Yeun Reflects On Glenn’s Death From “The Walking Dead”

AMC’s The Walking Dead made its name early on for being one of the most shocking shows on the air. It earned this trait by being willing to kill off fan favorite characters, much like other shows like Game of Thrones. And while these deaths were often the result of the tragic, zombie-filled setting, and brought about as a result of the plot (most of the time!), that didn’t make them any easier to take.

One of the roughest character deaths was fan favorite Glenn, played by Steve Yeun, who lost his life at the hands of the villainous Negan at the start of the seventh season. This would go on to be one of the most controversial character ends in the history of the series, as audiences thought it was extraneous. This led to severe backlash and sparked a downturn in the ratings that continues to this day.

Now, during an interview with Variety, Yeun opened up about his exit from the show and how he felt, stating:

I think for me it was a massive blessing to get ‘Walking Dead’ because not only did I meet incredible people that taught me some incredible ways to navigate life – to be a professional, to be an actor, to take a job seriously – but also just submit to a beast such as ‘Walking Dead’. Leaving [the show], if I had any weird feelings about it, was mostly that I hadn’t taken the time for myself to understand who I was and maybe my voice and what I wanted to say. I was always kind of in service to this larger narrative. And in some ways that reflect kind of how I was raised in my early years. I think I’m done. I think I want to try the other side.

It’s good to hear that Yeun holds no ill will toward the show and looked at it as opening up other opportunities. And, in fact, he has had no shortage of work since is exodus from zombie epic, staring in acclaimed films such as Okja and Sorry to Bother You, as well as voicing Steve in Netflix’s animated Trollhunters series.

Even so, his career was jumpstarted by his gig on The Walking Dead and many fans still feel that Glenn dying was a bad call. But what do you think? Did Glenn need to die at the hands of Negan? Sound off below and follow us on Twitter @FilmIronic to never miss a thing!