The Walking Dead season 7: How Negan actor Jeffry Dean Morgan 'bullies' Andrew Lincoln to get into character

'We have to go and apologise and get back to being friends after takes, but it’s been intense'

Season seven of The Walking Dead has so far been defined by one character above all others: Negan.

The villain came crashing into the series during the season six finale, killing off two characters in this season’s debut, and managing to almost completely break Rick Grimes into submission.

However, Negan’s terrible antics don’t stop when the camera stops rolling. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jeffrey Dean Morgan revealed how - before filming begins - he basically bullies Andrew Lincoln, trying to get inside the actor’s head, mimicking his character.

“I know I’m doing my job the more mad Andy Lincoln gets,” Morgan told the publication. “So if off-camera he’s screaming and swearing in between takes, I know me and Negan are doing our job and I’ve gotten him pretty riled up. And then, of course, we have to go and apologise and get back to being friends after takes, but it’s been intense. And that is fun.”

In the same interview, Morgan spoke about how much he enjoys being on set, mainly thanks to the great cast but also because of the character.

"I’ve just never had more fun playing a character,” he admitted. “He’s really complicated and it’s a lot of work. A lot goes into what you will see on the screen with this character. But I go home every night thinking, ‘Oh my God, that is the most fun I’ve ever had.’ And he’s horrible.

“Negan does some horrible things, which I don’t necessarily feel great about while we’re doing it. But then again, reading the graphic novel and bringing him to life, it has been incredibly challenging. And I love that challenge of bringing him to life. And I love watching the cast reaction.”

The Walking Dead returns for season seven, episode five tonight, the trailer for which you can watch here.