WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from The Walking Dead season eight, episode 15.
Simon (played by Steven Ogg) became the latest character from The Walking Dead television series to die.
The former leader of the Saviors had been plotting to take out Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the current leader of the Saviors, but was stopped in his tracks.
He was double-crossed by Dwight (Austin Amelio), who leaked information to Negan.
To settle the score, Negan proposed a fight to the death, which Simon accepted and lost.
Just like that Simon’s hopes of seizing control of the Saviors were slashed and his life over.
Yet, Steven, 44, claimed Simon was never interested in being powerful, but instead wanted to see change.
“I don’t think it’s the taste of power.” Steven told Entertainment Weekly. “I never thought that Simon was a power-hungry man.”
He added: “On some level, I think he was fine the way he was going about it. I think it was more just moving things along.
“He ended up representing chaos in the world and the elimination of things.”
Oddly enough, Simon was rather compassionate when it came to discussing Negan’s killing, with him telling the others: “We need to make this quick, quiet, and respectful. The man’s done a lot for us. He deserves that.”
Speaking about Simon’s thought process at the time, Steven explained: “He’s like, ‘Yeah, look what he did. He did the best he could really so let’s acknowledge that.
“‘It doesn’t mean it worked, doesn’t mean he’s all right, but you know, let’s give a round of applause for him.’
“So it’s sort of Simon’s own sense of what’s right. I think it was that acknowledgment.”
Interestingly, Steven revealed that producers stopped Simon facing up to Negan when he surrendered earlier in the show.
Steven wanted to look Negan in the eyes, but show bosses preferred the idea of him cowering mercilessly.
“Obviously, it didn’t work with [the producers],” Steven said. “But that’s what I wanted as far with Simon.
“I thought yeah, okay. If he’s going to take his punishment, I’m going to take it sitting up straight; no head bowed, no looking away.”
Viewers got to see Simon transform into a walker after his showdown with Negan; the mutation process thrilled Steven, who was excited to show the change.
“I loved doing that. That was fun. It was great to do the makeup. It was great to have that as a farewell,” he said.
The Walking Dead continues Monday on FOX at 9pm.
