Before he was Daryl Dixon, the crossbow-wielding heartthrob of the apocalypse, Norman Reedus was just a guy with a look that directors couldn't quite place. He had this intense, squinty stare and a vibe that felt dangerous but somehow fragile. It was 1997. Grunge was dying, but that gritty, low-budget indie aesthetic was still very much alive in cinema. While most people think The Boondock Saints was his big debut, that actually came two years later. If you want to see the literal start of his film career, you have to look at Norman Reedus' first movie, a small, emotional drama called Floating.
It’s a weird feeling watching it now. You see the seeds of everything he became later. The muffled voice. The way he uses his eyes instead of his mouth to tell a story. In Floating, he plays Van, a young man stuck in a dead-end town, dealing with a father who is basically a shell of a human being. It’s not an action flick. There are no zombies. There are no guns. It’s just raw, uncomfortable human stuff.
Why Floating is More Than Just a Trivia Answer
Most actors start with a "nothing" role—a background extra or "Thug #2" in a procedural drama. Reedus didn't do that. He jumped straight into a lead role that required heavy lifting. Directed by William Roth, Floating is one of those mid-90s films that feels like it’s filmed through a layer of cigarette smoke and regret.
Van is a character defined by his environment. He’s a sculptor, which is a cool bit of foreshadowing considering Reedus is a real-life artist and photographer. The plot revolves around Van’s relationship with his alcoholic, wheelchair-bound father. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s deeply unglamorous. Honestly, the film is a bit of a time capsule for that specific era of independent filmmaking where the goal wasn't to set up a franchise, but just to make the audience feel slightly worse about the world for 90 minutes.
The Casting Story You Probably Haven't Heard
The way Reedus even got the job is legendary in casting circles. He wasn't some Juilliard-trained prodigy. He was working at a Harley-Davidson shop in Venice, California, making $7.50 an hour. He’d just quit his job after a massive fight with his boss. That same night, he went to a party, got drunk, and started yelling at people while wearing giant goggles.
Someone at that party—supposedly a casting director—saw this chaotic energy and asked if he wanted to be in a play. That play led to an agent, and that agent led to the script for Floating. It was pure luck fueled by a bad attitude and the right kind of face.
Breaking Down the Performance in Norman Reedus' First Movie
If you watch Floating today, the first thing you'll notice is how much Reedus carries the camera. He’s in almost every frame. For a first-timer, that’s a massive amount of pressure.
He plays Van with this simmering resentment. You can see he wants to leave his town, but he's tethered by a sense of duty to a father who doesn't even seem to like him. It’s a very physical performance. Reedus has this habit of slouching, of looking at the ground, of hiding behind his hair—traits that would eventually define Daryl Dixon.
Key Themes in the Film:
- Cycles of Poverty: The film doesn't sugarcoat what it looks like to be stuck in a town with no industry and no future.
- Masculinity and Caregiving: Seeing a young, "tough" looking guy have to bathe and feed his father provides a layer of vulnerability that Reedus would keep returning to throughout his career.
- Artistic Frustration: The struggle to create something beautiful in a place that feels ugly.
The dialogue is sparse. It’s one of those movies where the silence does the talking. Van’s father, played by Will Lyman, is a brutal antagonist because his cruelty isn't flamboyant; it’s just exhausting.
What Critics Said at the Time
It wasn't a blockbuster. Let's be real. It barely made a ripple at the box office, but the people who saw it noticed Reedus immediately. Critics compared him to a young Mickey Rourke or even James Dean, mostly because of that "mumbles-but-it's-hot" quality he has.
The New York Times wasn't exactly showering it with five-star reviews, but they did acknowledge that Reedus had a "haunting presence." It’s that presence that kept him working. Within a few years, he was working with Guillermo del Toro in Mimic and then, of course, the cult classic The Boondock Saints.
Why You Can't Find It Easily
Finding a high-quality stream of Floating is a nightmare. It hasn't been given the Criterion treatment or a 4K remaster. It exists mostly on old DVDs and occasionally pops up on niche streaming services like Mubi or the darker corners of YouTube. This lack of availability has turned Norman Reedus' first movie into something of a holy grail for his hardcore fans. It’s the "lost" footage of a superstar's birth.
The Connection Between Van and Daryl Dixon
It is impossible to look at Van and not see the blueprint for Daryl. Both characters are outcasts. Both are defined by their loyalty to family members who are essentially toxic. In The Walking Dead, Daryl had Merle. In Floating, Van has his father.
There’s a specific scene in Floating where Van finally snaps. It’s not a big "action hero" moment. It’s a quiet, devastating realization that he’s drowning. When you compare that to Daryl’s emotional breakdowns in later seasons of The Walking Dead, the lineage is clear. Reedus didn't learn how to act in a classroom; he learned it by playing these broken, blue-collar men who are trying to find a reason to keep breathing.
👉 See also: That Naked Daniel Radcliffe Equus Controversy: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
The Technical Side of the Debut
Technically speaking, the film is very "1997." The lighting is naturalistic, bordering on grainy. The editing is slow. It relies heavily on the chemistry between the actors because there are no special effects to hide behind.
The director, William Roth, really let the camera linger on Reedus. It was a gamble. Usually, with a first-time actor, you want to cut away quickly to hide any "acting" they might be doing. But Reedus was natural. He didn't look like he was trying to be a movie star. He looked like a guy who was genuinely pissed off and tired. That authenticity is why he survived the indie film bubble of the 90s while so many other "pretty boy" actors disappeared.
Lessons from Norman Reedus’ Career Start
Looking back at Norman Reedus' first movie, there are some genuine takeaways for anyone interested in the industry or just the trajectory of fame.
- Typecasting can be a superpower. Reedus leaned into his look. He didn't try to be the romantic lead in a rom-com. He stayed in his lane of "gritty, soulful loner" and perfected it.
- The first job sets the tone. By choosing a heavy drama over a silly slasher or a bit part, he established himself as a serious actor right out of the gate.
- Presence beats technique. You can see him making "rookie" mistakes in Floating—sometimes he’s too quiet, sometimes his pacing is off—but you can’t take your eyes off him. That’s something you can’t teach.
How to Watch Floating Today
If you’re lucky enough to find a copy, watch it with the context of the late 90s. Don't expect the high-octane energy of Blade II or the polish of modern AMC shows. It’s a slow burn. It’s a character study. It’s a look at a man who was destined for stardom even when he was just a kid from a motorcycle shop who got lucky at a party.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
To truly appreciate the evolution of Norman Reedus, don't just stop at his filmography. Look at his photography books like The Sun's Coming Up... Like A Big Bald Head. You’ll see the same visual themes from Floating—the grit, the shadows, the focus on the fringe of society.
If you're an actor, the "Norman Reedus story" is a reminder that being "interesting" is often more valuable than being "perfect." He didn't have a headshot. He didn't have a reel. He had a vibe that was undeniable.
For those wanting to track down the film, check local libraries or specialty DVD rental stores that still exist in some cities. Sometimes it appears on platforms like Tubi or Plex under their "indie drama" sections. Seeing it is the only way to truly understand the DNA of one of modern TV’s most iconic performers.
The movie ends on a note that is both hopeful and incredibly sad. Van is still stuck, in a way, but he’s changed. It’s the perfect metaphor for Reedus’ early career: he was "floating" in the industry until the right roles finally gave him a place to land.