Not often would I call a weekend surrounded by the living dead a ton of fun, but that was Walker Stalker Con in Edison New Jersey. Featuring the stars of AMC’s hit The Walking Dead, as well as some other special guests, Walker Stalker Con brought cast members old and new, alive and dead… together. While Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) and Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes) were the major attractions, many of the show’s biggest supporting stars were there as well, including Hershel (Scott Wilson), Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn). When my wife and I met with DeMunn for a photo opportunity I had a chance to speak with the actor briefly.

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One of the movies that deeply impacted me as a movie fan was Frank Darabont’s The Mist, especially for the ending, which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen it. When I asked DeMunn about the ending he said, “Well the studio wanted to change it, but Frank (Darabont) said “˜Hell no'”. DeMunn, a veteran with 114 acting credits on IMDb, has appeared in all 4 major films from the Oscar nominated director, including The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and The Majestic (2001). Darabont was the mastermind in bringing Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic to AMC television in 2010, and was the original showrunner. He had a very public falling out with AMC after he was fired midway through season 2 in 2011.

“Yeah when they did that to Frank I told them I wanted out,” DeMunn said. “Frank is good friend and I wasn’t going to stand there while they screwed him over like that. He worked for 5 years to get that show on the air.” DeMunn’s character Dale was killed off in season 2. He remains a fan favorite and had lines of fans seeking photos and autographs. In a nice moment while on line, Scott Wilson came over and the two senior actors hugged and talked briefly as fans watched on. Jeffrey DeMunn is having a busy 2016. He is currently on the Showtime series Billions playing dad to Paul Giamatti, and later the year he makes the jump to HBO to co-star in the new dramedy Divorce starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church.