‘The Walking Dead’: Norman Reedus Was Supposed to Ride a Horse But Switched to a Motorcycle For 1 Reason
The Walking Dead has been on the air for over a decade, but most of the original cast has left. One of the few remaining ones is Norman Reedus. He portrayed a southern hunter who fans have loved throughout the show. Hardly any viewer wants the character to die, and neither does the actor.
In real life, Reedus knows how to ride a motorcycle and does so regularly. His motor skills are not the reason why his character operates one in the show. The showrunners meant for him to be on a horse.
‘The Walking Dead’ has aired for 10 years
Based on the comics of the same name, The Walking Dead first aired on AMC in 2010. The show has 10 seasons and will end after its eleventh one. The series starts with Sheriff Rick Grimes waking from a coma and finding out the world has zombies, or “walkers.”
Rick reunites with his family and joins a band of survivors. Many characters die, and the crew travels to various places, like a prison. The Walking Dead became a massive hit after the first season, but viewership began to decline after the fifth season. Fans got annoyed by the Negan storyline and how very few of the original cast remains.
One of the fan-favorite characters is Daryl Dixon. He is skilled with a crossbow and a resourceful person. The Georgia-born hunter develops strong bonds with Rick and Carol. Daryl is played by Reedus, who is an actor and television host.
Reedus was born in Hollywood, Florida, and made his acting debut at the Tiffany Theater. He starred in The Boondock Saints and played the protagonist in Death Stranding. The actor has a talent for painting and sculpting as well.
Both Daryl Dixon and Norman Reedus like motorcycles
In The Walking Dead, Daryl has a few trademarks that fans recognize. One of them is the protagonist’s motorcycle. Daryl often rides the vehicle as his method of transportation when traveling alone. Reedus is not too different from his character when it comes to motorcycles.
Not only does Reedus know how to ride a motorcycle, but he also is an enthusiast. He worked at a Harley-Davidson shop for a while early in his career. In Ride with Norman Reedus, the actor goes around on a motorcycle. So far, there are five seasons, and Reedus travels to different areas around the world to explore.
Reedus has ridden with other celebrities in the show. One of them includes former The Walking Dead co-star Michael Rooker. Hopefully, Reedus does not lose his motorcycles as often as Daryl.
The reason why Daryl Dixon did not ride a horse
Many people likely thought how cool Daryl looked while on a motorcycle in The Walking Dead. What some fans do not know is that the character almost had another way of getting around to places. Surely, current and former watchers of the series remember the iconic scene of Rick entering Atlanta on a horse.
On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Reedus talked about his show and riding around. Jimmy Fallon asked if the reason why Daryl is on a motorcycle is that the actor knows how to operate one. Reedus responded how the character originally was going to be on a horse.
“I’m terrified of horses. Like, I— really scared of horses,” Reedus explained to Fallon. “Because they have big eyes, and someone said they could smell your fear and all this stuff.”
The Walking Dead producers allowed Reedus to switch to a motorcycle. Despite his fear, the actor once worked with a horse for a film titled The Conspirator. Luckily, the only mishap was the horse trotting backward when it was not supposed to do so.
