The Walking Dead casts Waterloo Road star as badass gay character

Fans of The Walking Dead are set to see a gay fan favourite from the comics join the smash-hit TV adaptation when it returns to screens next month – with a British star taking on the role.

Waterloo Road‘s Tom Payne has been cast in a recurring role as Paul ‘Jesus’ Monroe, a key character form the comics who earns his nickname because of his serious outlook, strong moral compass a natural survival instincts – oh, and he’s a gay, zombie-killing badass.

Whether the character on the TV series sticks to the source material is yet to be seen, but according to the The Hollywood Reporter, Payne’s recurring role could well lead to a full-time slot in season seven.

The 32-year-old is best known for starring in British drama Waterloo Road as student Brett Aspinall between 2007 and 2008, and has also made appearances in the likes of Skins, Casualty and Marple. And what’s more, he’s a bit of a looker…

Confirming news of his casting on Instagram, he posted a picture of himself alongside his comic book counterpart, and taking to Twitter, added: “Things are about to get crazy”.

The Walking Dead has introduced a number of LGBT characters over the course of its last two seasons, including Tara Chambler (Alanna Masterson) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) – though the show’s first kiss between two men last year drew a sadly predictable anti-gay backlash.

Meanwhile, the show’s hunky male leads Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus couldn’t keep their hands off each other in a ‘cheeky’ new shoot for Entertainment Weekly – check it out here.

Reedus previously admitted he’d “rock” a Darryl Dixon gay storyline, after the character’s platonic relationships with women over the show’s five season led fans to speculate that he might not be all that interested in them sexually.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC in the US on October 11. The sixth season will premiere in the UK on October 12 on FOX.

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