The Walking Dead (TWD), an AMC series, is full of gory, outrageous moments that viewers will probably remember for years to come. There has never been a shortage of mayhem on the long-running zombie series, thanks to Robert Kirkman’s vicious characters, the walkers, and all the societal and personal drama. And Norman Reedus, who played the role of Daryl Dixon, knows a thing or two about mayhem.
Reedus’ character, a skilled tracker from the South who lives in his older brother Merle’s (Michael Rooker) shadow, was first introduced in the first season. As fans grew to love him and his go-to weapon, a crossbow, he would go on to become one of the most beloved characters on the show.
Similar to other TWD characters, Daryl has had a few moments throughout the show where some viewers have winced or turned away. One such was when Reedus’ character was served dog food. Yes, dog food!
The Walking Dead: Norman Reedus’ Candid Thoughts On This Torture Scene
To be honest, this scene from the seventh season of The Walking Dead, Episode 3, was not pleasing to Norman Reedus. The actor’s character, Daryl Dixon, was kept in a jail cell, starved and n*ked, given dog food sandwiches, and even forced to listen to an excruciatingly cheerful song over and over.
Rest assured, though, as the beloved character was not truly consuming dog food. However, according to Reedus, that does not make the scene any easier to watch or perform. He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016:
“It was pretty gross. Spam or something with some other stuff ground up in it with rock-hard roll. I imagine that’s what dog food would taste like.”
Reedus described the scene as “emotionally draining” and how it seriously affected him. He further added:
“It was definitely one of the hardest ones I’ve had to film in a long time. You’re in a jail cell and you’re naked and crying for three days and they’re right there with you and everyone was really quiet just trying to capture what’s in the air.”
Moreover, it was evident from his comments in an interview with EW that he did not find the scene to be to his liking:
“I’m b*tt n*ked … eating dog food in the next episode of our show. It was pretty gross.”
Conversely, even though it was obvious that these sandwiches were not made with real dog food, they did not seem to be something one could call delicious.
Norman Reedus’ Shocking Reaction to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s Initial Plan
Frank Darabont’s The Walking Dead became an instant hit when it debuted in 2010. The eleven-season television show, which featured a wide cast of characters, concluded in 2022 with the Season 11 series finale.
Conversations about a spin-off starring Norman Reedus’ character, Daryl Dixon, went viral online after the series concluded. In an interview with EW, the actor, 55, discussed the original consent of his spin-off, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, created by David Zabel.
“I didn’t know the flagship show would end. The whole thing was we would take off and we’d come back and check in and we would take off. So I didn’t know that was going to happen.”
The American Gangster actor continued by expressing his apprehension about leaving the “mothership”:
“And to be honest, I was hoping that would never happen because, you know, that’s the mothership. I’m scared to leave the mothership. That’s scary new ground. I mean, I’m excited for the spin-off and I’m excited for the type of show it will be, but I didn’t see that coming that. That kind of came out of nowhere.”
Of course, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, starring Melissa McBride and Reedus in the key parts, carried on the plot quite well. The renowned spin-off’s first season debuted on September 10, 2023, with a lovely score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
You can watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on Apple TV. And Netflix is streaming all seasons of The Walking Dead.
