Norman Mark Reedus (born January 6, 1969) is an American actor best known for starring as

Daryl Dixon Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series '' The Walking Dead''. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and do ...

in the

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...

horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). He also starred as Murphy MacManus in the film ''

The Boondock Saints ''The Boondock Saints'' is a 1999 American vigilante action thriller film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after ...

'' (1999) and its sequel '' The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day'' (2009), Scud in Marvel's ''

Blade II ''Blade II'' is a 2002 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by David S. Goyer. A sequel to ''Blade'' (1998), it is the second installment in the ''Blade'' franchise, fol ...

'' (2002), Marco in ''

Deuces Wild ''Deuces Wild'' is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Scott Kalvert and written by Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale, who also created the story. The film stars Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, James Franco, Matt Dillon, and Fairuza Bal ...

'' (2002), and himself in his AMC TV show ''

Ride with Norman Reedus ''Ride with Norman Reedus'' is an American travel series that premiered on AMC (TV network), AMC on June 12, 2016. The series follows actor and motorcycle enthusiast Norman Reedus where he and a guest of the week travel across a different destina ...

'' (2016–2021). He has acted in numerous films and television series, and modeled for various fashion designers (including

Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...

in the 1990s). Reedus also provided

motion capture Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...

and voice acting for the lead character Sam Porter in the video game ''

Death Stranding ''Death Stranding'' is a 2019 action game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It is the first game from director Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions after their split from Kona ...

'' (2019).

Early life

Reedus was born in

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, the son of Marianne (née Yarber), a teacher, and Ira Norman Reedus. Reedus's paternal grandmother was of Italian descent, while his grandfather had English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. He attended Bethany College in

Lindsborg, Kansas Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large Swedish, other Nordic and Scandinavian Americans ( Nordic- Scandinavian), and German ...

, for a semester. After living in Tokyo, he moved to California to work at a

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

shop in

Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed b ...

, and contributed artwork to various shows as a painter, photographer, sculptor, and video artist. He first acted in the play ''Maps for Drowners'' at the

Tiffany Theater The Tiffany Theater was the first theater on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It stood west of La Cienega between the Playboy Club and Dino's Lodge restaurant. Before being converted from the Mary Webb Davis Modeling School office ...

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...

. He was discovered at a bar in downtown Hollywood, singing and dancing where someone asked him if he wanted to act in a play.

Career

Film and television

Reedus played Jeremy in his major film debut ''

Mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

'' and Mac in Giovanni Rodriguez's '' Red Canyon''. He played Murphy MacManus in the 1999 film ''The Boondock Saints''. He reprised the role in the 2009 sequel '' The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day''. He played Scud in ''

''. He guest-starred in ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

'' as Nate, the boyfriend of Paige (

Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...

). Reedus starred in ''

Hello Herman ''Hello, Herman'' is a 2012 American drama film directed by Michelle Danner, written by John Buffalo Mailer, and starring Norman Reedus, Garrett Backstrom, Rob Estes and Martha Higareda. It premiered at the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Festival o ...

'', which opened nationwide and on-demand on June 7, 2013. Reedus stars in the reality series ''

'', which premiered in June 2016. Most recently, he started Bigbaldhead Productions with an overall deal at

''The Walking Dead''

In 2010, Reedus began playing Daryl Dixon in the

television series ''The Walking Dead'', a horror drama about a group of friends and family members who fight to survive in a violent apocalyptic world populated with flesh-eating zombies and the few surviving humans. The character was not originally in the comic book series of the same name, but was created specifically for Reedus after his audition for the character of

Merle Dixon Merle Dixon is a fictional character from the horror drama television series '' The Walking Dead'', which airs on AMC in the United States. He was created by series developer Frank Darabont and was portrayed by Michael Rooker. The character was f ...

. ''The Walking Dead'' comic creator

Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and television producer. He is best known ...

feels "absolutely blessed Reedus has honored the show with his presence, and the way he has come in and taken over that role and defined Daryl Dixon. A lot of Reedus's portrayal of the character in

the first season ''The First Season'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. The film stars Kate Trotter as Alex Cauldwell, a woman in British Columbia who, following the death of her fisherman husband Frank (Dwight Koss), tries to support herself and her dau ...

inspired all the writers to do what we did with him in the second season. We love writing him and end up doing cool stuff with him." The drama has evolved into the highest-rated in cable history, smashing all previous records. Reedus was nominated for a

Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor The following is a list of Saturn Award winners and nominees for Best Supporting Actor (in a film). Burgess Meredith, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are the only actors that have won the award twice, while only Javier Bardem and Heath Ledger ...

for his performance. Reedus will reprise his role of Daryl as the lead of a spin-off series centered on his character, following the conclusion of the 11th and final season of ''The Walking Dead''.

