a live TV show, The Boondock Saints alum told Lincoln how to say “Where is the toilet?” in Japanese. Lincoln repeated it on the broadcast and Reedus later told his friend that he actually said, “Thank you for having me in your country.”
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Although they play enemies on the show, Morgan told Us, that it has been very difficult to imagine the show without Lincoln. “I love him and I hate that he is leaving. It’s been hard. It’s been hard every day that he’s not there showing up on set,” the 52-year-old actor, who plays Negan on the drama, said. “He’s not only an amazing actor, he’s one of my best friends as well. He means a lot to all of us. So it’s just got a different feel without him. I think with him leaving, the story line has propelled the story in a way that is really special.”
Season 9 of The Walking Dead premieres on AMC Sunday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET.
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