Air Norman: How a Basketball Legend Inspired a Daryl Dixon Zombie Kill
With the anticipation of The Walking Dead’s 100th episode and season 8 premiere, fans are more excited than ever. Not only does the upcoming season promise to be breath of fresh air compared to season 7, it’s a celebration and a new beginning of sorts.
Not only is it a milestone reached, it’s the beginning of the path to the next milestone, so everyone who loves the series is looking back at what’s made it so great up to this point, and anticipating what will make it grow in the future.
In a series of interviews, EW has given us yet another behind the scenes look at the series. This time, it’s about a particular zombie kill that Norman Reedus explains was inspired by Michael Jordan. So obviously, it’s one of the greatest.
So how exactly did Michael Jordan inspire that Daryl Dixon zombie kill? The answer not only describes a ‘dope’ scene but how it brought the team together in a moment that was really cool for Norman.
‘There was one in the courtyard. Mikey Satrazemis, he’s behind the camera and he goes, ‘You know what would look really cool is if you just jump straight up and came down straight on his head, like Michael Jordan.’ It looks so dope.’
Norman also explained how that idea helped the cast and crew grow closer with one another. It started a camaraderie where they’re all involved in the entire process. For a show like The Walking Dead, that only helps to make the show run so incredibly.
‘In a lot of the photos you see of that online, there’s just a handle because you can’t jump up, and I don’t even think we had rubber weapons back then, it was so long ago. But you see me coming down, and boom! And it started this camaraderie between the cast and the camera department and our crew — everyone is so involved in everything. I remember him giving me that and being like, oh, man, that guy’s got my back. He’s not just doing the camera. He’s in it.’
He describes his other favorite kill as the one where Daryl whips the zombies across the face with the chain, and we have to admit, that’s up there on our list of best kills as well. You can see the video of Norman describing the kills – and totally getting into it – here.
The Walking Dead premieres on AMC on October 22nd.
‘…but I knew him’
