Don’t miss season 2 out on September 29!
Norman Reedusjakub-prochazka/MoviestillsDB
At this point in his career, Norman Reedus is a veteran zombie hunter. After all, he’s been going head to head with the undead since 2010 when he first made his debut on AMC’s hit post-apocalyptic series The Walking Dead. While he rose to fame for his role as the rugged Daryl Dixon, a part he’s still playing to this day in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, his early roles in movies such as The Boondock Saints (1999) paved the way for the impressive career he enjoys today. Here, learn all about Norman Reedus and the movies and TV shows he’s brought to life over the years.
Norman Reedus’ early movies
Reedus’ early films, though many have gone under the radar, he’s described as “little yearbooks of my life,” per GQ. For example, his 1997 film Six Ways to Sunday put him alongside Adrien Brody and Debbie Harry during “a very experimental phase” of his life and career. Other films of this era included The Boondock Saints where he starred alongside Willem Dafoe and Sean Patrick Flanery.
Norman Reedus, 1998Lindsay Brice/Corbis via Getty Images
Throughout the 2000s, Reedus kept busy with both movie and TV roles, including parts in Charmed, Masters of Horror and Law & Order: SVU, in addition to film work. However, it was 2010 that would provide him the boost that would change his life.
Norman Reedus, Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead was based on the popular comics, but ironically, Reedus’ character of Daryl Dixon wasn’t even in them. When auditioning for the show, he was actually pursuing the role of Merle, Daryl’s older brother, who was eventually brought to life expertly by Michael Rooker. Reedus’ audition, however, was so impressive, the part of Daryl was created specifically with him in mind.
The rugged Daryl Dixon stole hearts right off the bat, proving not long into the series that he was a critical member of the group and their survival. Often seen wielding a crossbow, so beloved was his character that he earned his own spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, that has a new season, The Book of Carol, hitting the airwaves on September 29. The series also features Melissa McBride.
Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun and Andrew Lincoln, 2015John Shearer/Getty Images for AMC
Life and career away from the walkers
While fighting off gruesome zombies has taken up a good chunk of his time over the years, Norman Reedus isn’t a one trick pony. The Sun’s Coming Up…Like a Big Bald Head is a book of photography he released in 2013. Other photography compilations he’s released include The Last Season, featuring behind-the-scenes photographs from his hit series The Walking Dead, as well as Portraits From the Woods. In 2022, he released The Ravaged, which he co-wrote with Frank Bill. He also hosted the popular series Ride With Norman Reedus, where his interest and love for motorcycles was put on full display as he traveled across the world exploring different facets of motorcycle culture.
On the film front, recent works include The Bikeriders (2023), which starred Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy. Don’t miss him in season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, out on September 29.
