"Dead City," the spin-off of "The Walking Dead," returns this Monday evening on OCS: Jeffrey Dean Morgan talks to us about his character, Negan.

He may have come without his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat called Lucille, without his iconic leather perfecto and under an impeccable sun with a glass bottle of soda in his hand, Jeffrey Dean Morgan remains a charismatic man. Under the Cannes sun, it is as a happy man, surrounded by his wife – actress Hilarie Burton – and their two children, that the Seattle-born actor came to accompany the launch of the second season of Dead City , a spin-off series from The Walking Dead , during the latest Canneseries opus, the first episodes of which are broadcast this Monday on OCS.

Because it's hard not to associate Jeffrey Dean Morgan with Negan Smith, a bastard who is difficult to like but not really hateful either, introduced at the end of season six of the original series and who, since then, has become essential to the point of being a hero and a central character of Dead City , a spin-off whose action takes place on the island of Manhattan, and in which we also find Maggie, played by Lauren Cohan, another notable face of the franchise. It's almost a victory to see Negan headlining a spin-off series, he who arrived in the skin of the one that everyone wants to kill.

The path to redemption

"We've been talking about Negan's redemption for quite some time," the actor confesses. "He's not the worst guy in the world when you first meet him. Over time, we've been able to see his evolution, the different facets of his personality. This season also marks the big return of Lucille, who is an integral part of my character. She allows me to be Negan in a way. I loved filming that, I actually have a tattoo of Lucille on my left arm. She's a part of me." To show that words aren't there to please, the 59-year-old actor then reveals his left arm and the famous tattoo.

Looking back, when we remember Negan's arrival on the show, as leader of the Saviors—a rogue gang trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies are as dangerous as humans—no one had considered that this bad guy could have his own series. "When I arrived in this franchise, I didn't know there would be a spin-off around my character, it wasn't part of the journey," the actor continues. "But in hindsight, I think it's great that we managed to dig deeper into him and offer another perspective on his story. As an actor, it's always special to play a role with a dark, evil side. Negan has a dark side, but he also tries to combat this darkness within him, with his humor, for example. We've always tried to remember the man he was before the world went dark."

A memorable introduction

Considering the violence that emanates from him – the seventh season pilot is undoubtedly one of the most memorable on the small screen – having made Negan a unique, fascinating, charismatic character is almost a miracle in itself.

"I don't know if he's an iconic character, I'm not really in a position to say that, even though I like it to be said (laughs) . What we've accomplished with Negan in ten years is a real source of pride. I wanted the public to change their opinion of him, not to get stuck on his first appearance, which is very violent. Negan is a fictional character, you shouldn't pay attention to the fact that he keeps smiling when he kills people. He's a show character first and foremost. He's always been a challenge because I'm dyslexic and Negan loves to talk, it's a constant struggle, especially at my age (laughs) . " In any case, judging by the actor's popularity during his appearance in Cannes at the end of April, and the standing ovation he received after the screening of the first two episodes at the Palais des Festivals, Negan doesn't have to worry about his legacy.

This Monday at 8:55 p.m., on OCS.