Juan Gabriel Pareja Talks Morales’ Shocking Return To ‘The Walking Dead’ [SPOILERS]

“The Walking Dead” Season 8 recently saw a familiar face pointing a gun at Rick (Andrew Lincoln).

After leaving the series in Season 1, Juan Gabriel Pareja returned as one of the Saviors, Morales, and he’s obviously not pleased with how Rick is running things. The characters’ shocking return in episode 2 could shake everything up in the hit AMC TV series, and Pareja dished on what’s going to be in store for him in the upcoming installments.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that he got a call from the casting directors in April and was asked if he’s open to returning. The agents spoke with Pareja’s rep, but it took a while before something was finalized. Two months later, they got another call confirming that it’s a done deal.

When asked what it was like to return to the show and reunite with his co-stars, the actor said that it “was pretty remarkable.” “From the moment I stepped foot on the ground, it was just all familiar faces, and the production on down to the cast, so it was remarkable to say the least, and a totally brand-new location. Andy had a very welcoming, generous spirit that made us feel like we were picking up from where we left off. It was really nice,” he said.

But as delighted as he was to return to “The Walking Dead,” it was especially challenging to keep the news from the fans of the series. “It was borderline unbearable. It’s been really something. That’s been the hardest part, honestly, having to bite my tongue for as long as I have, and then also just seeing the episode myself just a day or two ago. That was really something to actually see that moment up on the screen that had been so many years in the making and so many years coming,” he said.

Morales will continue to be part of the series throughout Season 8, but other details about his character are still being kept under wraps.

“The Walking Dead” Season 8 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.