Andrew Lincoln will be gone from 'The Walking Dead,' but he won't be forgotten

Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes, the show's most prominent character, will be gone as of Sunday night from AMC's "The Walking Dead." Forgotten? No way: In a surprisingly emotional (no, really) YouTube tribute to Lincoln released Friday, 23 current and former cast members lauded his professionalism and generosity.

 For the record, such tributes are rare — if not unheard of.

Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene) lauded him as one of the most kind and generous people you could work with." Danai Gurira (Michonne) called him "the best leading man on TV." Norman Reedus (Daryl) said "he taught me to be a better father, better actor, better friend."

In a no-pun-intended huzzah, Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis) said "everything he's about bleeds into the rest of the show."

For his part, Lincoln released a letter earlier in the week to fans and media who and which have followed this gory hit since its 2010 launch. It was a good one too:

"Thank you," he wrote "For coming with us on this journey. For the nine years of fear, heartache, anger and, let's face it, guts you've shown by making it through these 115 episodes and counting. And for services to journalism that go way beyond any civilised levels of human endurance."

 He added that he has killed"over 400 zombies" during this run; also escaped "from a bunch of hipster cannibals."

Lincoln further thanked fans for "understanding that despite the high volume of undead, this is actually an ongoing story about what it is to be alive. A story of hope, family and friendship. People with nothing in common discovering that they have everything in common." (Obviously he was not referring to Negan — Jeffrey Dean Morgan's fearsome bat-wielding baddie — at this point of the letter.)

 He closed, "Keep Calm and Carry a Red Machete..."

British actor Lincoln, 45, sought to leave the series this season to spend more time with his family. His final episode, which airs on AMC at 9 p.m., "What comes After," was described by the network this way: "Rick is forced to face the past as he struggles to maintain the safety of the communities and protect the future he and Carl [Chandler Riggs] envisioned."

By Verne J Gay

Verne.Gay@newsday.com@vernejgay

Verne J Gay is the television critic