Andrew Lincoln notably left The Walking Dead during season 9, but why did the Rick Grimes actor decide to depart? AMC launched one of the most popular TV show franchises of all time in 2010 with The Walking Dead, a series that remains popular over a decade later. Based on the acclaimed comic series by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead's lead role of Rick Grimes was played by Andrew Lincoln. One of the reasons The Walking Dead gained such a big following was the frequency and unpredictable nature of major characters suddenly dying during the zombie apocalypse story. Surprisingly, the Rick Grimes actor's departure wasn't due to a character death, which is what made the reason why Andrew Lincoln left The Walking Dead all the more significant.
Although some character exits were expected based on the source material, The Walking Dead took plenty of creative liberties to keep the story exciting for all audiences. However, the likes of Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) seemed to be the mainstays of the show who would be included forever. That changed during season 9 of The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes was written out of the series. It was announced before the season that Andrew Lincoln would leave The Walking Dead, leading fans to wonder how Rick's story would end. The Rick Grimes actor's final appearance (for now) came during the fifth episode of season 9, but why did Andrew Lincoln leave TWD?
Related: Andrew Lincoln's Favorite Episode Of The Walking Dead
As the unquestioned face of a major ongoing series like The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln spent nearly a full decade playing Rick Grimes. Fans might think that Lincoln's decision to leave resulted from growing bored with the role, wanting a larger paycheck, or so
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