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Andrew Lincoln returns today (October 25) in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, a new horror anthology series streaming on Netflix (he's in the eighth and final episode). To gear up for his perforamnce, we're rounding up 10 reasons we appreciate this brilliant actor: not just his roles, but also some admirable aspects of his personality.
1. He's Rick Grimes.
This one speaks for itself, right? Lincoln starred in the first nine seasons of AMC's The Walking Dead as the survivors' brave and indefatigable leader. We can't wait to see him reprise the role in an upcoming spin-off series due in 2023. It's currently untitled, but you can find about more about it here. 

2. He was the original star of Teachers.
In the first two seasons of this cult British comedy-drama, Lincoln played Simon Casey, a very likable but not entirely conscientious high school teacher. Let's just say it wasn't only his students who skipped their homework. He returned briefly in the third season, too, where he also made his directorial debut by helming the last two episodes. 

3. He also starred in the iconic 1990s series This Life.
Though it ran for two seasons (plus a special 10 years later), this BBC drama series really captured the zeitgeist during the "Cool Britannia" era. Lincoln played Egg, one of five young lawyers living in a South London flatshare where a party is never too far away. Edgy and infectious, this show also helped to launch Jack Davenport's career.

4. He and Jack Davenport are still good friends.
In a roundabout kind of way, Davenport helped Lincoln to land his signature role in The Walking Dead by encouraging him to move stateside.  “Jack was one of the main instruments in making me go to America," Lincoln told The Guardian in 2016. "He said: 'Come over here. The water's warm.'"
5. He can really carry a tune.
When longtime co-star Danai Gurira departed The Walking Dead in 2020, Lincoln heralded her farewell with a rendition of the Wings classic "Live and Let Die." Except, he sang the chorus as "simply love you, Danai." It's a super-cute moment.

6. He was by no means an overnight success story.
In this video interview with BAFTA, Lincoln says that he auditioned for no fewer than 25 roles before actually landing one. He also reveals that his agent asked him to change his stage name because his birth name, Andrew Clutterbuck, apparently made him sound "like a Hobbit."

7. He's a fundamentally private person.
During an interview with The Scotsman, Lincoln outlined his strategy for staying down-to-earth and unaffected by fame. "The longer I've been somewhat in the public eye, the more I've wanted – and fought tooth and nail for – an ordinary life," he said. I'm fiercely proud of my work, and fiercely proud of my privacy, as well. I don't want to wash my laundry publicly. Why court that attention? It's only going to make one self-conscious and miserable."
8. His most recent movie was a bit of a tear-jerker.
In Penguin Bloom, an Australian film released in 2020, Lincoln plays the husband of a woman (Naomi Watts) who is coming to terms with being partially paralyzed. She finds a renewed appreciation of life by helping to raise an injured magpie chick called Penguin; it's a heartwarming movie based on a true story.

9. He never watches any of his shows or movies – for a reason that makes a lot of sense.
Namely, Lincoln believes that it would make his acting more "self-conscious" and less spontaneous. "And that defeats the object of what I want to do as an actor, which is to try and be in the role and not be self-conscious," he told EW. "I watch great actors, great actors that I admire beyond all things and I see them replicate, and it’s very hard not to. I don't want to do that. I just want to leave myself alone as much as I can. It breaks the spell, it breaks the magic somewhat."
10. And finally, he was also great in Love Actually.
Who can forget his iconic moment with the cue cards on the doorstep? Even former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has parodied this famous scene!

Do you have a favorite Andrew Lincoln role?