The Walking Dead: Greg Nicotero has been there from the start

The Walking Dead series wouldn’t be what it is without the genius that is Greg Nicotero. Granted, it is a collective effort, but Nicotero has a specific set of skills that allows his contribution to give this series something extra needed to push the special effects to the limits. In a recent interview with AMC.com, he talks about his long run with the series.

Nicotero shared that he was involved before the series was even greenlit. He read the first draft of the script and the comics and was excited to see the creators catch on to how great zombie mythology is. His first major job was on the set of the George A. Romero film Day of the Dead, so he knows a little something about the genre, having learned from the best. He was taught by Romero and make-up effects veteran Tom Savini on that set.

He is proud to be a part of The Walking Dead as it is something that created a “modern boom” in television. He also shared what fans have always said; this show is different because viewers become invested in the characters. Whether you love or hate a character, you develop some type of feeling for them, which draws you into the story, making you care about what happens next.

The Walking Dead – Greg Nicotero

The first episode Nicotero directed for the series was one of the first episodes current showrunner Angela Kang wrote for the series “Judge, Jury, and Executioner,” from season 2. This was the episode in which Randall’s fate was being decided, and Nicotero described it as a 12 Angry Men vibe. He said the cast trusted him as they worked with him and saw his passion for the show.

He was asked about directing deaths in the show, of which he has directed about 20 main deaths. He shared this story about calling Melissa McBride.

"It’s always funny when I would call one of the actors to say hello. I remember calling Melissa McBride one day and she’s [like], “Why are you calling me? What’s going on?” I think she thought I was like the Grim Reaper. It’s always really hard to think about the emotion involved in taking these characters out, but most of the time the actors were happy it was me. They’re like, “If somebody’s going to kill me, it may as well be you!”"

Nicotero has played a walker numerous times throughout the series. In season 1, he played Daryl’s first walker kill in “Tell it to the Frogs” and the walker who kills Amy in “Vatos.” In season 11, Lauren Cohan has killed him two times already.

Below are some great behind-the-scenes photos of Greg Nicotero in walker makeup.

Nicotero started the KNB EFX Group Inc. with Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman in 1988, although Kurtzman parted ways in 2003. They have over 800 feature film and TV credits to their name, for which they have won multiple awards and nominations.

The Walking Dead series has been fortunate to have Nicotero as part of its team. Be sure to check out the entire interview on AMC.com.

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