It turns out “The Walking Dead” did court John Hawkes for the role of the Governor in the show’s upcoming third season. At least according to John Hawkes. And the reason he turned it down is, well, novel.

“They offered me the role, and I just felt there would be someone else who could do it better,” he tells MovieWeb. “I was flattered, and I took a look at the series. It held interest for me, but I just didn’t feel like I was the guy for it.”

“I have to be careful of what TV shows I choose, particularly ones that have commercials in them, because it’s going to be a different kind of television show,” continues the “Winter’s Bone” co-star. “There are going to be sponsors. No matter how good the show is, if there are commercials, it’s going to be a different show, to me. That’s just my personal feeling.”

Hmm.

Yeah, it was nice of them to ask, and it’s a good show, but, again, I just didn’t feel I was the guy. They came to me and sent me the graphic novel and the first two seasons. I took a look at them, and just didn’t feel like it was for me.”

We respectfully disagree, but we’re looking forward to seeing what David Morrissey does with the role.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/04/the-walking-dead-john-hawkes-turned-down-governor-role.html

I THINK HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT IF IT WERE ON HBO. HE TENDS TO WORK ON GRITTIER SHOWS THAT CAN GO FARTHER LIKE DEADWOOD, EASTBOUND & DOWN (NOT GRITTY LOL BUT DEFINITELY RATER R). AMC IS LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN DO. 

This is always a good one to end on…

We were looking for David Morrissey is the answer to that. We were looking for that perfect guy and he turned out to be it. It was a long, grueling casting process but I think that after the success of cast members like Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan (who is Philadelphia-born, but in large part U.K.-raised) we have learned the value of a British actor. David Morrissey, more than any other actor we were looking at, came in and definitely understood the role, was excited about doing it justice, and was willing to take the heat of coming in and being such a well known, beloved character that people have expectations for. He’s looking forward to playing a villain, which is pretty exciting.

There’s more at the link, including Kirkman’s take on Tom Savini’s lobbying for the part. [EW]

Comics creator Robert Kirkman explains why British actor David Morrissey, whose previous credits include State of Play and the title role in the Doctor Who special “The Next Doctor”, was perfect to play the Governor:

“More than any other actor, David Morrissey came in and wanted to embrace everything that there is to the Governor. He knew this is a complicated character, and he knew this was a character that people are going to hate to love. He recognized that this character is a villain. A lot of people came in and were like, ‘But he’s a good guy inside, right?’ They want that nuance, and that’s definitely important. We definitely have that. The Governor isn’t a one-note character; there are a lot of layers to that onion. But this is a sadistic guy. David Morrissey, more than any other actor, really wanted to sink his teeth into that role. He wants to embrace everything there is about the Governor.”

Kirkman promises they will be uncompromising in their portrayal of the Governor, and that they aim to preserve the intensity of the comic book incarnation. You can read more at the link. [MTV Splash Page]

io9.com

iamrickgrimesmissinghand:

One of the nation’s most sought-after political positions has been filled well in advance of Election Day: AMC announced on Friday that the British actorDavid Morrissey will play the role of the Governor on its hit apocalypse-by-zombie drama “The Walking Dead.”

Mr. Morrissey, whose…

A lot of people are saying “What? He doesn’t look like the Governor!” I would personally rather have a good actor that looks nothing like him, than a bad actor that looks just like him. 

One of the nation’s most sought-after political positions has been filled well in advance of Election Day: AMC announced on Friday that the British actorDavid Morrissey will play the role of the Governor on its hit apocalypse-by-zombie drama “The Walking Dead.”

Mr. Morrissey, whose British television credits include the original BBC mini-series version of “State of Play,” the Channel 4 adaptation of “Red Riding” and the rejuvenated “Doctor Who,” will play a “Walking Dead” character well-known to readers of that comic-book series and who will take on a central role in future episodes of the AMC program.

In a news release, the network described the character of the Governor as “the leader of Woodbury, a small settlement of survivors” who “becomes the chief antagonist for Rick Grimes,” the heroic character played by Andrew Lincoln. AMC said the Governor will appear in Season 3 of “The Walking Dead,” for which it has committed to 16 episodes.

The current 13-episode season of “The Walking Dead” will broadcast its finale on March 18.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/the-walking-dead-casts-david-morrissey-as-the-governor/

Happy Valentine’s Day from Michonne and The Governor!

I was pretty sure this was coming ever since horror mainstay Tom Savini off-handedly revealedWinter’s Bone actor John Hawkes was in line to play the Governor next season, and now here it is: John Hawkes’s publicist has issued a statement simply saying, “John is NOT appearing onThe Walking Dead.” So, there you go. [MTV Splash Page]

In other casting rumors, Marvin Duerkholz, who you probably don’t remember as Cody on MTV’s Teen Wolf, is listed as playing Philip Eagle on IMDB’s page for the season three premiere. Since this is just a random IMDB cast listing we’re talking about, I’d take this with a gargantuangrain of salt. [IMDB]

AMC has released another promo for the show’s upcoming return. You can check it out here.

io9.com

thoroughlypretentious:

John Hawkes as the Governor would be fucking amazing.

Yes Please!