Meet The Governor of AMC’s ‘THE WALKING DEAD’

At long last and after months of rumors and speculation, the iconic character known as ‘The Governor’ has been cast.  Since AMC first began an adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s zombie series The Walking Dead in 2010, fans have been anxious to see not only when the character will appear but who will be portraying the vicious leader who rules a group of civilians with an iron fist (and later an eye patch).  AMC has now announced that David Morrissey will play the upcoming villain in Season 3 of the hit show.

I come from the standpoint of being a reader of the comics and a fan of the show.  Without giving away much about the character, I will say that ‘The Governor’ is an interesting character for a lot of reasons.  Yes, he’s cruel, violent, dangerous, and badass – all of the attributes of a great villain.  However he also represents how badly the general populous cries out for a leader.  People (in a general sense) want to be governed.  They want to feel a sense of order and only feel safe if there is a ruler overseeing their lives.  It’s interesting that we still feel the desire to operate as a “normal” society even when all hell has broken loose on Earth and each day could potentially be your last.  What’s even more troubling though than this need to be governed is how easily the corrupt can slip into this position of power.  The Governor is exactly this.  He’s a bad man who has only become even worse due to his level of power over the people.  I will let you infer the obvious social metaphors that can be linked to our own government.

To see how the British actor portrays the tyranical leader, we unfortunately will have to wait awhile considering we are still in the middle of Season 2.  I loved the actor in the Red Riding Trilogy and have confidence he will continue to shine in this new role as well.  Plus . . . I secretly ADORE the ridiculous over-the-top nature of Basic Instinct 2 which he starred opposite Sharon Stone in.  Granted, that film is clearly not for everyone.

From the Press Release:
AMC announced today that David Morrissey has been cast in the role of The Governor in the network’s critically acclaimed hit series “The Walking Dead.” The Governor, a character from Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel, is the leader of Woodbury, a small settlement of survivors, and becomes the chief antagonist for Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group.

The Governor will appear in “The Walking Dead” Season Three, a 16-episode order from AMC, which begins production this spring in Atlanta.

A BAFTA Award nominee, Morrissey has appeared in many acclaimed British series including “State of Play,” “Meadowlands,” “The Deal” and “Blackpool.” Along with his celebrated work in television, Morrissey is also known for his leading roles in feature films such as The Reaping, The Other Boleyn Girl, Centurion, The Water Horse, Nowhere Boy and Blitz. He recently wrapped Welcome to the Punch opposite James McAvoy and Mark Strong.