Actor Norman Reedus, who is known for his role as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead will be seen in the Tom Hardy starrer The Bikeriders. The actor will reportedly be playing a character named Funny Sonny in the period film, which focuses on motorcycle gangs in the ‘60s. Based on the photobook by Danny Lyon, the film is directed by Jeff Nichols.
Reedus, who is reportedly an avid motorcycle buff, had a huge hand in crafting the look of his character in the film. The actor reportedly wanted to design the character to not resemble his The Walking Dead character and made significant changes. He was given a free rein from director Jeff Nichols to work on his own look.
Norman Reedus Designed His Unrecognizable Look in The Bikeriders
Actor Norman Reedus is known for his ultra-macho roles. The actor is known for his role as Daryl Dixon in the AMC series The Walking Dead, which led to his own spinoff show The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Reedus’ character is known for his survival skills and volatile nature. He is also known for his penchant for motorcycles, an obsession that the actor himself shares.
Hence, he became the perfect person to be a part of Jeff Nichols’ period film about motorcycle gangs The Bikeriders. The actor was cast in the role of Funny Sunny, a gang member who features along with Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer. The film was released recently with positive responses.
Nichols mentioned in an interview with Variety that Reedus had a huge hand in developing and designing his character. He said,
He just didn’t want to look like Daryl Dixon. The teeth were his idea and then we went with the hair and beard. His character felt like he could be a catch-all for every crazy frickin’ idea we had and Norman was up for it.
The actor reportedly wanted to keep the character different from his other famous macho character Daryl Dixon.
Norman Reedus Reportedly Wanted To Go Against The Other Actors’ Looks In The Film
The Bikeriders features multiple stars such as Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, and Jodie Comer. The cast is stacked with good-looking stars who are known for their insane looks and style. After getting to know about the project from Jeff Nichols in Canne, actor Norman Reedus reportedly suggested a different look for his character Funny Sunny.
Recalling his interaction with the filmmaker in Paris, Reedus told to ScreenRant,
I’m like, ‘Dude, you got a lot of good-looking guys in this movie. A lot of good-looking guys.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah.’ And I go, ‘Can I try something? Can I go in the opposite direction?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, do what you want.’ I came from Paris to Ohio a couple of times back and forth while I was filming the other thing. I’d show up with these fake teeth and I’d go to Starbucks and try to order food and see if anyone could understand me with a mouthful of plastic.
Reedus reportedly also improvised on the day of filming and mentioned that he borrowed a pair of pink prescription glasses from an AD before he went on set for his first day of filming.
The Bikeriders is currently out in theaters
