AMC’s The Walking Dead has some memorable performances, but some actors who play these iconic characters originally tried out for other roles. TWD, being set in a zombie apocalypse, has viewers saying goodbye to many adored characters over the seasons and across the spinoffs, such as the numerous deaths during the Whisperer War, like Tara, or devastating deaths like Glenn’s and Abraham’s at the hands of Negan. That being said, the long-running nature of the franchise also resulted in countless The Walking Dead characters being added, whether it’s a one-off or a series regular, as storylines develop.

Some original characters that remain in the Walking Dead timeline now weren’t even a result of auditioning, such as Melissa McBride’s Carol. The actress, who worked with executive producer Frank Darabont on The Mist, was asked to join TWD. Conversely, some characters didn’t even exist until the audition process started, indicating how much of an impact the right casting had on the show as a whole. While a few characters had numerous well-known actors vying for the role or kept in mind by producers, like The Mist‘s Thomas Jane for Rick and Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm for Negan, some actors on the show first tried out to play other characters.

7 Ethan Embry As Carter

Supposedly Auditioned For Rick And Shane

Embry’s time on The Walking Dead is brief, only spanning one episode, but he plays an integral part in it. In “First Time Again,” Carter is an antagonist in the Alexandria Safe-Zone who counters Rick’s leadership, attempts to kill Eugene, and eventually comes around by seeing Rick as a worthy leader for implementing defense lessons for Alexandrians. While outside the walls, Carter is bitten and Rick mercy-kills him before he can turn.

Interestingly, Carter interacts with the supposed character Embry originally went out for. Embry shares with EW, “I’d been trying to get on [The Walking Dead] for a while now. I auditioned for the pilot and fell in love with the whole idea of that show from the get-go.” While he stays tip-lipped about the exact roles he tried out for, the pilot options aren’t expansive, meaning it’s most likely Rick and Shane. Despite this, Embry made a lasting impression since he was personally invited to play the role of Carter.

6 Laurie Holden As Andrea

Auditioned For Lori

Holden’s time on the show as one of the original season 1 characters, Andrea, makes it difficult to imagine her playing any other role on The Walking Dead. Andrea goes through a period of hopelessness in season 1 after losing her sister. Thanks to Dale, her father figure in the first two seasons, she escaped the CDC before the explosion. She’s also important to the introduction of fan-favorite, Michonne (Danai Gurira), in season 3, as they both get taken to Woodbury where they meet the iconic villain, The Governor (David Morrissey).

While Andrea’s death is one of the earlier heartbreaking instances of an original character’s death, Holden initially went out for Lori, who also has a gut-wrenching death. Interestingly, Holden was approached by Darabont to try out specifically for Lori. She explains to THR, “I donned a dark wig, put myself on tape for the network, and then got offered the part of Andrea.”

5 Khary Payton As Ezekiel

Auditioned Previously For A Woodbury Resident

Payton’s Ezekiel is a memorable character from the moment audiences meet him and his majestic tiger, Shiva, at the Kingdom. He provides a sense of almost outlandish regality at first, slowly becoming a noble and valiant fighter with the Alexandrians. His romance with Carol also adds an extra layer to his development, namely family dynamics as he and Carol adopt Henry. Ezekiel becomes a leader by the end of the series as the governor of the new Commonwealth, highlighting that, at his core, he is destined to guide others.

Payton shares he figured out who he was auditioning for fairly easily with the audition sides naming his character King Augustus and indicating he has a pet lion. He tells THR, “I realized that the monologue they’d given me was almost verbatim from the comic book moment where Ezekiel tells Michonne who he was before he became the king.” However, previously, Payton had gone out for a smaller role on the show, and had he gotten it, he would’ve been a Woodbury resident in season 3 (via Express).

4 Sonequa Martin-Green As Sasha

Read For Michonne

Martin-Green’s Sasha is so ingrained in the show’s lore, from her representation of emotional trauma and grief after losing her brother and Bob to her sacrifice to try and take down Negan. In the show from season 3 until season 7, Sasha becomes a strong soldier for Rick’s group. Even after she turns into a walker, her importance to the group is evident in moments when they remember her. For instance, Eugene finds her coffin in the Sanctuary in season 8, and Rick encounters her in his hallucinations in season 9 where she helps him shake out of his dream-like state.

Martin-Green shared with THR that she wasn’t sure who she was auditioning for at first since it’s kept secret but that she later found out it was Michonne. She expressed that Gurira is the right choice and that despite not landing the role herself, it led to an unexpected opportunity for Sasha. Martin-Green explains, “[Former showrunner Glen Mazarra] wanted to work with me and wrote Sasha for me. I did not come back in to audition, he said it was my role.” Originally meant to be a recurring role, Martin-Green’s character became a regular, therefore allowing her involvement in key story arcs like the Savior War.

3 Ted Huckabee As Bruce

Auditioned For Merle

Bruce may not be as widely known as some others as he’s more of a background character throughout most of the Alexandria and Savior War seasons. However, his character exhibits an everyday perspective, showcasing how someone who isn’t a leader can display adaptability and discipline. While he strays sometimes, like when he attempts to help raid the pantry in Alexandria, he reverts to being a loyal community member, ultimately dying for his dedication after a Savior attack on Hilltop.

Huckabee describes Bruce in an interview with Undead Walking as a “standup guy” who will choose to fight when forced into a fight-or-flight situation. Unlike Bruce, Huckabee originally auditioned for a “redneck, racist guy,” as he puts it, more commonly known as Merle. While Merle went to Michael Rooker, Huckabee got a second chance years later to audition for the show, and so Bruce came to be.

2 Jon Bernthal As Shane

Auditioned For Rick

Bernthal’s Shane, although only around for 2 seasons, is one of the most recognizable characters from the show. He creates an instant antagonistic force for Rick through his affair with Lori, his anger issues, and his more violent, offense-focused survival approach. He’s arguably one of the most crucial characters in the early seasons as he not only acts as a forcible means to show Rick that an all-peace approach is not sustainable, but he also is the final element that takes away Carl’s innocence since the young boy kills him at the end of season 2.

While Bernthal’s Shane was volatile, Bernthal also tried out for the more level-headed (at least in the early seasons) Rick. He shares that the audition process had the contenders for the roles act in the pilot scene where Rick and Shane are in the police car. Actors would swap roles and do the scene numerously with different partners. Bernthal says, “Even though I read for both roles, I wanted Shane and by the end of the day the only thing that was decided was that I would play Shane” (via THR).

1 Norman Reedus As Daryl

Auditioned For Merle

Reedus’ Daryl is one of AMC’s The Walking Dead characters with the most love among fans. His spinoff, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which is confirmed for a second season, is a testament to his impact, despite being a man of few words. From his first appearance in season 1 straight through the show and into his spinoff, Daryl has overcome isolation, mental torment, loss, countless human and walker attacks, and even become a parental figure of sorts to Judith, RJ, and Laurent. Arguably, his resilience, quiet nature, and unconventional upbringing make him an observant thinker with resourcefulness seemingly attuned to apocalyptic scenarios.

This makes all the more sense considering he was constructed purely for the TWD TV universe. Reedus shares that he auditioned for his fictional brother Merle even after he knew Rooker was given the part. At the time, he wasn’t sure if it was because of a scheduling conflict or Rooker turning it down. After a second audition, also for Merle, Reedus recalls, “I was walking home through Chinatown and got a call saying Frank created a new part — Daryl — for me. I did cartwheels in Chinatown!” (via THR). Actors like Reedus and Martin-Green highlight how adaptive The Walking Dead was to the talent they met.