'The Walking Dead' Actor Norman Reedus Talks Licking People's Faces
"The Walking Dead's" Norman Reedus revealed to Conan O'Brien why he licks people's faces and whether his character, Daryl Dixon is gay.
Norman Reedus was a guest on "Conan on TBS" Tuesday where he explained to host O'Brien why licks his fans' faces. He also elaborated on crossbow-carrying Daryl Dixon's sexuality on "The Walking Dead."
Model and actor, Reedus has gained a reputation as a licker of faces, having applied his tongue on fans, castmates and monuments while on vacation. His name has even become a verb to describe licking someone's face, as published on Urban Dictionary.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
During the show interview, Reedus indicated several female members of the audience wore t-shirts and held up signs asking the long-haired actor to "#Reedus" them.
"Sometimes dads will come up to me with their daughter and they'll be like, 'Lick my daughter,'" He told O'Brien.
While the actor did not give a direct reason for the strange greeting, he described how the licking started when he traveled to London and posted selfies showing him licking a number of famous monuments.
His selfies became a trending Internet meme which encouraged him to continue the practice on people. Castmates have revealed his standard greetings include "flipping them the bird" then licking their faces, particularly if they are covered in dirt and grime from a shoot.
Describing the actor as "a licker, not a fighter," Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes on the series, has advised people not to wear white around Reedus, particularly at the end of the day, as the actor also displays a tendency to wipe his sweaty face on castmates' white clothing.
O'Brien then brought up the speculations surrounding Daryl Dixon being gay, despite the comic book's creator, Robert Kirkman explaining on AMC's "Talking Dead" in November that Daryl is straight.
Reedus replied that he would follow whatever story direction the producers decide to take, adding that he wasn't afraid of being portrayed as a homosexual on the small screen.
"The Walking Dead" returns to AMC with Season 5's Episode 13, "Forget" on March 8, Sunday at 9 p.m.
