Published on April 3, 2026
When *The Walking Dead* introduced Negan in 2016, Jeffrey Dean Morgan didn’t just play the role; he owned it. The barbed-wire bat, the swagger, the menace—Morgan’s portrayal instantly became one of the most talked-about villain debuts in television history. However, it turns out there was a fleeting moment when that iconic character could have been portrayed by a different actor: Matthew Lillard.
Lillard, known for roles in everything from *Scream* to *Scooby-Doo*, recently shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story on *The Big Thing podcast*. After going through multiple callbacks for the role of Negan, he was told he hadn’t landed the part. Or so he thought. Years later, during a chance encounter at San Diego Comic-Con, Lillard discovered just how close he had come to snagging the role.
“The creator of the show comes over, and he said, ‘You have no idea. You had the part for like 10 minutes. At that point, I would’ve had another 10 years of work,’” Lillard recounted.
Yes, just ten minutes. That’s how long Lillard was technically Negan before Morgan stepped in and secured the iconic role. It’s a startling alternate history when you consider how defining that character became throughout multiple seasons of *The Walking Dead* and its spin-off, *The Walking Dead: Dead City*. Negan evolved into a fan-favorite antihero, making Morgan’s portrayal almost synonymous with the character.
However, Lillard suggests that his interpretation would have been markedly different. “He’s super masculine, and I just would’ve been more wicked and funny,” Lillard noted. “He was super badass and masculine. We would have had very different takes.”
This presents a captivating “what-if” scenario. Morgan leaned into a grounded, intimidating presence, while Lillard hinted at a portrayal that could have been more chaotic, perhaps even unhinged in its own way. Fans familiar with Lillard’s unpredictable performance as Stu in *Scream* can easily envision the different flavor he might have brought to Negan.
Lillard clearly recognizes the legacy of the character, stating, “That part goes on. He becomes a legend.” Indeed, Negan became one of the defining figures in the *The Walking Dead* universe, and it’s challenging to imagine anyone else stepping into those boots now.
Nonetheless, it’s intriguing to think about what Lillard’s version of Negan might have entailed. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a diverse range of performances, including recent work in *Daredevil: Born Again*. There’s little doubt he could have delivered a memorable take on the character.
As the *Walking Dead* franchise continues to expand, with new seasons of *The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon* and *Dead City* set to roll out, it’s clear that this universe isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Yet, the concept of an alternate version of Negan—one as imagined —remains a tantalizing prospect for fans to ponder. Many believe he would have been fantastic had he actually landed the part.
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