Andrew Lincoln is leaving The Walking Dead after season nine (and will only appear in six episodes)

He has been the driving force behind The Walking Dead for the past eight seasons.

But Andrew Lincoln, who plays the role of Rick Grimes on the show, will be leaving the hit AMC post-apocalyptic zombie series after season nine.

The 44-year-old actor is only set to appear in six episodes of the ninth season,  according to Us Weekly.

According to one of the outlet’s sources, ‘Andrew is leaving because he’s had enough of it and wants to focus his energy on movies.’

While another insider revealed that Norman Reedus, who stars as Daryl Dixon, negotiated a $20 million paycheck to stay on the hit series.

AMC is yet to comment on Andrew’s departure.