Andrew Lincoln to Leave "The Walking Dead" in Season 9
by Derek Lawrence
May 29, 2018


Prepare for "The Walking Dead‘s" biggest loss yet. Andrew Lincoln, the hit drama’s leading man since the start, is set to exit the series in the upcoming ninth season, EW has confirmed from a source.

Collider, which first reported the news, suggests that Lincoln’s final run will last only six episodes. AMC declined to comment.

http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/29/walking-dead-andrew-lincoln-exit/

It will certainly be a big loss for the show, so many fans like his Rick Grimes character.

A Walking Dead 15th-anniversary comic book box set may reveal how Rick will leave the series (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-anniversary-box-set-rick-grimes-theory-revealed-1117327)
The collection of 144 issues dropping in October may include a massive spoiler on Andrew Lincoln's character.

Robert Kirkman Confirms that Andrew Lincoln is Leaving "The Walking Dead"
by Dave Nemetz
July 19, 2018


Say goodbye to Rick Grimes: "The Walking Dead" star Andrew Lincoln is indeed leaving the show after the upcoming Season 9, creator Robert Kirkman has confirmed.

In an interview with filmmaker Kevin Smith at Comic-Con, Kirkman says with a laugh, “It’s looking that way,” when asked if Season 9 will be Lincoln’s last.




Since Lincoln’s character Rick is still alive and well in The Walking Dead comics, Kirkman admits that his departure “does make the differences between the comic and the show a little bit more pronounced.”

But he supports Lincoln’s decision: “This is somebody that I’ve known for almost a decade, somebody that I love… he’s been sweating in Georgia away from his family for so long.”




As for Rick’s on-screen exit, Lincoln “wants to do something special on the way out,” Kirkman teases.

“We’ve got something amazing planned… anybody who loves Rick Grimes, loves the world of The Walking Dead, you’re gonna want to see what we do.”

https://tvline.com/2018/07/19/the-walking-dead-andrew-lincoln-leaving-season-9-robert-kirkman/

Andrew Lincoln Confirms "The Walking Dead" Exit
by Dominic Patten
July 20, 2018


“This will be my last season playing the role of Rick Grimes,” Andrew Lincoln told Comic-Con today on "The Walking Dead" panel. “I love this show,” he declared. “It means everything to me. I love the people who make this show. I’m particularly fond of the people who watch this show.”

“I don’t want this to become an Oscar acceptance speech or a obituary,” a clearly emotional Lincoln said to the packed and eerily quiet Hall H as he addressed “the elephant in the room” of his departure.



“My relationship with Mr. Rick Grimes is far from over,” Lincoln added telling the fans how “amazing” the role has been for him professional and personally.

Turning to thank many of his cast mates and the EPs on-stage with him, he made a point of saying he was departing to spend more time with his family back in the UK and taking some time off. The sometimes close to tears Lincoln added that the long running TWD still a lot of runway to go because “no one is bigger than the story.”

https://deadline.com/2018/07/andrew-lincoln-confirms-walking-dead-exit-norman-reedus-amc-comic-con-1202430425/

Andrew Lincoln explains he's leaving The Walking Dead to be with his family (http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/30/andrew-lincoln-walking-dead/)
The British actor spends more than half the year filming the AMC series in Georgia. "I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older,” he tells EW Radio. “It was that simple. It was time for me to come home.”

The Walking Dead's new Season 9 poster may offer a clue on Andrew Lincoln's exit (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-season-9-photos-hint-at-andrew-lincolns-exit-1140019)
The poster shows Rick Grimes in the foreground of a devastated Washington, D.C. ALSO: Check out Season 9 portraits (https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-season-9-portraits/).