"Sons of Anarchy" actor Ryan Hurst was a longtime viewer of AMC's "The Walking Dead" when he decided he wanted to be on the show.
"Probably about a year ago, I had this premonition that I was going to be on the show," Hurst told INSIDER. "It was so strong that I actually called my agent and my manager, and I said, 'Hey, can you call over to 'The Walking Dead' and tell them that I'd like to be on the show?'"
Ryan Hurst is known for his roles on "Sons of Anarchy," "Bates Motel," "Outsiders," and "Remember the Titans." Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Hurst said his agent and his manager told him that's not exactly how it works. You need to audition for the show. But he was persistent.
"I said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but just cold call the producers and say, 'Hey, Ryan Hurst would like to be on the show,' and they did. And the producers got back to them and they said, 'No, he can't be on the show right now. We'll let you know."
At the time, Hurst said there wasn't a character in particular he wanted to be on "TWD." He said he just woke out of a dead sleep with a want to be on the show he had been a fan of since it started airing on AMC in 2010.
Eventually, he was surprised to hear back from the network.
"Slowly but surely, a few months go by, and my agent calls me back and says, 'You're never gonna believe this but they want to offer you a role on 'The Walking Dead.' And I said, 'You see?'" said Hurst of getting offered the role of Beta, one of the new Whisperer villains on the show.
But Hurst says his pal Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays Negan on the AMC show, nearly ruined the big surprise for him.
"Before I knew that I'd been offered the role, Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey and I have been friends for a long time were out to dinner with ['TWD' executive producer] Greg Nicotero, and Greg had told Jeffrey that I had been offered the role," said Hurst.
The only problem was that Hurst hadn't officially been offered the role yet.
Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are also good friends. Here are the two together in 2016. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC
"Jeffrey starts texting me at two o'clock in the morning saying, 'Dude, this is amazing! Oh my God! Oh my God!'" Hurst continued. "And I'm responding like, 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' Greg says to him, 'Dude, the deal hasn't gone through. You gotta shut up!' And then he texts me, 'Oh, never mind. Sorry, I'll talk to you later.'"
Hurst said it was two weeks later when the deal finally closed and he could finally respond to Morgan's texts saying how excited he was to be on the show.
Read more: The 10 "Walking Dead" characters fans think are most likely to die next on the show
A long time Comic-Con attendee for years, Hurst told INSIDER that fans had been telling him he had to be on "The Walking Dead." A majority of them insisted he had to play Beta, a towering figure who wears a mask made out of one of the undead. He's second-in-command only to Alpha (Samantha Morton) in the Whisperer group.
Beta and Alpha on Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead." Gene Page/AMC
"I wasn't familiar with Beta while they were saying that," Hurst said of fans who would come up to him at Cons. "It wasn't until I got the role that I went and explored the comic a bit more and learned about who Beta was. But fans have been telling me that I should play Beta for a long time."
Now that Hurst is on the show with his friend Morgan, there's some anticipation to see the two in scenes together. In the comics, Beta and Negan's characters wind up going toe-to-toe, a matchup Hurst finds pretty perfect.
"I've always thought Beta and Negan are sort of foils for each other. As stone silent as Beta is, Negan is as charismatic and full of hubris," he said.
Negan meets Beta in issue No. 154 of "The Walking Dead" comics and is thrown off by his mask. Image Comics/Skybound
But with Negan in jail on "TWD" right now, it's not clear whether or not we'll see Negan and Beta get to throw down. Fans will get to see a big fight scene between Beta and Daryl, though.
You can follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage here.
