Arts & Entertainment
‘Walking Dead’s’ Daryl Dixon was almost a gay character
series creator almost gave the character a different sexual orientation
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Daryl Dixon is a fan favorite on AMC’s “The Walking Dead” but the character almost had the honor of being the show’s first gay character.
Norman Reedus, who portrays Daryl, spoke with the Mirror Online and said series’ co-creator Frank Darabont toyed with the idea of Daryl having a same-sex relationship.
“There was a time on the show where Frank [Darabont] was going to have me be gay, but he won’t admit it,” Reedus says. “If he admits it’s like he’ll kill you. He referred to it as ‘prison gay,’ and I didn’t know what that meant.”
“We were there and he said ‘what do you think if we made Daryl gay?’ and I was like let’s do it, let’s do it!” He was like ‘I knew I picked the right guy for this job,'” Reedus continued.
While Daryl’s sexuality has never been addressed, the show appears to have shifted to a setting up a possible romance between Daryl and Melissa McBride’s character Carol.
“It never happened obviously, but I’m not against it and if it happened I would be down for it and I’d try to kick ass at it but I don’t know if that’s where we’re going with it. It hasn’t come up other than fans, and Tom [Payne] joking about it.”
Payne plays Jesus, a character who is gay in the comic book series who will also come out on the show.
Payne told ComicBook.com, “I can’t tell you how that might be addressed in the show or how it would come across, but yeah. Essentially he is the same as he is the comic books in that regard.”
“The Walking Dead” airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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