Ryan Hurst compares his Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy character deaths

The Walking Dead’s Ryan Hurst compares Beta’s death to Opie’s on Sons of Anarchy

Ryan Hurst played the beloved Harry ‘Opie’ Winston on Sons of Anarchy and the feared Beta on The Walking Dead. In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, he brought up some interesting comparisons between these two characters’ deaths.

Many SOA fans loved the loyal, gentle, giant, Opie that Hurst played in seasons one through five. He died an honorable death that left fans shaken.

Fans of SOA were excited to see Hurst cast in The Walking Dead as the second in command of the Whisperers. Hurst towered over other cast members and made quite the showing as the ruthless Beta. The fact that he was wearing a skin mask added to do menacing look.

Hurst had to keep the secret of Beta’s death much longer than was anticipated. With the pandemic filming and production shutdowns, the season ten finale had to be pushed back many months.

Both Opie and Beta had big beards and Hurst’s size adds to the dynamic of these characters.

In the interview with Cinema Blend, Hurst compared Beta and Opie in that both of them had lost everything and had to become someone they didn’t expect to become.

Opie had lost everything, including his will to live. When all hope was lost, he became a martyr to save those he loved.

Beta had been entertainer Half Moon, a sensitive, creative type who played music for his fans. The apocalypse ended all that and he had to become someone completely different from what he was in order to survive.

In the end, both characters welcomed death.

Beta will be a great loss to The Walking Dead series.  He was a menacing presence that Hurst acted to perfection.

Next, Hurst is set to star in the series’ Paradise City and The Mysterious Benedict Society.