10 Things You Didn't Know About Norman Reedus

1. The 'Daryl' Character Was Specifically Made For Reedus

Yes, that's right, the one and only Daryl Dixon was never in the comic series that the show is based upon. He initially auditioned for the role of Merle Dixon, Daryl's brother, though show-runner Frank Darabont was so impressed by Reedus that he wrote Daryl into the script. Still, the intention was to kill Daryl off, though his performances were so strong, Merle met a grisly end instead, and Reedus jumped from a recurring cast member role, up to series regular where he has remained ever since. Creator of the comics, Robert Kirkman said: €œIt all comes down to Norman, I feel absolutely blessed he has honoured our show with his presence, and the way he has come in and taken over that role and defined Daryl Dixon. A lot of Norman€™s portrayal of the character in the first season inspired all the writers to do what we did with him in the second season. We love writing him and end up doing cool stuff with him.€ Let's just hope Daryl will be around for plenty of time to come, with no way of knowing how his story will twist, turn, and more-than-likely end.