The Governor ruthlessly rose into the pantheon of the most sinister villains in graphic novel history. The sadistic survival group leader appear may in the third season of the AMC series. Movieweb reports John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone, Deadwood) is being eyed for the role but a zombie legend wants his shot at the Governor.

  Tom Savini is campaigning for the role. Savini is the make-up master who created the zombie carnage in George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. Savini’s acting credits include From Dusk Till Dawn, Planet Terror and Land of the Dead.

  “I have been campaigning to be the Governor on that damn thing with Greg Nicotero for over a year. 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. Well, I never heard of John Hawkes. But then he reminds me that we were in From Dusk Till Dawn together. He is the guy at the beginning in the store that fires on them. 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. But 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!”

  For more of the interview click here. What do you think of those two for the role? Anybody else you think producers should consider?