KEY POINTS

  • King Ezekiel is essayed by Khary Payton
  • Khary Payton initially auditioned to play a different role
  • The actor is a fan of "The Walking Dead" comics
     

There’s a lot of hype surrounding the Season 10 finale of “The Walking Dead” as rumours are ripe that a key character would be killed off.

According to numerous plot rumours, King Ezekiel, the character essayed by Khary Payton, is a possible candidate.

King Ezekiel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in season 9 and last year, showrunner Angela Kang said she was keen to explore the possibility of someone falling prey to a chronic illness.

“We wanted to explore what it means for a character to get that kind of a diagnosis in this world, and especially with a character who is so joyful and such a strong leader, and so optimistic, and to have to grapple with something like that,” Kang told Entertainment Weekly.

Ezekiel’s death would indeed be a devastating blow, as the former zookeeper is one of the most joyful characters in the zombie apocalypse drama.

Recently, Payton opened up about his time on “The Walking Dead” and revealed that he nearly played a different character.

Speaking to the 4d Xperience podcast, Payton said that he got an audition to play someone in Woodbury, a Georgia town led by the Governor.

"I can’t even remember who the person was,” he said, adding: “Actually, I probably wouldn’t know, because I don't think the audition sides have anything to do with what the character actually is. But I obviously didn’t get that one."

Although Khary then read for the role of 'Augustus,' he wasn’t fooled when bosses said the character had a pet lion.

The actor is a fan of “The Walking Dead” comics by Robert Kirkman, the source material for the AMC show, and he knew Ezekiel was famous for his pet lion.

Kirkman recently revealed that "The Walking Dead" Season 10 finale will air sometime in the near future. The series came to a premature end due to the coronavirus pandemic and the penultimate episode of the season has left fans wondering about the fate of all key players.

While filming had been completed, post-production work is yet to be competed.

A cosplayer is dressed as a character from "The Walking Dead"
A cosplayer is dressed as a character from "The Walking Dead" AFP / Michele Spatari
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