A behind-the-scenes clash became a legendary on-set moment
Summary
– Danai Gurira resisted a heavily gory Walking Dead scene early on
– Scott Gimple insisted the moment remain in the episode
– Gurira completed the scene and smeared Gimple with zombie guts as payback
Danai Gurira once shared a memorable behind-the-scenes story from her early days on The Walking Dead involving showrunner Scott Gimple. The moment highlighted both creative tension and humor on set.
Gimple recalled that one of Gurira’s first episodes as Michonne featured an extremely graphic zombie encounter. The scene required Michonne to slash a decaying walker, causing its rotted insides to spill all over her.
Gurira initially refused to perform the scene, expressing apparent discomfort with being covered in zombie guts. Gimple admitted he pushed for the moment to stay, believing it was important for establishing the harsh reality of the character.
When filming took place, Gurira went through with the scene exactly as written. She finished the take completely drenched in fake blood and gore.
Rather than walking off frustrated, Gurira crossed the set and hugged Gimple while still covered in the mess. The gesture coated the showrunner in zombie remains and instantly flipped the tension into laughter.
The incident became a favorite story among cast and crew and remains a fan-loved anecdote. What began as a disagreement turned into a moment that perfectly captured the spirit behind the scenes.
