Brett Dier Talks That Episode Of Jane The Virgin

Warning: Spoilers for season 3 of Jane the Virgin ahead. On last night's episode of Jane the Virgin, fans were basically shell-shocked when the show lobbed a totally out-of-left-field twist at them and basically changed the course of the entire series. If you haven't heard by now, Michael dies. Star Gina Rodriguez wished the character and the actor that plays him, Brett Dier, a fond farewell on social media, but loyal viewers are still reeling at the news. It was a heartbreaking moment, but Dier tells Entertainment Weekly that he knew it was coming. "Jennie [Snyder Urman] brought me into her office at the end of season 2 and told me. I already had an idea what it was going to be because of the season 1 spoiler from the narrator. That’s when I had my first clue. But when she brought me in in season 2, I was like, They’re going to tell me I croaked,' Dier said. "It was a weird feeling. Because even though I was kind of prepared, reality sunk in and I was like, Shit. I loved playing Michael so much. He felt like a big part of me. And knowing he was going to die was such a weird thing." It was tough for fans to take in, especially since Jane and Michael recently bought a house together and the couple finally slept together, devirginizing Jane and giving the show an entirely new title in the process.

Dier explained that Michael's cause of death isn't entirely unheard of — though it is uncommon — which gave him a clue as to when he'd die. "I didn’t know how he was going to die except it was going to be from an artery thing," he said. "It actually happens to 1% of gunshot victims that get shot in the lung and heart area, and it could be up to a year after, which is really scary. I didn’t know how it was going to go. I had no clue." After last night's episode, Dier posted a tweet thanking Rodriguez.

He also posted a note thanking the show's crew. "Playing Michael has been a life changing experience, and I’m so thankful for it," Dier wrote. "This cast and crew, writers and directors I will never forget. You guys are truly incredible people… Thank you Jennie Urman for letting me wear his shoes. So grateful for you."

Dier also told EW that it wasn't just the final death scene that had an emotional impact on him. In many of the scenes that led up to the event, he and Rodriguez had to deal with the emotions repeatedly, which took a toll on both of them. "That whole episode for me was super emotional," he said. "I remember I would have tears in my eyes in scenes where I wouldn’t have to have tears in my eyes because I was thinking of what was going to happen." Fans aren't the only ones who are going to miss Michael. Dier will, too, though showrunner Urman hints that he'll be back in flashbacks and, perhaps, fantasy sequences. "I’m going to miss that Michael and Jane relationship," Dier said. "Because I thought it was a really beautifully written relationship."