David Morrissey says “a lot of tears” were shed when the villainous Governor proved he was Too Far Gone and murdered Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) with a sword on The Walking Dead. Outside the gates of the prison where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) holed up with his children and their group of survivors, Rick watched in horror as the one-eyed Woodbury bad guy threatened a hostage Hershel and Michonne (Danai Gurira).
The midseason finale of Season 4 ended with the Governor wielding Michonne’s katana and decapitating Hershel, ending Wilson’s tenure as a series regular on The Walking Dead.
“We’re all upset [when we’re killed off]. The thing I was really upset about was killing Hershel,” the Governor actor said during a panel at Fandemic Tour Atlanta. Morrissey remembered Wilson, who died from leukemia aged 76 in October 2018, as “one of the greatest men I’ve ever worked with or known.”
“He loved being on the show, and so did I,” Morrissey said before recalling learning he would be the one to kill off the fan-favorite Hershel in “Too Far Gone.”
“You’d read [the script], you’d turn it backwards to make sure you were still alive [laughs]. As the season is going on you think, ‘Someone is going to go.’ I got to the trailer, looked at [the script], and then I saw I killed Scott. I just couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m never going to be able to walk down the street again. This is going to kill me,’ [laughs]. So it was really tough.”
But Wilson previously had a private meeting with then-showrunner Scott Gimple, who told him the bad news: Hershel was to die in episode 408. On the day of the shoot, Wilson was in good spirits as Morrissey steeled himself to give Hershel one of the most gruesome and gory deaths.
“He came out [on set] and he was sort of shaking everybody’s hands saying, ‘We’re going to make a great one, it’s going to be a great episode.’ And we did it, and it was really, really tough,” Morrissey said. “There was a lot of tears that day. All the crew turned up in their suspenders because Hershel wore the suspenders, and on the day I died, they all came in with eyepatches. But you have to get on with the work. You have the sentiment and you’re upset because you’re not going to see your mates again, but you’re there to do a job and you have to do it.”
While Morrissey was “upset to be leaving” — the Governor is stabbed by Michonne before being shot and put down by Lilly Chambler (Audrey Marie Anderson) — it was more upsetting seeing Wilson sent off. But, Morrissey confessed with a laugh, “I was happy that I got to beat up Andrew Lincoln, that was great.”
The Walking Dead David Morrissey Thinks This Scene Went Too Far
The Walking Dead shows that surviving an apocalypse is precarious at best. Not only do people on “The Walking Dead” have to avoid mindless zombies who hunger for flesh, but also other humans. Some people may be allies, some may be enemies, and some may appear as the former and then turn out to be the latter. One thing is for certain in the world of “The Walking Dead” — trust is a precious commodity that should not be squandered or given lightly.
David Morrissey is a popular British actor that appears in the aforementioned show, as well as “Doctor Who,” “The Other Boleyn Girl,” and “Welcome to the Punch” (via IMDb). Acting in the villainous role of The Governor, Morrissey’s character runs what appears to be a safe settlement, but his anger, instability, and secret collection of zombie heads makes him a potent adversary.
Mixing murderous intent, charisma, and power are always a sure-fire way to make a memorable antagonist, and The Governor is one of the very first major villains on “The Walking Dead.” Considering the extent of the character’s actions, what is one moment that Morrissey thought was a little extreme, even for the hit zombie show?
Morrissey says the execution of Hershel went too far
David Morrissey thinks is the roughest is actually one of The Governor’s most iconic scenes, and it is the one in which he executes Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson). The scene is brutal, even compared to “The Walking Dead” standards, because it deals with a fan-favorite character being savagely decapitated with a curved katana sword in front of his friends and family.
Speaking at the Fandemic Tour Atlanta, Morrissey said of the scene, “We’re all upset [when we’re killed off]. The thing I was really upset about was killing Hershel.”
Morrissey elaborated, and spoke about how the actor who played Hershel handled it by stating, “He came out [on set] and he was sort of shaking everybody’s hands saying, ‘We’re going to make a great one, it’s going to be a great episode.’ And we did it, and it was really, really tough. There was a lot of tears that day. All the crew turned up in their suspenders because Hershel wore the suspenders.”
Despite his bloody acts of violence on “The Walking Dead,” it seems like Morrissey is actually very kind, and he enjoyed his time on the show — even if it meant playing somebody the viewers are suppose to hate. Either way, The Governor helped shape “The Walking Dead” and aided it in its popularity as a show that isn’t afraid to kill main characters to advance the plot.
David Morrissey Praises Scott Wilson and Lament’s Killing Wilson’s Character
When it was time for his character to murder Hershel in the fourth season of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series, David Morrissey, who plays The Governor on The Walking Dead, said he was “quite upset.” The Governor is a ruthless leader and adversary who meets Rick Grimes and his crew later on in the show. Before murdering Hershel, the Governor captures Hershel and Michonne — two key members of Rick’s group — as hostages.
We’re all upset [when we’re killed off]. The thing I was really upset about was killing Hershel. You’d read [the script], you’d turn it backwards to make sure you were still alive [laughs]. As the season is going on you think, ‘Someone is going to go.’ I got to the trailer, looked at [the script], and then I saw I killed Scott. I just couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m never going to be able to walk down the street again. This is going to kill me,’ [laughs]. So it was really tough.
In the midst of it, Morrissey praised Wilson for his dedication to the part and his passion for the show, two things that Morrissey also possesses. Wilson died in 2018 after a long battle with leukemia. Both personalities were crucial to the series’ course, which is now heading into its 11th and final season.
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