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The Walking Dead Norman Reedus answers the backlash - SciFiNow

The Walking Dead Norman Reedus answers the backlash

Norman Reedus weighs in on the importance of The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon’s sexuality

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead

Following yesterday’s news that The Walking Dead‘s Daryl Dixon is, in fact, straight, star Norman Reedus has spoken about the issue.

Talking to EW following last night’s finale (and beware of spoilers if you’re clicking that link!), Reedus responded to the criticism that creator Robert Kirkman has faced for clarifying Daryl’s sexuality.

“It’s funny that you brought that up because [Kirkman] caught of a lot of grief for even mentioning anything. Sometimes stories just get blown out of proportion. Whatever they gave me to do, I would happily do it and I don’t think it matters one way or another his sexual orientation.”

“He’s an honest, badass dude and he has a lot of heart to him and it doesn’t really matter. It’s so funny when you meet people and their reaction to this and to that — and believe me they go from all the way far left to all the way far right. I didn’t really address that when it came out because it doesn’t matter. And whatever they give me to do, I would have done. But it’s kind of funny watching him cover his tracks a bit. A lot of times stories do get blown way out of proportion.”

While we agree with Reedus that Daryl’s sexuality shouldn’t be his defining characteristic, we do believe that it would have been a bold and commendable choice for the show, to raise a major character’s sexuality at this stage of the proceedings, especially one as popular as Daryl. For now we’ll just have to wait and see how the show handles the “very prominent gay character from the comics” that Kirkman has pledged for the second half of the season.

The Walking Dead currently airs on Fox on Monday nights at 9pm. You can buy The Walking Dead Season 1-4 on Blu-ray for £48 at Amazon.co.uk. Read more about the show in the SciFiNow Annual, on sale now.