No 'Walking Dead' For John Hawkes, Says Publicist

John Hawkes on "The Walking Dead" as The Governor. Sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it? Too bad it's not going to happen.

Legendary horror FX guru Tom Savini dropped a bombshell in a recent interview, saying that "Walking Dead" producers were targeting Hawkes for the coveted role of Philip Blake, the psychotic zombie-killer who declares himself the Governor of Woodbury. Apparently, it is not to be: speaking with The Wrap, Hawkes' publicist states quite plainly that "John is NOT appearing on The Walking Dead."

It's a shame -- Hawkes has been huge in the indie scene for quite some time now, churning out an Oscar-nominated performance in "Winter's Bone" and a celebrated Sundance turn in "The Surrogate." Bringing him to "The Walking Dead" would have guaranteed a note-perfect adaptation of The Governor, a new addition to AMC's roster of unforgettable villains like "Breaking Bad" baddie Gus Fring, played by Giancarlo Esposito. Hawkes has the look and the chops to nail the Governor perfectly. On the off chance that you're reading this, good sir, I implore you to reconsider: you would be fantastic on this show, and your Emmy would be all but guaranteed.

Anyway. That's not happening now, it seems. Good news for Tom Savini, though, who has championed himself for the role of Blake.

"I have been campaigning to be the governor on that damn thing with Greg Nicotero for over a year," Savini said recently. "Everytime I see the graphic novel, and I see a picture of the governor, who looks just like me, I send Greg a picture. I just won't give up."

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