"The Walking Dead" Producer Weighs In On "Is Daryl Gay" Buzz
The Walking Dead returns to AMC tonight, and all anyone can talk about is whether badass zombie slayer Daryl Dixon will come out as gay.
Given that our protagonists are facing a tribe of (possibly) cannibal refugees in the premiere episode, there might not be time to address Daryl's sex life just yet. But the buzz about his orientation has only increased since Norman Reedus revealed the other week he thought Daryl might be "prison gay."
"Like, you’ll catch him looking at a member of the same sex, but if you mention it to him, he’ll just stab you and be like, 'What the fuck?,'" Reedus told GQ. "He will never admit it."
Then again, executive producer Greg Nicotero gave ABC News a somewhat different take this week: “I think he’s a virgin," he opined. "I don’t think Daryl has ever been close enough with anyone to have sex. I always imagined that he’s a shy 12-year-old kid who doesn't know how to handle the emotions that he has for people."
Showrunner Scott Gimple did confirm earlier this summer that TWD will introduce a gay male character in Season Five, but if it's Daryl, Nicotero says we shouldn't expect him to be a queer Casanova.
“I don’t think Daryl is the type of guy to just throw someone up against a tree and kiss in the moonlight,” Nicotero said. “I want that [sex scene] to be as awkward as possible. I don’t think Daryl has too much experience in that field.”
An awkward hookup with a crossbow-wielding survivor of the zombie apocalypse? Eh, we've had worse.
Below, Reedus spoofs the whole "Is Daryl gay" question in a behind-the-scenes photo.
I said yes pic.twitter.com/wz4hd9pBtd — norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) September 4, 2014The Walking Dead premieres October 12 at 9pm on AMC.
