Chandler Riggs knew Andrew Lincoln would leave The Walking Dead before any of us

The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs reveals he knew of Andrew Lincoln’s plan to leave the show long before any of us.

Andrew Lincoln’s departure from The Walking Dead may have been a huge surprise to loyal fans but wasn’t shocking at all to his TV son, Chandler Riggs.

Riggs, who starred as Carl Grimes until his death in season 8’s “Honor,” was very close to Lincoln, on and off camera. When discussing Lincoln’s exit during Walker Stalker Con in Orlando, Riggs revealed that he may have known about it long before all of us.

The 19-year-old star revealed at the panel that first and foremost, Lincoln’s leaving was a decision of his, unlike the network’s decision to kill Carl.

"I don’t want to speak on behalf of Andy, but I think Andy leaving was more of his choice because he had to leave his family for seven months. He had to leave his family for seven months at a time. Having to leave and go to work. He would come over to the states and film for that long, every single year for nine years straight. It’s just insane. There were times where I was going to school while I was on the show and there were times where I just was like ’Why am I even here? This is so pointless!’"

Riggs added that Lincoln’s dedication to the show was inspiring, but ultimately, his decision to leave wasn’t surprising.

"If Andy can leave his family every single year and come to do this show and be that dedicated to his work then I can spend a few hours at school every day. I always looked up to him. He was such an inspiring person to me, and I’m sure he was to you guys as well. But to hear them, to hear that he was leaving. It didn’t really surprise me."

Lincoln discussed the reason for leaving the show recently with EW Radio, relaying that his family was his priority. As much as he loved his time on The Walking Dead, he felt the time spent on set, and traveling back and forth to the U.K., needed to come to an end.

The Walking Dead veteran said then, “I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older. It was that simple. It was time for me to come home.”

A major reveal during the panel was for Riggs, like many of us, learned that Rick would be gone after season 9 from reading the news online. Still, he had been clued into Lincoln’s future plans long before.

"But we had talked about it about a year before. About him, what he wanted to do with his future. And it didn’t really involve the show."

Watch Chandler Riggs discussing Lincoln’s leaving the show below:

You can catch Fear the Walking Dead on AMC every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. The Walking Dead returns to us for a ninth season on October 7.