In April 2010, Lincoln was cast as Rick Grimes, the protagonist of AMC's live-action television series adaptation of the post-apocalyptic horror comic book "The Walking Dead". Grimes is a sheriff's deputy who awakens from a month-long coma in the midst of a zombie apocalypse caused by an unknown pathogen. He becomes the leader of a group of family and friends who are forced to relentlessly fight off flesh-eating zombies and hostile humans. In 2010, Lincoln signed up for the show for a potential six years. He then renegotiated a deal for two further seasons. Lincoln appeared on the show for the final time on 4 November 2018, having previously stated that he wished to spend more time with his children.