Tom Payne responds to rumors of Walking Dead Jesus spinoff
AMCThe Walking Dead spinoff wish list has a number of key characters on it and Jesus is right up there, but what does the actor who played him think about it? Tom Payne has responded to the rumors, with mixed answers.
There weren’t many figures in the series quite as unique, possibly even as mysterious, as Jesus. A good guy at heart and a born fighter, the former ambassador of the Hilltop settlement lasted until Season 9, Episode 11. Until that point fans thought he was safe, but The Whisperers took him out by surprise.
Dressing up with their dead skin masks and pretending to be zombies, the show’s most dangerous cult group took out Payne’s character for good.
With so many characters being linked to spinoffs following the announcement of Rick Grimes getting a movie, Jesus is very much among them.
Walking Dead Jesus spinoff coming out?
AMCDuring an interview with British newspaper The Express, the star opened up on the bad timing of his character being killed off. He said: “I don’t know. I would, I think like a Jesus’ origin story would be cool, man. But I had to grow the hair and yeah, I loved it.
“By the time I had gotten to a position where I had grown my hair and it was my hair and my beard exactly how I wanted the character to look, then they killed me!”
Payne: “I wouldn’t want to fake it again”
Long hair, but not in the show any longer. He switched fake hair to the real deal to play his character, and admitted he couldn’t see himself filming with a wig in the future – if a spinoff materialized.
However, he did reveal one way he would come back as Jesus. It’s an interesting idea, but probably not something that’s on the table by the same token.
“So, I don’t think… I wouldn’t like to do it again if I had to wear fake extensions and a fake beard again. I could grow the beard, but that hair took three years by the time I left, so yeah, I wouldn’t want to fake it again.”
Tom added: “Maybe Jesus started the apocalypse without the long hair? I mean, that would be fun!”
In previous interviews, Payne has opened up about being “unhappy” or “bored” with his character on The Walking Dead. Fans never really got to see a lot of him in that role and perhaps with a new show or movie centered around him, more could be done with the mysterious operator.
It seems like hair really is a big stumbling block on this one, though, and hopefully you read that in jest. Based on these comments, he seems open to a return if a spinoff is planned out, although there will be no wigs where he’s concerned. Authentic only.