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Norman Reedusis keeping the spirit of Daryl Dixon alive.
WhileThe Walking Deadis coming to an end this fall after its11-season run, Reedus told PEOPLE exclusively that he brought some meaningful mementoes of his zombie-killing character home with him after filming wrapped in March.
But that’s not all! Aside from a select few wardrobe pieces and props–turned–artifacts that have been inducted into theSmithsonian Museum, Reedus reveals that he “has all the other vests — and I think, all the other crossbows. I think I have like eight crossbows now, which is crazy.”
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He also made mention that he was the first person to give a speech during the final day on set — and after 12 years of filming and “14 straight months of shooting,” nerves still ran high for the seemingly fearless actor.
“There were a lot of tears and a lot of speeches,” Reedus says. “They handed me the mic first and I was like, ‘Uh oh,’ because I was nervous… It was super emotional.”
He adds, “I think what I’ll miss the most is the people, not just the cast, but the crew. You become very tight with the crew after that long. We’ve become really good friends and a lot of us still keep in contact.”
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Despite the many emotions poured out on set that night, reality didn’t kick in for Reedus until he left. “It was sort of surreal when it was happening. It kind of hit me when I drove home,” he recalls.
“I take a certain way to my house in Georgia through the woods, and when I got to my gate, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m never going to take that route again,'” he tells PEOPLE. “The sun was coming up [it was an all night shoot] and it kind of hit me in the car. I was like, ‘Wow, that just ended.'”
Reedus was optimistic about the bittersweet ending, suggesting, “Maybe when I feel sad, I’ll just put on [Daryl’s] outfit and walk around downtown.”
Then he has a second thought: “Nah, that would get weird.”
source: people.com