Read more:
'The Walking Dead': How Ryan Hurst was cast as Beta - INSIDER
- The Walking Dead: Season 11 | Rotten Tomatoes - April 22nd, 2024
- About The Walking Dead | News, Bios and Photos | AMC - April 22nd, 2024
- How to Recreate the Most Iconic Location From The Walking Dead in 3D - 80.lv - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol Sets Tribeca Debut - Bleeding Cool News - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead star joins Superman movie in major role - Digital Spy - April 22nd, 2024
- Rick Grimes' Ending Finally Honored The Big Promise Walking Dead Made In Season 5 - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- When Will 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 Premiere? - UPROXX - April 21st, 2024
- The Surprising Reason HBO Turned Down 'The Walking Dead' - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- "You Really Have to Consider What He's Been Through": Walking Dead Creator Admits It's Hard to Root for Rick, But ... - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead Animated Series Can't Happen "Until I Get the Rights Back From AMC" - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- Morgan Jones' Got The Sendoff He Deserved On Fear The Walking Dead - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Animated Series Happening Depends On One Important Thing - GameRant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman Says The Walking Dead Animated Series Can Only Happen Under One Condition - MovieWeb - April 21st, 2024
- Daryl Dixon season 2 could make the Walking Dead universe even better here's why - Tom's Guide - April 21st, 2024
- 7 New Walking Dead Villains That Could Replace The CRM - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Fails Rick Grimes and Here Are All the Reasons Why He Deserves A Better Fate - Hollywood.com - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Is a Reckoning of Hope - Reactor - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman Shares What's Holding Back the Planned Animated Series - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Behind the scenes as 'Dead City' films in Taunton We talked to zombie, caterer and more - Taunton Daily Gazette - April 21st, 2024
- Die creators Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans' new original graphic novel is a cross between The Walking Dead and ... - Gamesradar - April 21st, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 and 'Presumed Innocent' Headline the 2024 Tribeca Festival TV Lineup - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman wants an animated show, but there's one issue - Winter is Coming - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - imdb - April 21st, 2024
- Tom Payne and Wife Jennifer kerman Welcome Twins (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer - ComicBook.com - March 24th, 2024
- What The Song Means In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 (Does It Reveal The Ending?) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Is Avoiding A Problem That Nearly Killed The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Has A Walking Dead Easter Egg You Might Have Missed - Looper - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Review What We - Den of Geek - March 24th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 4 Recap: It's Rick, Michonne, and Carl? - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Includes a Rare Sex Scene on The Ones Who Live: 'It Is About Pain,' Says Andrew Lincoln - PEOPLE - March 24th, 2024
- Daryl Dixon Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Episodes 5 & 6 Get Ominous Tease From Walking Dead EP - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- TWD The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer: Rick & Michonne Find Trouble Escaping - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Does Rick Leave the CRM on The Ones Who Live? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Into The Kirkmanverse? Invincible Teases A Major Connection To The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Pulled a Bait-and-Switch on Walking Dead Fans, But It Works - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Well, That Was The Walking Dead's Raunchiest Episode Since The Show Began In 2010 - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible x The Walking Dead Crossover is Now Likelier Than Ever Due to This Season 2 Character - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 - Release date & time, where to watch, and more - Sportskeeda - March 24th, 2024
- Rick Grimes Just Massively Insulted Lori, 12 Years After Her Walking Dead Exit - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Ep. 4 Review: "What We" Needed - Bleeding Cool News - March 24th, 2024
- I Asked AI What TV Characters Who Died Too Soon Would Look Like If They Still Alive Today - BuzzFeed - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Rick has a tough decision to make in "What We" - Winter is Coming - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - A Testament to Survival and Humanity - Age Of The Nerd - March 16th, 2024
- Which Side Thorne Is On In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Why She Tries To Shoot Michonne Explained - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Where The CRM's New US Mountain Base Is Located In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Season 2 Gets Cryptic Tease From Walking Dead Showrunner - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Theory: The CRM's Echelon Briefing May Have Sinister Plans - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 16th, 2024
- What Would Happen To The Walking Dead's Main Group If The CRM Found Alexandria - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Predicting The CRM's 500-Year Plan In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead's Creator Admits 1 Criticism of the Franchise Is 100% True - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 Clip Shows Rick Trying To Make A Deal With Jadis - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live leaves us on the edge of our seats in Episode 3 - Winter is Coming - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live's Villain Just Nailed Rick Grimes' Entire Walking Dead Story With One Line - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Best Horror Games Where Your Choices Matter - TheGamer - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Ones Who Live' Showrunner Wants to Keep Future Plans Open - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Star Addresses Shocking Return (Exclusive) - ComicBook.com - March 16th, 2024
- Five Thoughts On The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live's Bye - Multiversity Comics - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead: Ones Who Live Star Explains Why Jadis Is Loyal To The CRM - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Pollyanna McIntosh Breaks Down Jadis' Return In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead's Danai Gurira on the "big question mark" in The Ones Who Live - Digital Spy - March 16th, 2024
- A Major General Beale Clue Supports 1 Exciting Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Ending Theory - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Tests A Time-Honored Relationship - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Makes 1 Important Change To Rick Losing His Hand In The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 'A's and 'B's: How 'The Ones Who Live' Solves A 'Walking Dead' Mystery - TV Insider - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Explains A Mystery From Season 10 (Then Immediately Ruins It) - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 'The Ones Who Live' Pulls Off a Feat 'The Walking Dead' Failed For Years to Accomplish - Pajiba Entertainment News - March 8th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Just Introduced The Walking Dead's Most Impressive Zombie Weapons Yet - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 2 Review Gone - Den of Geek - March 8th, 2024
- What keeps "The Walking Dead" moving forward? Showrunner Scott Gimple insists "love is the fuel" - Salon - March 8th, 2024
- Rick and Michonne's 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Reunion Isn't What We Expected - Collider - March 8th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Is Subtly Teasing A Major Walking Dead Character Cameo - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1 Twist Explained - TheWrap - March 8th, 2024
- How Well Do You Know the Cast of 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live'? - Collider - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Stakes Out AMCs Best Premiere Viewership In 6 Years - Deadline - March 8th, 2024
- Andrew Lincoln On Scaring Jon Bernthal And Makeup On The Walking Dead' - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- Will There Be 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Season 2? The Stars Weigh In. - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- INTERVIEW: TWD: The Ones Who Live's Matthew August Jeffers on "Terrifying" Plot Twist - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 8th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero