‘The Walking Dead’ season 7: Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s REALLY into playing Negan

Is Negan one of the most unlikable villains on TV at present? Absolutely, but if you love “The Walking Dead,” would you really have it any other way? One of the points of this show is to tell a story that is dark and twisted, and we absolutely feel like Jeffrey Dean Morgan is bringing that sort of darkness and then some to this role. It’s brutal to watch sometimes, but if it was all sunshine and happiness, would this really be right for this world? Would Negan really exit in it? It’s hard to say that.

There is a sentiment that is out there for many actors that it is infinitely more fun to be evil than it is good, and that’s something that seems to be echoed now in how some of the cast is working on the show. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Andrew Lincoln confirmed that Jeffrey Dean Morgan is basically having so much fun playing this character that he ended up hurting himself:

“The other day he was smiling and carrying on so much he pulled a rib muscle … He doubled down in pain. I was like, ‘Yeah, take that motherf—er!’ And it wasn’t even during a take. It was a rehearsal!”

Norman Reedus even corroborated on the story to the website, saying that Lincoln really loved telling the story, clearly just about as much as Morgan is loving playing Negan. In one way, that’s a testament to the writing of the show, but it is also more than that. It’s also further reminder that for the majority of his career, Morgan hasn’t had the opportunity to play this sort of character. This is a different gear for him, and he seems to be very much enjoying the opportunity to take this on and do something outside the norm.

For more on “The Walking Dead,” head over here to read our discussion on the recent ratings. (Photo: AMC.)