‘Fear the Walking Dead’: Garret Dillahunt Thinks Fans Will Like His Character

Garet Dillahunt as John — Garet Dillahunt described his “Fear the Walking Dead” character, John, as old-fashioned, pure, and unspoiled. AMC

Garret Dillahunt has a feeling that fans are going to love his “Fear the Walking Dead” character, John.

In an interview with FanFest News, Dillahunt said that he thinks the viewers are going to give John a warm welcome when he makes his first appearance in the Season 4 premiere of the AMC series. “I think they’re gonna like John,” Dillahunt said of how he thinks the viewers will react to his role on the zombie drama. “I think it’s important to have someone to root for, [and John] is pretty pure. He’s pretty unspoiled somehow.”

John was a trick shooter before the apocalypse, so it isn’t surprising that his weapon of choice is his collections of guns. “He prefers old style weapons,” Dillahunt said of his character. “I am pleased that his weapons are simple and old-fashioned. ... I think it goes back to what I was talking about that he’s kind of a creature from another time. There’s a weird sort of inherent honor in him that plays heavily into how he uses his weapons.”

While Dillahunt is practicing a lot of exhibition shooting for his role, the actor said that he and the producers came to a decision right from the start that John is “more of a good shot than just, like, juggling guns.” “The main thing I asked for was that John a good shot,” Dillahunt told Entertainment Weekly last month. “It’s a pet peeve of mine when people with machine guns can’t hit a thing.”

Co-showrunner Ian Goldberg described John as a man of fascinating contradictions. “He loves people but has spent a great deal of time on his own,” Goldberg said of Dillahunt’s character. “He’s a gentle soul — an innocent in many ways — but is no stranger to violence. He can be soft-spoken and disarmingly funny all at once.”

When asked why he thinks it’s important for John to have a humorous side, Dillahunt said: “We didn’t want him to be just another brooding badass on the show, waiting to stab some zombies, and so there’s optimism and guilelessness and hope. I think a lot of it’s he’s lying to himself, but it’s how he’s coping.”

Are you looking forward to meeting John? Tell us what you think of the new character in the comments section below!

“Fear the Walking Dead” Season 4 premieres on Sunday, April 15 at 10 p.m. EDT on AMC.