Sunday's mid-season finale of
The Walking Dead was a bit of a shocker for fans, as it was revealed that
Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) had been bitten by a walker, and that the character would exit the long-running series when it returned in February.
Many were confused at the decision to kill off Carl, who is still alive in the comic books and plays a larger role after the "All Out War" storyline that the show is currently adapting. Riggs previously expressed his disappointment and shock in an interview with the
Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he had just bought a house in Georgia, where the show is filmed.
"It was devastating for me and my family because the show has been such a huge part of my life for so long. For a few days, we didn't know what to do; I just bought a house in Senoia. That was a big deal that I wouldn't be on anymore. I decided that I wanted to not go to college for at least a year and move to L.A. and focus on acting and music. It ended up being a great thing because now I get to do all kinds of other stuff that I haven't been able to do in the last eight years."
Riggs went on to explain that the death served the story, and that he's looking forward to future opportunities, but his father had a different story. In a now-deleted response to a fan question on his Facebook business page, Riggs' father seemed to suggest that showrunner Scott Gimple fired his son from the show after promising he'd be kept on for another three years.
"Watching Gimple fire my son 2 weeks before his 18th birthday after telling him they wanted him for the next 3 years was disappointing. I never trusted Gimple or AMC but Chandler did. I know how much it hurt him. But we absolutely know how lucky we have been to be a part of it all and appreciate all the love from fans all these years."
Riggs' father didn't provide any additional detail as to the reason his son would be fired, though it's certainly surpising information if true. Would you have liked to see Riggs continue on as Carl on The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments.
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