The Walking Dead actor David Morrissey has revealed that he was “really upset” when the time came for his character to kill Hershel in the fourth season of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series. Morrissey portrayed a character by the name of The Governor — a ruthless leader and antagonist who eventually meets protagonist Rick Grimes and his crew. The Governor captures Hershel and Michonne — two significant members of Rick’s group — and holds them for hostage before eventually murdering Hershel.
As per ComicBook.com, during a panel discussion at Fandemic Tour Atlanta, Morrissey addressed the controversial moment where his character tragically killed Scott Wilson’s Hershel Greene in “Too Far Gone” — much to the dismay of fans around the world.
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 that same discussion, Morrissey praised Wilson for his commitment to the role and his love for the show, qualities Morrissey shares that all these years later. Wilson, unfortunately, passed away in 2018, after a tough battle with leukemia. Both characters were extremely important to the direction of the series, which has now embarked on its eleventh and final season.