Former The Walking Dead actor Jefferey DeMunn asked to be killed off the show in season two. While it's hard to imagine a time the series wasn't a success, The Walking Dead was considered something of a gamble when it began. Based on the cult graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, the series followed a policeman who wakes up from a coma following a zombie outbreak. The comic is famous for its shocking violence and bleak depiction of post-apocalyptic life and Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) was hired by AMC as showrunner for the first season.
The network only greenlit 6 episodes in case audiences didn't take to The Walking Dead, but it soon proved to be a ratings smash. Production on season two was far from smooth, however, when Darabont clashed with executives over budget cuts. AMC decided to focus their spending on the acclaimed Mad Men during this period, and cuts on The Walking Dead confined most of the action to a farm. Darabont's constant butting of heads over the issue led to his firing midway through the season.
Related: Frank Darabont Reflects On 'Walking Dead' Controversy
Many of the performers on The Walking Dead jumped on the show initially for the chance to work with Darabont, and the cast included veterans of his past movies like Laurie Holden and Jefferey DeMunn. Needless to say, the decision to fire Darabont was not a popular one among the cast, with DeMunn explaining in an interview with Cleveland.com that it directly led to his exit:
Dale's death was my decision. I was furious about how Frank was pushed out of the show. I spent a week not being able to take a full breath. And then I realized, 'Oh, I can quit.' So I called them and said, 'It's a zombie show. Kill me. I don't want to do this anymore.' It was an immense relief to me.
DeMunn's Dale often acted as a voice of reason in the early days of the show, and often argued for the group to stay true to the morals of the old world. This brought him into conflict with Jon Bernthal's Shane during season two, who believed the group had to abandon traditional morality to survive the new world. Dale was often considered a bit of a buzzkill by fans for his near constant complaining, but his death still proved shocking, where he's nearly gutted by a walker and Daryl mercy kills him.
Of course, the show soon became infamous for killing off major characters, and very few of the original line-up from the first two seasons still remain on the show. Darabont's firing remains controversial to this day, but the show managed to pull through and survive following his dismissal. The former showrunner is still embroiled in a lawsuit with AMC and is demanding percentages from The Walking Dead's profits.
Other producers on The Walking Dead – including Robert Kirkman – have also launched lawsuits against AMC, and are seeking $1 billion in profit from the network.
More: The Walking Dead Producers Suing AMC For $1 billion In Profit Loss
Source: Cleveland.com