Why did Garrett Dillahunt leave Fear the Walking Dead, John Dorie?

Why did Garrett Dillahunt leave Fear the Walking Dead and his character of John Dorie? If you watched this weekend’s midseason premiere, then you’ve already said goodbye to one of the show’s more-likable figures. John’s death was brutal and sad — right after he had figured out his reason to live, something else happened that sapped all of it away. That something in this case was Dakota. June having to put down his zombified body will likely remain one of the show’s saddest moments for a while.

Of course, killing off a big character is no simple decision, and there are often a lot of components that go into it. Sometimes it’s a creative choice, and other times it is an actor wanting to depart to do some other things. In the case of Dillahunt, it feels like the decision to write the character out was collaborative. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor confirmed that he’d been talking to the producers since season 5 about the end of his story, and he had the following to say about saying goodbye:

I loved my time on this show and will always cherish it. I get a little antsy after a while, and I’m not a kid anymore, and I have some things I wanted to do. And I’m just fortunate it worked out.

I can’t imagine what goes into logistically planning these series. There are so many moving parts, there are so many people involved. It’s a feat of almost engineering for these showrunners, and [Walking Dead chief content officer Scott M. Gimple], and the writers to navigate all the obstacles in general, putting a TV show on, let alone the needs of their actors. I just feel very fortunate that they were willing to hear it, and consider it, and then come up with a great idea that made everybody happy.

John Dorie was an important character within the Fear the Walking Dead world — he was in some ways an introduction to the new version of the show and he had countless moments we’ll cherish. Yet, and as is often the case with this sort of show, people die. We’re prepared for that at every turn.

Related – Be sure to get more news on the next Fear the Walking Dead episode

Are you going to miss Garrett Dillahunt on Fear the Walking Dead?

What was your favorite John Dorie moment? Be sure to let us know in the comments! (Photo: AMC.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.