“It was becoming more unbearable…”: Andrew Lincoln Was Willing to Risk His Acting Career After The Walking Dead Fame For His Family
British actor Andrew Lincoln is widely known for his role as Rick Grimes, the protagonist of the AMC TV series The Walking Dead. The post-apocalyptic horror drama, developed by Frank Darabont, was based on Robert Kirkman’s eponymous comic book series and aired for eleven seasons. However, Lincoln bid farewell to the series after the eighth season but returned for the series finale in 2022 and even the spin-off.
Despite the recognition that came with this globally popular show, Lincoln chose not to take advantage of the leverage that its success gave to his career. Consequently, for the longest time, the only project he was attached to was this show and in an interview, he explained why he decided not to get involved in other projects while working on it.
Andrew Lincoln on Why He Steered Clear of Other Projects While Working on The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln made his TV debut with a role in an episode on Channel 4’s sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey. Nearly 15 years after starting his journey in showbiz, he landed the role of Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. This role not only earned him numerous accolades but also established him as one of the most popular actors of the decade.
Fans of the Love Actually actor might have noticed that, unlike other actors who take up other roles while starring in between the filming of the seasons of a career-defining series, Lincoln chose to fly under the radar by keeping his work limited to the series.
In an interview with Collider, while promoting his 2020 film Penguin Bloom, Lincoln revealed the reason behind such a decision.
I have a young family and the industry is littered with people that don’t make it as a family. And I spent eight months away from them for a lot of their childhood. It was becoming more unbearable so basically, when I was home, I was playing catch-up as a parent, as a husband and as a father.
Save for the Love Actually spin-off TV series, Red Nose Day Actually was the only project Lincoln appeared in the time he spent working on the TWD franchise.
Why Did Andrew Lincoln Leave The Walking Dead Franchise After the Eighth Season?
Lincoln had gained the reputation of a great actor with the show, but it was at the cost of staying away from his family, residing in England, for several months at a stretch because the show’s filming used to take place in Georgia, Atlanta.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he opened up about the heart-touching reason for his shocking decision to walk away from the series.
I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older. It was that simple. It was time for me to come home.
It was a choice he made deliberately for the sake of being closer to his family which consisted of his two little kids, who would get to have more of their father’s love growing up.
The Walking Dead is available for streaming on Netflix.
