Michael Cudlitz on Directing Daryl’s Dog on ‘The Walking Dead’
Fan Fest San Jose took place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center December 1st and 2nd and cast members from The Walking Dead were in attendance.
On Saturday, The Walking Dead stars Pollyanna McIntosh, Christian Serratos, and Seth Gilliam as well as former cast member (and now periodic episode director) Michael Cudlitz took the panel stage to answer some fan questions.
Cudlitz made his directorial debut during The Walking Dead‘s ninth season in episode seven which was titled Stradivarius. During the episode, viewers get to catch up with fan-favorite character Daryl Dixon and learn a bit about where he has been living during the 6-year time jump. Though Daryl has been living in the woods, away from the rest of the other survivors, we soon learn that he’s not completely alone. He has a new companion of the canine variety who is his new best friend – a dog who is appropriately named Dog.
Cudlitz had the pleasure of not only directing his former castmates but also directing every Walking Dead fans new favorite character on the series, Dog. During his panel at Fan Fest San Jose, Cudlitz talked a little bit about directing Dog. Cudlitz said:
“I had tremendous success with Dog. Others didn’t.”
According to Cudlitz, Dog, whose real name is Seven, was nothing but a seasoned professional on set, though, as he said, others may have had some difficulties with the pup. Christian Serratos put it best when she followed up to Cudlitz’s comment by saying:
“Dog can be difficult. Dog’s a dog. He shouldn’t be working.”
Dog may be just a dog, but he’s already made a huge impact within The Walking Dead fandom. If you look on Twitter, you can see the hashtag #IfDogDiesWeRiot occasionally trending during the episodes and fans have even started up a petition to protect the beloved new character.
For now, while the show is on its mid-season break, Dog’s fate remains safe, and hopefully, Daryl’s new furry friend will continue to stay alive for many more episodes to come.
Do you love Dog as much as we do? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Keep your eyes here for more from the panels and Fan Fest San Jose!
The Walking Dead is on its mid-season break but will return with new episode on Sunday, February 10th on AMC.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
