Tom Savini Wants 'Walking Dead' Governor Role, But Is It John Hawkes' To Lose?

Even though we're not likely to see him until season three, there's little doubt that The Governor is going to find his way onto "The Walking Dead." Easily the cruelest, most memorable villain to ever grace the paneled pages of Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse, Philip Blake's eventual arrival on the AMC horror series isn't just likely, it's inevitable.

The question is, who will play the Governor? Ask horror legend Tom Savini, and he'll say it should be himself — but he'll also say that Oscar nominated actor John Hawkes is the frontrunner for the part.

Speaking with MovieWeb, Savini — the horror effects guru who counts "Dawn of the Dead" and "Friday the 13th" among his many credits — revealed his desire to get a role as The Governor on "The Walking Dead," and his belief that the role already belongs to Hawkes.

"I have been campaigning to be the governor on that damn thing with Greg Nicotero for over a year," said Savini. "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. Last time I talked to him about it, when I was in Los Angeles, he said they were going after a name for that part. I said, 'Who?' He said John Hawkes."

Savini went on to say that while he didn't initially recognize Hawkes by name, he later learned that the two of them both appeared in "From Dusk Till Dawn."

"He is the guy at the beginning in the store that fires on them," he recalled. "Apparently he was up for an Academy Award. He was up for something called Winter's Bone. That's whom they are going after for The Governor."

Even though Savini believes Hawkes is who the "Walking Dead" crew are gunning for, he hasn't ruled himself out of the running.

"I'm available, and I want to do it," he said. "Everyone I talk to, the people that read the graphic novels… they've all said that I would be the perfect governor. Because he is tough and brutal. And… I look just like the graphic depiction of him!"

What do you think of the latest Governor casting rumors? Who would you prefer, Hawkes or Savini? Sound off in the comments section and on Twitter!