As The Walking Dead’s audience gets bigger and evolves as each season goes by, the sanity-lacking outliers of the fanbase also get more numerous. Actor Tyler James Williams, who played the doomed Noah, learned that the hard and flossed way when a particularly dedicated viewer chomped down on the actor’s shoulder.
I got bit one time. I think it was like, ‘Haha. A joke!’ But it wasn’t funny. The last show I did, I was kind of ripped apart. So I think they thought it would be fun to reenact it, maybe. I just did not see it coming. They went in for a hug and bit me on the shoulder.
When saying hello or asking for an autograph just isn’t enough, there’s got to be something else you can do with your mouth to let Tyler James Williams know that you’re a fan of the show and you know what happened to his character. But not something subtle or in a manner that doesn’t transfer germs around. Oh, I know, bite him!
It’s a pretty crass way of going about doing anything that isn’t “removing fingernails” or “gaining calories,” especially with a stranger. But I can see how one would erroneously think that kind of behavior can be laughed off, and I’m glad that Williams doesn’t let them get off the hook for it.
To be fair, Noah’s death in Season 5 was one of the most shocking deaths due to his relatively new place within the group, and was also one of the grossest deaths due to the walkers turning his cheeks into taffy. So if you’re going to want to emulate a scene from the show in your own time and with your own revolving door, it’s a great choice. But don’t leave teeth marks on anyone.
As you might have either known or guessed, Tyler James Williams isn’t the first of Walking Dead’s many cast members to get bitten, and it should be no surprise that Norman Reedus also experienced that kind of ran reaction. Reedus, who plays fan favorite Daryl, likes to lick people, so he has slightly less room to complain than Williams. I guess. Reedus also gets some insane gifts from fans, so seemingly nothing is off the table when it comes to his relationship with the fanbase.
You can check out Williams telling the story with more chastising in the video below from TV Guide.
The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC. Kids and adults, please don’t try anything you see at home or while greeting a celebrity.