Angela Kang Angela Kang (born March 23, 1976) is an American television writer known for serving as showrunner on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' for the final three seasons. Early life Kang was born and raised in Irvine, California, the ...

will be the showrunner for the series, which is set to debut in 2023.

Modeling, music videos, and art

Reedus has modeled for Prada,

Alessandro Dell'Acqua Alessandro Dell'Acqua (born 21 December 1962 in Naples) is a fashion designer. He presented his first prêt-à-porter collection at Milan Moda Donna in 1996 and his first men's line at Pitti in Florence in January 1998. Dell'Acqua took over as cr ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...

, and Morgenthal Fredrics. In 2015, Reedus posed for a

Cruelty Free International Cruelty Free International is an animal protection and advocacy group that campaigns for the abolition of all animal experiments. They organise certification of cruelty-free products which are marked with the symbol of a leaping bunny. It was ...

advertisement in support of ending cosmetic tests on animals. In the mid-1990s, while working as a model, he appeared in the music videos for "Wicked as It Seems" by

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

, "

Violently Happy "Violently Happy" is a song by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk, released in March 1994 as the fifth and final single from her debut album, ''Debut (Björk album), Debut'' (1993). The song was written by Björk and Nellee Hooper, who helped he ...

" by

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, " Flat Top" by

Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik, bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska. After starting off as a cover band and then developing a punk sound, ...

, "

Cat's in the Cradle "Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album ''Verities & Balderdash''. The single topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin's only number-one song, it became the best known of his work an ...

" covered by

Ugly Kid Joe Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name. To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...

, " Strange Currencies" by

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

, and "

Fake Plastic Trees "Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on their second album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was the third single from the album in the UK, and the first in the US. It charted on the UK Singles Chart, ...

" by

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

. In 1999, he appeared in the video for "Mean to Me" by Tonic. Since achieving fame as an actor, he has also appeared in the videos for "

Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

" by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, "Sun Down" by Tricky (feat. Tirzah), "Gypsy Woman" by

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...

, "

No Cities to Love ''No Cities to Love'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on January 20, 2015, through Sub Pop. It is the first album following a decade-long hiatus and the band's 2005 release, '' The Woods''. The album receiv ...

" by

Sleater-Kinney Sleater-Kinney ( ) is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's current lineup features Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar) and Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), following the departure of longtime member J ...

, and "Curse of the Blackened Eye" by

Orville Peck Orville Peck is a South African country musician based in Canada. He wears a fringed mask and has never shown his face publicly. He released his debut album ''Pony'' in 2019, followed by the EP '' Show Pony'' the next year. His second studio a ...

. He is also a painter, sculptor, and photographer, who has shown his artwork in galleries in New York City, Berlin, and Frankfurt. He released a book of photography on October 31, 2013, called ''The Sun's Coming Up... Like a Big Bald Head'', and in September 2014 announced a fan-art compilation called ''Thanks for All the Niceness''.

Video games

Reedus reprised his role as Daryl Dixon in the 2013 video game '' The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct'', which is based on the television series. He was set to star in

Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hired ...

and

Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...

's reboot horror game ''

Silent Hills is a cancelled horror game developed by Kojima Productions that was to be published by Konami for the PlayStation 4. It was in development since 2012 until its cancellation in 2015. It was to be the ninth main installment in the ''Silent Hill' ...

'', but Kojima left

Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...

and the game was canceled in 2015. Reedus starred in Kojima's video game ''

''.

Personal life

Reedus was in a five-year relationship with supermodel

Helena Christensen Helena Christensen (born 25 December 1968) is a Danish model and photographer. She is a former Victoria's Secret Angel, clothing designer and beauty queen. Christensen was also the co-founder and original creative director for ''Nylon'' magazine, ...

from 1998 to 2003. Despite reports to the contrary, the two were never married. Together they have a son, born in 1999. They have remained friends and shared joint custody of their son. In February 2005, Reedus sustained a head injury when a truck collided with his car in Germany. His nose was reconstructed with the aid of four screws and his left eye socket with titanium. In 2015, during the filming of ''

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

'', Reedus met German actress

Diane Kruger Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival. Kruger became known for her roles in f ...

; the two were first seen together as a couple in July 2016. In November 2018, Kruger gave birth to their daughter, Nova; his second and her first child.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reedus, Norman 1969 births Living people American people of Italian descent American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors Male models from Florida Male actors from Florida People from Hollywood, Florida American emigrants to Ireland American emigrants to Spain American emigrants to Japan 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors