Inmany of the latest primetime TV dramas, the main characters don't always make it beyond a single season. Characters are killed off all the time, and it happens more often than not on AMC's The Walking Dead.
Throughout the show's 10 seasons, only two of the original cast members remain. Former members of the group of survivors fending off the undead in the zombie apocalypse have died brutal deaths while new ones have joined along the way.
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Looking back, where are some of those former cast members now? While some like Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie, will actually return to the series, and others, like Lennie James (Morgan), have moved over to spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead. Still others have left, never to be seen on the show again. Here's a look at some of the actors who played some of the most notable characters on the show and what they are doing now.
Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes)
One of the most controversial deaths on the series was that of Carl, who was killed off in the eighth season by a walker bite after trying to save Siddiq. Though many protested the death, Carl had the chance to say his goodbyes since he knew he would perish from the bite.
What is Chandler Riggs, the actor who played Carl, up to these days? He has continued to act, including in the 2019 movie Inherit the Viper and in a recurring role on ABC drama A Million Little Things. He is also focused on creating electronic music, which he releases under the stage name Eclipse.
Steven Yeun (Glenn Rhee)
Fans were devasted when Glenn, one of the original cast members, was killed off in such a brutal fashion by Negan and his bat Lucille. And while that role remains his most notable to date, Yeun has been keeping busy since leaving the show in 2016.
His biggest projects since have been roles in the 2017 Netflix film Okja, the 2018 South Korean mystery film Burning, and Sorry to Bother You (2018). This year, he is working behind-the-scenes as well as a producer for the movie Minari, in which he also stars. He'll next be seen in the one-act play adaptation of The Humans alongside Amy Schumer.
Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha Williams)
Martin-Green hasn't slowed down career-wise since she emerged from that coffin as a walker, almost taking out Negan in an effort to save her crew. Once her death on the show was made official, it was revealed that she would be taking on the lead role of Michael Burnham, lieutenant commander of the USS Discovery, on the series Star Trek: Discovery.
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That show's third season will debut this year. Martin-Green also appeared in the 2019 film Holiday Rush and is set to appear in the 2021 film Space Jam 2. In addition to acting on screen, she does voice work for video games, including the voice of Burnham for the Star Trek Online game and an unconfirmed voice for Fast & Furious Crossroads.
Emily Kinney (Beth Greene)
It was a deeply emotional scene when Beth was shot in the head and Daryl carried her lifeless body outside, intense anger in his eyes. She left the series in 2015 and since then, has made appearances on many other shows, including Masters of Sex, The Flash, Arrow, and Conviction.
Today, she appeared in the first season of Netflix original series Messiah. She also has a music career, having released several EPs, the latest being her solo album Oh Jonathan, which she released in 2018.
Tom Payne (Paul "Jesus" Rovia)
"Jesus" was a recurring character in season 6, then a regular for seasons 7 and 8 before being killed off in season 9. He was known for his amazing martial arts skills and for being a number-two in Hilltop, leading alongside Maggie.
Today, Payne has a leading role in the Fox police procedural Prodigal Son, alongside Martin Sheen. He plays a very different character, a skilled psychological profiler who studies serial killers while dealing with the trauma ofbeing a notorious serial murderer's son.
Michael Cudlitz (Abraham Ford)
While Abraham was one of two people who intimately met Negan's barbed wire baseball bat Lucille, Cudlitz actually continues to work as part of The Walking Dead family behind-the-scenes.
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After getting killed off the series in 2016, He returned to direct three episodes to date between 2018 and 2019. He has also returned to the after-show talk show Talking Dead as a panelist. Additionally, Cudlitz continues to act in films and TV series, including the 2018 movie Driven and the 2018/19 sitcom The Kids Are Alright, which was canceled after a single season.
Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes)
Appearing only in the first three seasons of the series as Rick's wife, love interest for Shane, and biological mother of Judith. Lori wasn't exactly a fan-favorite character. Dying in childbirth from an emergency C-section, Callies was reportedly on board with the decision and encouraged the show's writers to do it in order to follow the storyline from the comics.
Since then, she has been busy acting, with the main role on the series Colony from 2016-2018, and in a supporting role in the Canadian series Letterkenny. In 2019, Callies snagged a leading role in the Canadian drama series Unspeakable about when HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C was found in the Canadian Red Cross's blood bank in the early '80s.
Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh)
Bernthal has had such an accomplished career that it's easy to forget that he was once the main antagonist on The Walking Dead. Shane was Rick's best friend and police partner who started a romance with Rick's wife Lori when the two thought Rick was long gone.
Killed off after two seasons, he went on to appear in major projects on film and TV, including The Wolf of Wall Street, Sicario, The Accountant, Baby Driver, and Ford v Ferrari. But his most notable role has been as Frank Castle/Punisher in the Netflix MCU projects, including The Punisher and Daredevil.
David Morrissey (Philip "The Governor" Blake)
One of the best villains on the series, Philip "The Governor" Blake first appeared like the logical, level-headed leader of Woodbury. Until his true colors and sociopathic nature shone through. He appeared in seasons 3-5 before finally being taken out by Michonne.
Since 2015, Morrissey has appeared in TV series like Extant, Good Omens, and, most recently, Inside No. 9. He is set to appear in a 2021 film called Dampyr, which will is currently in its post-production phase.
Laurie Holden (Andrea Harrison)
Despite being a main character in the comics, Andrea was killed off in season 3 of the series. After that, Holden has been steadily acting. She appeared in the series Major Crimes and the main antagonist in the comedy movie Dumb and Dumber To.
She then had a role in the series Chicago Fire and was supposed to reprise it for the spin-off Chicago Med but dropped out due to family reasons. She joined the cast of The Americans in 2017 and the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete in 2018. She also appeared in the short-lived 2019 legal drama Proven Innocent. In addition to acting, Holden also works as a human rights activist, campaigning against human trafficking and helping children living with HIV.
Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon)
Rooker is best known today as Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. But before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), he played Daryl's domineering brother Merle.Merle's reanimation and Daryl's emotional response to it was one of the biggest tearjerkers of the series.
Rooker also voices characters for video games, including several in the popular Call of Duty franchise as well asreprising the role of Merlein The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.
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FAQs
Are any original characters from walking dead still alive? ›
Other than Rick Grimes, Morgan Jones (Lennie James) is the only remaining character left alive from the show's pilot.
Who passed away from The Walking Dead? ›Moses J. Moseley, known for his role on "The Walking Dead," died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to his autopsy.
What is Chandler Riggs doing now? ›Riggs played a recurring role in the television series A Million Little Things. During his meeting with Motor City Comic Con fans in May 2022, he revealed that between projects he does a good bit of charity work, live streaming on Twitch, and the funds raised go to a different charity each month.
Why did they get rid of Rick Grimes? ›That changed during season 9 of The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes was written out of the series. However, he did return for one final appearance in The Walking Dead series finale. The truth is that Andrew Lincoln left The Walking Dead because of his desire to be close to his family.
Who is the most famous walking dead character? ›- 1 Glenn's Death Was Gut-Wrenching.
- 2 Fans Rooted For Carol Since The Beginning Of The Walking Dead. ...
- 3 Fans Rooted For Daryl. ...
- 4 Fans Loved To Hate Negan. ...
- 5 Judith Had Rick And Michonne's Best Traits. ...
- 6 Rick Has Much More Story To Tell. ...
- 4 Paul "Jesus" Rovia's Unexpected Death Broke Fans' Hearts. ...
- 3 Beth Greene's Accidental Death Was Truly Heartbreaking. ...
- 2 Carl Grimes' Caring Nature Came To The Fore In His Devastating Final Moments. ...
- 1 Glenn Rhee's Death Tore Viewers' Hearts Out And Stomped All Over Them.
TWD S4E13 “Alone”: In the thirteenth episode of season four, Beth and Daryl enter a house, which appears to be a mortuary or funeral home, after crossing a cemetery. Since they find food there, and it appears safe, they decide to stay for a while. (The show appearing close to the cemetery is CGI magic from the show.
Who was in the coffin in The Walking Dead? ›Sasha indeed suffered the same fate in The Walking Dead season 7 finale — although this time she committed suicide in a coffin thanks to Eugene's poison pill and attacked Negan as a zombie rather than one of the Alexandrians. Martin-Green spoke about Sasha's final sacrifice on Talking Dead after the show.
Is Rick going to come back? ›Rick Grimes makes his return to The Walking Dead in the series finale (season 11 episode 24) “Rest In Peace”. If you would like to know what happens in that return, read on. The veteran character appears at the very end of the episode in a tag scene designed to set up the upcoming Rick and Michonne spinoff.
Is Rick Grimes coming back? ›And then a match was lit. The series finale took a dramatic turn in its final few minutes, looking both ahead and back as viewers saw the return of Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne — who will be returning for a 2023 spin-off series on AMC.
Does Daryl have feelings for Carol? ›
Daryl has never seen Carol in a romantic way.
Their relationship is based more on respect for each other and trust. There are no such feelings from his side. Maybe he looks up to her as some elder person or as an elder sister, you know, whom he loves and respects.
Dr. Edwin Jenner whispers to Rick, “We are all infected.” This means that no matter how you are killed, unless your brain is destroyed, you will come back as a Walker.
Why didn't they cut off Rick's hand? ›Rick begged and pleaded for Negan to take his hand instead. Negan, satisfied that Rick was sufficiently cowed, let everyone walk away with their parts intact.
How did Rick Grimes lose his arm? ›The events leading up to the scene are simple enough: in Issue #28 of the Walking Dead comic series, Rick is captured by The Governor, who soon demands to know the location of Rick's camp. Rick refuses and, as a punishment, the Governor cuts off Rick's right hand.
What were Glenn's last words? ›“I will find you.” Those were Glenn's final words to Maggie on The Walking Dead while he was in the midst of being pummeled with a barbed-wire-covered baseball bat.
Who is the least liked Walking Dead character? ›If there is one supporting character that Walking Dead fans hated more than any other, it was Gregory. He lived in the biggest, nicest house in the Hilltop and served as their leader, while his people worked hard and lived the best they could. When Rick and company showed up, he was immediately antagonistic.
What did Glenn mean by I'll find you? ›What did Glenn mean by I'll find you Maggie? It's important that he puts those final words out as a way of saying, 'Look out for one another. '" Cohan, who plays Maggie Greene, had a different interpretation: "I mean, I feel like in this life or the next. They're star-crossed lovers.
What is the most watched Walking Dead episode? ›The season five premiere was The Walking Dead's most watched episode ever, with 17.29 million tuning in on Oct. 12, 2014, and about 5 million more watching within the next seven days. The show was also the greatest launchpad AMC ever had.
Who is the most evil character on The Walking Dead? ›Negan is the best-known villain in TWD history, and despite his many wrongdoings, remains a fan-favorite character. But no matter how much he tries to be redeemed, the deaths on his conscience will always weigh heavy on both him and the viewers.
Who is the greatest villain in The Walking Dead? ›- 8 Dawn.
- 7 The Wolves.
- 6 Gareth / Terminus.
- 5 Shane.
- 4 Merle.
- 3 The Governor.
- 2 Alpha, Beta & The Whisperers.
- 1 Negan.
What is the hardest walking dead death? ›
One of the hardest-hitting deaths in The Walking Dead was the demise of Hershel in season 4 episode Too Far Gone, when Rick's failure to negotiate with the Governor leads the latter to utter the chilling "liar" and decapitate Hershel using Michonne's katana. Fans were heartbroken as they witnessed the brutal execution.
Who was the famous zombie in The Walking Dead? ›Who played the half zombie in The Walking Dead? The bloated well walker is the name attributed to a fictional zombie character featured on the AMC television series The Walking Dead. Played by actor Brian Hillard, it appeared in episode four of season two, "Cherokee Rose".
Is Michonne dead? › Whose grave did Daryl and Beth put a flower on? ›Daryl later visits Carol's makeshift grave, placing a Cherokee Rose to honor her memory. Rick has found the boiler room where Lori died, finding a bloated walker inside with no trace of Lori's body.
What happened to the old folks home in The Walking Dead? ›The nursing home got overrun by walkers, but investigating further, Rick's group discovers that the gang were actually killed by human pillagers.
