The Walking Dead’s Michael Cudlitz speaks ‘suck my nuts’ aftermath and why the show is ‘violent for a reason’

After months of anticipation, it was finally revealed Michael Cudlitz’s Abraham received the killer blows from Negan’s barbed-wire wrapped baseball bat in The Walking Dead.

Fans had been clamouring for answers ever since the season six finale saw one of Rick’s gang pummeled to death from a POV perspective, leaving the world stricken with the biggest cliffhanger since Jon Snow seemingly bit the dust on Game Of Thrones.

Abraham left the show on a high however, boldly spitting ‘suck my nuts’ to Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan before getting the bat, something which is now following actor Michael Cudlitz wherever he treads.

Speaking to Us, Cudlitz said: ‘It’s awesome. I think it’s going to go down as the most iconic line of Abraham.

‘The fan reaction to it has been crazy; if you Google “suck my nuts” and you go to images – you can get more t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, plaques, banners, everything that has “suck my nuts” all over it. I love it.’

For months fans believed not even the cast knew who was going to be killed, with multiple death scenes reportedly being filmed, something which Cudlitz recently came out and proclaimed was a massive fib to the masses.

‘It was very hard because people were asking like “where are you going?” and you’re literally home all of a sudden and you’re supposed to be in Atlanta working,’ he said.

The Walking Dead's Michael Cudlitz on ‘suck my nuts’ and why the show is 'violent for a reason'

Michael Cudlitz, Christian Serratos and Josh McDermitt at Comic-Con International 2016 in San Diego California.

‘So you have to come up with these stories as to why you’re not there or say “well I’m leaving this to go to tomorrow”, and you’re kind of lying through omission more than anything, but you’re still definitely not being truthful with people.’

While the gruesome bludgeoning itself was a ‘very technical’ scene to shoot, it received criticism by some for its explicit violence, namely during Glenn’s death which followed Abraham’s –where an eyeball could be seen popped from its socket.
The criticisms aren’t something Cudlitz agrees with however, believing there was storytelling method behind the grim details.

‘I think the show was graphic for a reason. There’s a point to the violence – it’s a violent world, the show is in the horror genre, it’s to be expected,’ Michael said.

‘Were we certainly at the higher end of the graphic violence with this episode? Probably. But I think it’s there on purpose to tell a story, to set things in motion. None of it is ever gratuitous in my opinion.

‘It’s a brutal post-apocalyptic world where this one leader is sending a very strong message where it’s not only that it’s a dangerous world, but now it’s become that even if you look at somebody the wrong – you’ll be killed. And he’s making sure we understand that,’ he added.

Cudlitz is leaving with incredibly happy memories of the show however, saying: ‘The most I’m going to miss about that job is the people. Getting to know Steven [Yeun], Josh [McDermitt] and Christian [Serratos] – we always had fun on set. Abraham is with me forever so I’ll miss him.’

And as parting gift for the rest of us, what’s his best tip for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

‘You don’t have to be the fastest, just don’t be the slowest.’