Andrew Lincoln was not the first pick to play Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead

When fans think of The Walking Dead, there are a few actors whose names come right to mind. Among the first names to pop into your head is likely Andrew Lincoln or Rick Grimes, and this is not at all surprising. 

Rick Grimes has become synonymous with The Walking Dead after serving as the emotional anchor of the show for nearly a decade. From the very beginning, it was through Rick’s perspective that we experienced the apocalypse, and he was at the forefront of the show’s central storylines. Rick’s moral struggles as a leader and character journey helped define the show, and Lincoln’s performance hooked fans and kept them coming back every week. 

It’s impossible to think of anyone else playing the role of Rick Grimes, yet the reality is that before The Walking Dead found a home at AMC, Andrew Lincoln was not at the top of the list to play Rick. 

Rick Grimes was almost played by Thomas Jane

While the role of Rick Grimes went to Andrew Lincoln and helped to make him a global superstar as the lead of one of television’s biggest franchises, Lincoln was not the first choice to play the character. In fact, had HBO not passed on the show, there is a very good chance that Lincoln would have never landed the role. 

During the early stages of The Walking Dead’s development, original showrunner Frank Darabont was hoping to bring on actor Thomas Jane to play the role of Rick Grimes. Darabont and Jane had worked together on The Mist, and Darabont saw The Walking Dead as a perfect opportunity to collaborate with Jane once again by giving him the lead role in the zombie drama. So what changed? Well, let’s just say The Walking Dead fans have HBO to thank. 

When Darabont was developing The Walking Dead, he initially took the show to HBO, but the network passed on the project due to concerns that the pilot was too violent—something that seems wild given the network would eventually become home to Game of Thrones, which was known for its brutal sequences. Anyway, when the show was being pitched to HBO, Jane was attached to the role of Rick, but then HBO decided to pass on the project, which forced Darabont to continue shopping the show around. 

By the time AMC entered the picture and picked up the show to series, Jane was no longer available to star in the show. Ironically, this was because he had been cast in the HBO dramedy Hung. His role in Hung prevented him from teaming up with Darabont and forcing him to pass on what would very likely have become a career-defining role. Yes, Hung was a success for HBO, but its success never came close to the success The Walking Dead enjoyed.

Although Darabont was unable to bring Jane into the mix for The Walking Dead, he did find roles for two stars from The Mist. Both Laurie Holden and Melissa McBride worked with Darabont on The Mist and landed pivotal roles in The Walking Dead. 

It’s interesting to think how different The Walking Dead would have been had Jane been available for the role of Grimes, though we can’t imagine anyone other than Lincoln playing Rick so it all worked out in the end!

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