Even though The Walking Dead has been pretty slow so far during season 2 (personally I loved ALL 6 episodes from the first season) it’s been bandied about that season 2 will pick up, and it’s already been picked up for a 3rd season of 16 episodes.

Well, word has been trickling out that Tom Savini has been actively campaigning to play the character from the comic, THE GOVERNOR*. If you’re familiar with the comic and the character, then you know THE GOVERNOR is probably the most notable antagonist of the series, and is the center of (horrifying) life altering events to the lead, Rick Grimes.

The most interesting bit of news is that even though Savini is actively campaigning to play the character, AMC has someone else in mind. Here’s the skinny.

Listen, I have been campaigning to be the governor on that damn thing with Greg Nicotero for over a year. Everytime I see the graphic novel, and I see a picture of the governor, who looks just like me, I send Greg a picture. I just won’t give up. Last time I talked to him about it, when I was in Los Angeles, he said they were going after a name for that part. I said, “Who?” He said John Hawkes. Well, I never heard of John Hawkes. But then he reminds me that we were in From Dusk Till Dawn together. He is the guy at the beginning in the store that fires on them. Apparently he was up for an Academy Award. He was up for something called Winter’s Bone. That’s whom they are going after for The Governor. But everyone I talk to, the people that read the graphic novels…They’ve all said that I would be the perfect governor. Because he is tough and brutal. And…I look just like the graphic depiction of him!

So they want JOHN HAWKES to play the role. He’s an amazing actor, and it would be cool if they actually landed him. Although the genre fan in me really wants to see Savini take a crack at the character. Either way, both of them would have a lot of fun with the role. I honestly want to see if the show has the balls to actually head to the dark area the comic did when the character showed up.

*There had been a rumor that Michael Rooker’s character, Merle, was going to turn out to be The Governor, and with this news now, I’m kind of saddened that that means there won’t be Rooker showing up as part of the main cast for an entire season. Plus there’s already this awesome poster.

Source: movieweb