Who was the first infected in The Walking Dead? ›Gloria The first confirmed infected seen in the Walking Dead universe, and Nick's girlfriend.
Who is the father of Rosita's baby? ›After two years together, Rosita reveals to Eugene that she is pregnant, but he is not the father. The father of the baby is later revealed to be Siddiq, another member of Alexandria.
Who was feeding the zombies rats in walking dead? ›During Sunday's episode, Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) turned out to be a bigger threat than anyone realized and was revealed to have been the one feeding mice to the walkers at the prison.
What body did Maggie send to Negan? ›The following day Maggie sends that coffin back to Negan as a threat of what will happen to the other prisoners if the Saviors continue to fight.
Do they find out Rick is alive? ›Die-hard fans of the series know that Rick is still alive. In season 9, he blew up a bridge to save his friends and family, which resulted in what appeared to be his death. Although heroic, this act shocked his wife, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl (Norman Reedus), and the rest.
Is Daryl Dixon getting a spin off? ›
Norman Reedus says his Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spin-off series is a 'reset' With the new series now a few weeks into production, the Walking Dead star tells EW what to expect when Daryl does Europe.
Will Judith be in Rick and Michonne series? ›Casting details for TWD: Rick & Michonne spinoff
Of course, Rick's quest to reunite with his family could see him finally back with his daughter Judith, who he has not seen in years.
The Walking Dead's ongoing A and B mystery has been half-solved, as World Beyond's series finale reveals what made Rick an A and why Jadis' Walking Dead lie to the Crm labeled him as a B.
Are Maggie and Negan getting a spin off? ›The Walking Dead. Isle of the Dead is no more. That's because EW has learned that the Maggie and Negan Walking Dead spin-off starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan has an official new title: The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Does Rick and Daryl reunite? ›The next day, Rick, Michonne, Carl, Rosita, and Tara show up at the Hilltop, reuniting with Maggie, Sasha, and Enid. As they plan, Daryl and Jesus return to everyone's surprise. Rick and Daryl embrace, and Daryl returns his gun. The group makes plans to go to war with the Saviors.
What did Daryl whisper to Carl? ›I've been getting a few emails from fans and after rewatching the scene a few times it appears that Daryl says "Get away" to Carl. Another reader pointed out that before Daryl says that to Carl, it seems as if the two shared a bit more dialogue.
Does Daryl have a mental illness? ›Daryl Dixon goes through a quick but severe state of depression after finding his brother Merle as a walker and having to put him out of his misery.
Does Daryl fall in love with Beth? ›Whatever the case, Beth's life was cut short before anything could happen between them, beyond their strong emotional bond. Seeing Daryl walk out of the hospital with a dead Beth cradled in his arms remains one of the saddest and most tragic moments of the entire show. Did Daryl love Beth? The odds say yes.
What 3 questions does Rick ask? ›The three questions were: How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why?
Who was the first choice for Rick Grimes? ›Thomas Jane Was First Choice For Rick Grimes On 'The Walking Dead'
Is there a cure in walking dead? ›
'The Walking Dead' creator explains why there'll never be a cure for the zombie apocalypse in the show. The co-creator of The Walking Dead has clarified why a cure for the zombie apocalypse will never be introduced into the show's plot.
Did Negan cut off Carl's hand? ›Carl's arm was spared at the last moment, and Walking Dead comic scribe Robert Kirkman had this to say about whether or not Carl will get to keep it in the long run: There were a lot of variations that were discussed, and we're not ruling it out for the future.
Who kills Negan? ›No, Negan does not die in The Walking Dead. He has come close to death on many occasions, and none more so in the season 8 finale when Rick Grimes finally destroys him and his vicious saviors before opting to save his life and make him a prisoner of Alexandria.
What did Negan do to Carl? ›In response, Negan admonishes Amber and tells Dwight, with Daryl in tow, to "fire up that furnace." Alone with Carl, Negan tells the boy he is trying to bond with him, and asks him to remove his bandages so he can look at Carl's missing eye, coercing Carl by reminding him he killed two of his men.
