SPOILER ALERT: Read on only if you have watched Sundays episode ofThe Walking Dead, The Cell.
It was big statement in a big episode for Daryl.
We spoke to Reedus to get his take on everything from that critical choice to that surprising nude scene.
Credit: AMC
(Also confirm to check out ourinterview with the man who plays Dwight, Austin Amelio.)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:The first time we see Daryl hes naked in this cell.
I gotta know: How cold were you in there, my man?
NORMAN REEDUS:Yeah, it was cold.
But it was really dirty more than anything.
It was weird to sit on that floor butt naked.
I mean, I was totally naked, so it was rough.
Were they just adding filth and grime to you constantly?
Addison, our makeup dude, he was just constantly pouring makeup on me.
Yeah, that was I think one of the filthiest Ive ever been on this show, if notthefilthiest.
It was just itchy and horrible.
We see Daryl being tortured via this terribly peppy music he has to listen to.
Did they play that for you at all on set?
Did you know what song would be playing?
No, I havent seen the episode.
I dont know what song they used.
I think its very difficult to get music rights in a torture scene.
This whole episode is a big battle of wills and really the juxtaposition between Daryl and Dwight.
And theres that exchange early on where Daryl says, I aint never gonna kneel.
Dwight goes, Yeah, I said that too.
And you reply, Yeah, I know.
I think youre exactly right.
There is sort of this Bizarro World thing going on between the two of us in this episode.
Now I think he just wants to kill him.
But he has that scene at the end where Daryl tells Dwight, I get why you did it.
Why you took it.
You were thinking about someone else.
Thats why I cant.So he understands why Dwight went down that road, right?
Glenn was this optimistic guy.
He was his friend.
Its as much for Glenn as it is for Daryl, you know?
Thats the last thing he has left.
Is there a part of Daryl that just wants Negan to end it?
Especially that first time when he just comes at him with that bat and Daryl doesnt flinch at all.
Is there just part of him thats just ready for it to be over?
No, Daryls a fighter.
I assume he thinks hes going to get killed right there when he says hes not Negan.
Hes signing up for more torture, but hes doing it for the love of his friend.
He cant say that hes Negan.
Hell never do that.
Hell fight, but matters of the heart to Daryl are hard.
Hit him in the face with the bat.
Feed him dog food.
How did you get yourself into that place to just let it all go there?
You just feel it.
You get in the fetal position, and you just go there.
I think being on the show this long, theres just a switch.
You just hit a switch, and you go there.
Its always stored in the back of your head, and its not hard to go there.
Its harder to stop.
Its harder to come back than it is to go there sometimes.
Its not a trick or anything like that.
You go there at 1 p.m., and you just kind of snap out of it at about 6.
Just stay like that, pretty much.
That sounds like a pretty terrible day.
I mean, Im not Meryl Streep.
You know what I mean?
I just have to go suffer until its over and then leave.
Im not that good turning it on and off.
They dont talk and crack jokes in the jail cell.
Its a very serious set, and everybody wants the best thing to end up on the TV show.
So they allow you to go there, and its almost like this sort of support group.
I know you guys are sort of getting close to winding down this season filming.
Its been a very emotional season for everybody.
Its a different season.
