The Walking Dead: Why Did Scott Wilson Leave As Hershel Greene?

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AMC series The Walking Dead is on a midseason hiatus, leading fans to revisit past seasons. One question some fans have is about Hershel Greene (played by Scott Wilson) and why the star left the show. Here’s what you need to know about Hershel.

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Wilson portrayed the role of Hershel in the show, a character who also appears in Robert Kirkman’s original comic books.

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The moralistic character was murdered back in season three by the eye patch-wearing maniac the Governor (David Morrissey).

Hershel’s demise was even more brutal when he was decapitated by the Governor.

However, his legacy lives on with his daughter Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) naming her and Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) son after Hershel.

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READ MORE: The Walking Dead season 9 cast: Who is Scott Wilson? Tributes paid

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The Walking Dead: Scott Wilson played Hershel Greene (Image: AMC)

The Walking Dead: Hershel Greene had a strong moral compass (Image: AMC)

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Wilson was part of the show from 2011 to 2014 and appeared in seasons two, three and four.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter back in 2013 about the fate of Hershel, Wilson admitted he knew it was coming.

He explained: “It was something that I sensed before the conversations took place -- like in episode 403, with the speech he has about the risk of being alive in that postapocalyptic world.

“In episode 405, when he had so much to do, I knew it wasn't a good sign for him.

The Walking Dead: Scott Wilson sadly passed away in 2018 (Image: AMC)

The Walking Dead: Hershel Greene realised Rick Grimes was like him (Image: AMC)

“After that episode, [showrunner] Scott Gimple called me in and told me that I'd be written out.

"It's a tough position for him to be in because he has a genuine concern for all the actors.

“It was my turn. And you know that going in, that at some point you'd have that day.”

Wilson said: “If you're going to go, you might as well go with something traumatic like that.

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“It was fun and I have nothing to regret. I love the fact that they gave me episodes 403 and 405 with Hershel being proactive and acting on what he'd been talking to Rick about from season two: finding the place of humanity in this apocalyptic world.

“Ultimately, those speeches paid off. When he was looking at Rick [just before his death] and had a smile on his face, he realized that there was a chance for people because Rick was now naturally saying what they had been talking about and embracing what they talked about.”

Since leaving The Walking Dead, Wilson also featured in Netflix series The OA.

He’s had a career spanning since the 1960s and featured in the likes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bosch and Damien.

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Wilson sadly passed away in 2018 at the age of 76 after suffering from leukaemia.

His fellow stars paid tribute to him with Khary Payton, who is better known as Ezekiel, saying: “The first time I met Scott Wilson, he gave me a big hug and said that this thing I had become a part of... was a family."

Tragically, just before Wilson’s death, The Walking Dead’s showrunner Angela Kang announced Hershel would be appearing in season nine.

Hershel appeared amid Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) departure from the series.

The Walking Dead season 10 returns on February 23 on AMC and on February 24 on FOX UK.

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