Austin Nichols on His Gut-Splitting Departure from The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead came to a predictable midseason ending this week, following the script of Robert Kirkman's comic book almost beat for beat. That only meant that Austin Nichols' time on the show as Spencer was numbered, and they made it apparent leading up to his exit that we shouldn't like him at all.
The character was around for nearly three years, though it didn't feel like it. Speaking with EW, the actor said that he''d known for a while. "I had a lot of time. [Showrunner Scott M. Gimple] told me before the season started, in march or April, and we usually start shooting in May. So I knew way far in advance. I’m glad he did, but it maybe made it harder because you had to carry it around for so long and I didn’t really tell anybody.
On his departure, he said "It was probably one of the most fun and most fulfilling time because I got to do two whole days with Jeffrey [Dean Morgan] at the pool table and on the balcony drinking whisky with him. It was just really fun to work with Negan and kind of go toe to toe with him, and then we had this big gag at the end where the guts come out."
He explained how the whole team cheered when he got to take his visual effects cue at the end, after make-up had put his zombie face on and he'd done his thing. "Of course, it’s sad and I’m so sad to leave, but really, I was just really happy. I loved being a part of the show. It was all positive. I just really loved it."
Source: Comicbook