What was on Michonne's arm? ›Oh, so that's where the blood on Michonne's arm came from. Blink-and-you'll-miss-it explanation: When Michonne is talking to Negan, she quickly wipes something off her arm, just as she did while lying in bed in the previous episode. It's clear now that it's walker blood from her late-night adventures.
Did Enid have to amputate Aaron's arm? ›The damage was so bad that Enid (yes, Enid) had to amputate it with Daryl's help. "[Showrunner] Angela Kang talked to me about it at the beginning of the season, and she asked how I felt about it," Ross Marquand told ET's Leanne Aguilera at the show's season nine premiere last month.
Why did Daryl choke Rick? ›After Daryl punched Rick, the characters had themselves a feud which saw a pile of explosives being tossed into a slowly building fire. Before they would explode, Daryl would get Rick into a headlock and inflict a choke hold on him until he realized the danger they were both in.
Is there a Daryl and Carol spin off? ›It's also clear now that Daryl Dixon won't be the Daryl and Carol spinoff that fans were hoping for after Melissa McBride exited the show. Instead, the new series will introduce two new characters that will be a part of Daryl's journey on the other side of the Atlantic.
Who were the original members of TWD? ›And perhaps surprisingly, some of the most popular Dead heads weren't even on the main cast list for Season 1. That cast included Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun and Chandler Riggs. That's it. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride were supporting cast.
How many season 1 characters are left in The Walking Dead? ›The bolded names Lincoln, Reedus, and McBride are the only three survivors from this season. Lincoln left the flagship series during season 9, but Reedus and McBride remained until the final episode.
Is Daryl the only survivor? ›
Daryl to Pamela Milton. Daryl Dixon is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He is the younger brother of Merle and the last surviving member of his family. Daryl is an expert at hunting, tracking, navigation, and observation.
Who is the woman Daryl sees? ›Daryl first met Leah in season 10 episode 18, “Find Me” — one of the six additional episodes added onto the season, bringing the total count up to a record 24. In “Find Me,” Daryl searches for Rick Grimes' body for closure about his death but instead stumbles across a cabin in the woods where he meets Leah.
Why did Melissa Mcbride leave the spinoff? ›"Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spin-off focused on the Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier characters, which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year. Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time.
Does Daryl ever get a girl? ›Does Daryl get a girlfriend in walking dead? Showrunner Angela Kang and the rest of the AMC drama's creative team at last delivered an episode giving Norman Reedus' perma-loner Daryl Dixon a 100% official love interest, Leah, as portrayed by True Blood and Bosch vet Lynn Collins.
What group was Jesus with TWD? ›Jesus remains with the Hilltop community in the year and half following the end of the war with the Saviors, assisting Maggie in running the community. Following Rick's apparent death, in the six years that follow, Maggie decides to leave Hilltop and join with Georgie and her group, leaving Jesus in charge of Hilltop.
Who was Daryl before the zombies? ›Before the outbreak, Daryl didn't have a job. He was a drifter. Finding Rick and allowing himself to be part of an extended family after being on his own for so long helped Daryl become less guarded and become a better person.
Who are the two chained zombies in walking dead? ›The season 2 finale of The Walking Dead featured the arresting image of a hooded, katana-wielding figure carrying around two zombies in chains. That walking warrior was none other than Michonne, one of the most popular characters from the comic book on which the AMC drama is based.
Does Rick ever come back to walking dead? ›The series finale took a dramatic turn in its final few minutes, looking both ahead and back as viewers saw the return of Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne — who will be returning for a 2023 spin-off series on AMC.
Is Cyndie Dead In The Walking Dead? › Is michonne dead? ›Is Daryl In love With Beth? ›
Whatever the case, Beth's life was cut short before anything could happen between them, beyond their strong emotional bond. Seeing Daryl walk out of the hospital with a dead Beth cradled in his arms remains one of the saddest and most tragic moments of the entire show. Did Daryl love Beth? The odds say yes.
How many human kills does Daryl have? ›Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) - 72
Meanwhile, Daryl has done quite a bit of killing others, racking up a body count of 72, tied with his close friend Rick Grimes until season 11, as the TWD character with the highest kill count.