The Dead City stars reveal why the unlikely friendship works
Summary
– Jeffrey Dean Morgan says Negan learns he does not have to face everything alone
– Jimmi Simpson believes Negan and Dillard recognize the loneliness hiding beneath each other’s defenses
– Their real-life friendship helped shape the chemistry between the two Dead City characters
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jimmi Simpson are opening up about the unusual friendship between Negan and Dillard on The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 and how their own connection helped bring the relationship to life.
During a joint interview, Morgan explained that one of Negan’s biggest lessons this season is realizing he cannot do everything alone. He described Dillard as someone Negan gradually allows into his life, giving the longtime Walking Dead character something he has rarely experienced: a genuine friend. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Simpson sees a similar connection between the characters because both men are profoundly lonely in different ways. He said each has developed his own form of camouflage to hide that loneliness, with Dillard recognizing the exhausted person beneath Negan’s armor. At the same time, Negan begins to realize that Dillard is far more perceptive than people assume.
Morgan said Negan has spent years surrounded by people, yet remained emotionally separate from them. Dillard’s personality slowly breaks through those defenses, allowing Negan to treat him as an equal and eventually show genuine affection toward him.
That development leads to moments Morgan believes are unusual for Negan, including putting his arm around Dillard and openly showing pride in his friend. Morgan compared their dynamic to an odd couple, with two very different personalities unexpectedly becoming important to one another.
Simpson believes both characters had reached a point where they no longer expected to feel safe around another person. Their friendship challenges that mindset and reinforces the idea that it is never too late for someone to change how they see themselves or connect with another person.
That connection also extends beyond the characters. Simpson said he and Morgan immediately connected as people, and their affection helped strengthen what was already written into the Dead City scripts.
Morgan agreed that their friendship gives them additional freedom when working together. The chemistry between the actors has become an important part of Negan and Dillard’s relationship as Season 3 continues exploring what happens when two men accustomed to being alone finally allow someone else into their lives.
