Walking Dead fans only just realising what Andrew Lincoln's real name is – and ‘filthy meaning' behind it

The Irish Sun

31-05-2025

WALKING Dead fans are only just realising what Andrew Lincoln's real name is - and the very 'filthy meaning' behind it.
The much-loved British star, 51, was on the gory zombie show for eight years,
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Andrew Lincoln has a VERY different real name
Credit: Getty
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The actor is known for playing Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead
Credit: AMC
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The star launched to fame in the 90s show, This Life
Credit: BBC
But despite it being nearly seven years since he was on the blood thirsty US TV show, fans have only just found out that the actor's name isn't really Andrew Lincoln.
In fact, the star, who played tough sheriff Rick
Grimes
on The Walking Dead, has a very different surname.
The actor's real full birth name is Andrew James Clutterbuck.
Andrew has previously revealed how he was told to ditch his family name by his first agent, because it made him "sound like a hobbit".
Read more on Andrew Lincoln
But the revelations don't stop there, as according to fans his surname has a "filthy meaning" - although this is just a theory.
Taking to Reddit to discuss, one fan said: "it means 's**t shoveler'.
"His agent said changing it would greatly benefit his career and he was not wrong!"
Another added: "I can see why he goes by Lincoln!"
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This one joked: "The name sounds like a hippogriffs name in Harry Potter - Buckbeak and Clutterbuck!"
BECOMING A STAR
Andrew got his first taste of fame as the hapless Edgar "Egg" in the BBC's smash hit
Rick Grimes leaves The Walking Dead – but did he survive blowing up the crowd of walkers?
The show - which was about about five twentysomethings trying to make it law - was a huge hit, and carried on for two series.
This Life made stars out of its cast, which also included
Speaking about playing Egg, Andrew previously told
"He was a sweet-natured guy and he spoke to a lot of people who had come out of university and were stuck in a rut and were re-evaluating what they wanted to do and believed in.'
Andrew's role in This Life was enough to get him noticed, and he was subsequently snapped up by Channel 4 to lead the cast of
Teachers
.
After four series on the show, he left and he got his big break in the movies when
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Before The Walking Dead, Andrew was best known for starring in Channel 4's Teachers
Credit: Channel 4
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Andrew left The walking Dead in 2018 after eight years
Credit: Handout
WALKING DEAD FAME
Fast-forward seven years later, and Hollywood called and in 2010 he reached a whole new audience on the American TV show, The Walking Dead.
With his deep southern drawl, US fans were shocked at the time to learn Andrew was in fact British.
During his eight year reign on the show his character,
'I haven't watched myself for 15 years, because I don't enjoy it," he told The Guardian at the time.
"There's a lot of working parts that can change your performance in between you giving it and it going out.
"I just realised I'd prefer to have my own imagination about what the story is.'