On the early seasons of The Walking Dead, Jon Bernthal played Shane, a role that shaped his career in portraying tough, morally complex fighters. While Shane remained a fan favorite long after his death, Bernthal himself hasn’t kept up with what happened on the show since he left.

In a video interview with Jake’s Takes, Bernthal was asked about his relationship with The Walking Dead now that he’s no longer a part of it, and whether he still watches. “I got really, really busy after The Walking Dead,” Bernthal admitted. “You know, I had three kids, I was kind of working like crazy.”

However, his distance from the long-running series hasn’t changed his esteem for it. “I’ll tell you, that show is and will always be sort of the center of my heart,” he said. “I love that character, but more importantly, I love the people that made that show.”

Bernthal listed the names of several cast and crew members, many of whom, such as Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, are still central to the show ten seasons later. “It was really a beautiful group of people who were really all after something and did it with the spirit of collaboration and community. It’s really the best of what I think this whole filmmaking thing can be.”

After leaving The Walking Dead, Bernthal was cast as The Punisher in Netflix’s franchise of Marvel TV series. He first appeared in Season 2 of Daredevil opposite series lead Charlie Cox, with his portrayal of the character of Frank Castle received so favorably that it earned a spinoff series, which ran for two seasons.

The success of The Walking Dead after Bernthal’s departure has continued as well, with the show entering its eleventh season and spawning a variety of projects in The Walking Dead universe, including a series of films centered on the original protagonist Rick Grimes. “I’m enormously grateful for that show and I’m enormously grateful for the people I got to make it with,” Bernthal affirmed.