Wait what? Norman Reedus’ taste buds crave a human connection?

With its riveting story and incredible 11-season run, Frank Darabont’s horror-drama series, The Walking Dead, has solidified its place in popular culture. The AMC series ended its run after 177 overwhelming and entertaining episodes, but it is still winning our hearts. Indeed, the undead universe is thriving more than ever, as evidenced by several acclaimed spin-off series, including The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, starring the inimitable Norman Reedus.

Norman Reedus in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (Credit: AMC)
Due to its great popularity, the second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has already been renewed. Well, if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, you probably already know that the cast and crew spend a lot of time together filming. And with such close quarters and long hours on set, it’s no surprise that they might have a complaint or two about each other.

For example, Lauren Cohan—who portrayed Maggie Greene—once spoke out about Reedus’ quirky habit of greeting people by licking their faces.

The Walking Dead: Lauren Cohan’s Complaint about Norman Reedus’ Licking Habit 

Sure, we do agree that everyone has secrets—sometimes very dark—that should be kept to themselves. For example, Norman Reedus, 55, who played Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead, has one.

Back in 2014, in a video interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lauren Cohan revealed a rather unusual and disturbing habit of Reedus. Can you guess what his standard greeting involves? It’s not a handshake or a hug, but a “lick” to the face—Reedus’ signature salutation—that has the cast jestingly recoiling.
Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in The Walking Dead (Credit: AMC)
No matter how much grime and dirt someone is covered in for the show, Cohan disclosed that Reedus’ “standard greeting” is to lick their face:

“That Norman is disgusting, and he actually licks people. His greeting…his standard greeting is to lick someone’s face when we are covered in stuff like this [pointing to the dirt and grime on her arms]. Everybody this is…everybody.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Lincoln, who played the series’ main protagonist, said in the same interview:

“You go on the red carpet with Norman, and he’s got the bird or the lick.  think it begins with the bird, and then if you grow in confidence or if you really offend him, he will lick you. He’s a licker, not a fighter.”

In fact, he cautioned against wearing white around Reedus since the latter “wipes his face on people’s vests”.

Well, while it may sound a bit unconventional, it’s just one of the many quirks that make The Walking Dead cast and crew so endearing.

Norman Reedus’ Surprising Revelation on Landing the Role of Daryl Dixon

The Hollywood Reporter earlier spoke with Norman Reedus, who disclosed that during his initial audition for The Walking Dead, he did not even read for Daryl Dixon’s role. This was because the character had not yet been created.
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead (Credit: AMC)
In the show, Reedus had tried to read the lines for Michael Rooker’s character, Merle Dixon, who was Daryl’s older brother. The former explained:

“They got me in for an audition — not in front of Frank [Darabont] — but I read Merle’s lines. I’d already been told that Michael Rooker was playing that part and thought maybe he couldn’t do it or said no for some reason.”

Then the actor actually received a call to retry for the role, this time reading a different line for Merle’s character. Reedus would get a call after the audition informing him that Frank Darabont had written a new role, especially for the American Gangster star.

It seems that Reedus’ two readings during the audition process for the Merle role struck a chord with the writers and producers, as they chose to develop a new character in The Walking Dead. Hence, Daryl Dixon, Merle’s younger brother, came into being. Recalling his response, Reedus told THR:

“I did cartwheels in Chinatown! It was a dream. I didn’t know how long I’d last or if it was just one episode. But the job since Day 1 has been my favorite working experience ever and it continues to be. I feel very blessed to be here.”

Surprisingly, Reedus was not even positive he would maintain his new character for longer than an episode. However, Dixon would go on to become one of the most well-liked characters on the show. The actor has played Daryl for more than 13 years and later went on to star in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, his own spinoff series.

The Walking Dead is streaming on Netflix.