‘Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus Exposed: 10 Bizarre Facts About the Man Behind Daryl Dixon
Hey I have a question for you, who's your favorite character on The Walking Dead? I know, it's a tough call, between all the fascinating personalities and the complicated ha ha ha HAAAAAA I'm just kidding. There's obviously only one acceptable answer, and that's Daryl Dixon.
Tragically, we all have to endure a break from our favorite crossbow-sporting, poncho-wearing redneck until The Walking Dead starts up again in October. In the meantime, though, why not take this opportunity to brush up on your knowledge about actor Norman Reedus in this handy-dandy trivia list I've put together for you? Between Reedus's recent (SMOKING HOT) Terry Richardson photos, his past modeling career, his appearance in a Lady Gaga video, and his famous babymama, I guarantee you'll learn something new about the fascinating man who plays Daryl.
His recent photo shoot is amaaaaaaaaaazing. Let's start with his recent work with Terry Richardson. I don't always love Richardson's celebrity images, but these photos of Norman Reedus in Full Daryl Mode? These are … well. Just take a look at this one. And this one. And this one.
Damn.
He's a legitimate music video star. While Reedus has been in a ton of movies, you may remember him best from his role as Murphy McManus in The Boondock Saints. But did you know he also appeared in Lady Gaga's Judas video? No, he doesn't dance around or anything, but he does get a lipstick-studded gun smeared across his face. Behold:
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagn8Wrmzuc
Weirdly enough, that's just one of the handful of music videos he's been in. The list includes Flat Top by Goo Goo Dolls, Cats In The Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe, Strange Currencies by R.E.M., Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead, Violently Happy by Björk, and Wicked as it Seems by Keith Richards.
He's an artist. According to Wikipedia, Reedus not only acts, he's a painter, sculptor, and photographer whose artwork is currently being shown in galleries in New York, Berlin, and Frankfurt. Not just a pretty face, you guys.
He has a teenage son. Reedus used to date Danish model supermodel Helena Christensen from 1998 until 2003. They have a son, Mingus Lucien Reedus, who was born in 1999. I'm totally fascinated by this tidbit because Helena Christensen was the gorgeous babe in Chris Isaak's Wicked Game video, and the lyrics for Wicked Game sort of sound like he's singing about the walking dead.
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dwH5m3Cao
See what I mean? "No, IIIIIII … don't want to fall in love … (zombie zombie, zombie zombie)."
(Okay fine, it's "This world is only gonna break your heart," but work with me here.)
He's part cyborg. Sorta. He was in a car accident in 2005 that left him with titanium eye socket in his left eye and four screws in his nose.
He's been a model. For Prada, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Durban, Levi's, Lexus, and Morgenthal Fredrics.
He's got a hell of a crazy story on how he got started in acting:
I followed a girl to Los Angeles and was immediately dumped. I got a job at a motorcycle shop in Venice called "Dr. Carls Hog Hospital". The day I quit that job a friend took me to a party up in the hills, a movie people party. I drank way too much and started screaming at the party from the second story of the living room with these giant sunglasses on, someone asked if I wanted to be in a play and took me for pizza to talk about it. They told me I would get paid so I did it. The first night of the play a wonderful angel of a woman, who was an agent saw me and side pocketed me. Hip pocketed me. Whatever you call that and then I booked some stuff and kept running ever since.
He's got his own nickname for Baby Judith on The Walking Dead. It's "Lil' Ass-kisser."
His character on The Walking Dead was created specifically for him. Daryl doesn't exist in the comics -- Frank Darabont wrote the character for Reedus after the actor auditioned for the role of Merle.
He says that in a number of ways, he's a lot like Daryl Dixon:
Uh, I'm shy. I'm socially awkward. I'm a loner myself. I'm more of a listener than a talker. I value friendship—I'd do anything for my friends, and I think he's like that. I'm not afraid to take chances or go off on my own. And a lot like Daryl, I'll go off in a direction and try something completely wrong, and learn my lesson, you know what I'm sayin'? And then all the obvious reasons I'm not like him one bit; I mean, I'm driving back to Manhattan with a cat in my lap right now.
So, are you crushing on Norman Reedus even MORE now, like me?
Image via AMC