Matthew Lillard Nearly Played The Walking Dead’s Biggest Villain, And I Need A Parallel Universe Where This Actually Happened

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Matthew Lillard is currently in the biggest movie of the weekend, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, even though his role isn’t large. Fans are really enjoying the sequel, despite negative reviews, and hopefully, Lillard will have a bigger part if a third movie is made. He’s definitely the most engaging actor in either film! Interestingly, he almost appeared in another hugely popular horror series, The Walking Dead.

It’s amusing to think about what might have been – imagining actor Matthew Lillard, known for his role in the Scream movies and set to appear in Scream 7, playing Carl Grimes, Rick’s son. Of course, that wouldn’t have made sense! Lillard actually briefly considered playing Negan, the show’s villain, before Jeffrey Dean Morgan was cast. He recently discussed his work on FNAF 2 with Comic Book Resources, sharing the following information:

I’ve auditioned for several roles, and one I keep coming back to is ‘The Walking Dead.’ I actually auditioned for it four times! I remember being at Comic-Con in San Diego with the showrunner, promoting ‘Twin Peaks.’ ‘The Walking Dead’ was being discussed right nearby, and he told me he really liked my work and that I’d been very close to getting a part.

Most TV shows don’t require actors to audition four times, but Negan was different. His introduction to The Walking Dead both brought the show its largest audience ever and marked the beginning of a decline in viewership. It wasn’t Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s performance that drove fans away, but the shockingly violent actions of his character, starting in Season 6 and continuing into the Season 7 premiere.

Just how different could things have been? According to Jeffrey Dean Morgan, a simple mishap – like dropping his phone in the toilet or catching a cold – could have drastically changed how fans reacted to his character’s impactful debut on The Walking Dead. Lillard explained further that…

They originally offered the role of Negan to Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but he didn’t respond quickly enough. The team noticed and decided to offer it to you instead.

It’s amazing to consider how Matthew Lillard’s career could have gone. After appearing in the revival of Twin Peaks, he could easily have become known for playing a famous comic book villain. It makes you wonder what another universe would be like – one where Lillard played Negan in The Walking Dead, sporting the leather jacket and wielding Lucille, while Skeet Ulrich took on the role of Rick Grimes. It’s fun to imagine those alternate possibilities!

As a fan, I’ve been thinking about what if Billy Lillard had played Negan instead of Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Honestly, I don’t think we’d have gotten the same character. They’re just built differently, and Lillard’s acting style is so different from JDM’s. It makes me wonder if the show would have stuck closer to the comics’ version of Negan. The show has always seemed to protect Negan, treating him like he has to survive – and the new spin-off, Dead City, proves that with two seasons already. But you know what? I bet even Lillard’s Negan would have eventually become a sort of lovable anti-hero. Billy Lillard just has that charm!

Lillard also complimented Morgan, describing him as “great – different and masculine.” It makes you wonder if, in a different scenario, Lillard might have hit the gym to really fill out that leather jacket.

The actor, now that his zombie-filled projects are finished, is currently starring in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 in theaters. He’s also slated to appear in upcoming seasons of the highly anticipated horror series by Mike Flanagan, including Carrie, and the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. Fans are hoping he’ll join the DC Universe, especially since he previously worked with DCU co-head James Gunn on Scooby-Doo.

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2025-12-07 23:38