After 12 years on the air and with a “no character is safe” policy, it’s no surprise that 'The Walking Dead' has had so many cast changes.
With 12 years on the air and a “no character is safe” policy, it’s no surprise that has seen a come and go within 11 seasons. With some being killed off, disappearing, or sometimes just outright leaving the main group, the cast has seen familiar faces come and go until an almost completely new cast led the show. As the show , it's easy to see why the OG’s would continue to hold in such high regard. But what came of the original cast, and what are they up to now?
Up first, we have one of the original “good guy father figures” that the group ever had in Jeffrey DeMunn’s Dale Hovarth. DeMunn’s Dale was initially introduced in the series’ pilot episode. The kind and weary character served as a soft caretaker for the rest of the group, specifically Laurie Holden’s Andrea with whom he shared a special relationship. Following his departure from the show back in 2012, DeMunn went on to star in several television roles such as Hal Morrison in the critically acclaimed, . Most notably, in 2016, he joined the cast of as Chuck Rhoades Sr who DeMunn continues portraying in 2022.
Coming in next we have one of the longest surviving members of the zombie-based series with Melissa McBride’s, Carol Peletier. When fans were first introduced to McBride’s Carol, she had been a shy and submissive housewife, yet by the series’ 11th season, her character developed into a fearless and deadly leader. As the character remains an integral part of the show well into its 11th season, it's hard to imagine an instance where she may be killed off. In addition to this, the news of a following Carol and Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon, further solidifies the theory that Carol will survive until the end.
Up next, we have one of the first portrayals of youthful life within the apocalypse in Chandler Riggs’ Carl Grimes. First introduced in the series pilot at only 12 years old, viewers saw Riggs and his character Carl grow up throughout his 8 years on the show. Despite his solid run on the series, Riggs’ final appearance on the show came during the ninth episode of its eighth season. Despite the majority of his career spent as Carl Grimes, Riggs went on to join the cast of in 2019 as Patrick “PJ” Nelson.
Coming in next we have Laurie Holden’s Andrea. Holden’s Andrea was first introduced on the show during its second episode of the first season. After a long and tragic journey of losing her sister and her father figure, Andrea met her fate similarly to Riggs’ Carl by committing suicide after being bitten in the neck by a walker during the final episode of the series’ third season. Following her departure from the show, Holden went on to continue developing her acting career in both film and television. Holden’s latest venture will see the California-born actress become a part of the Amazon Prime superhero-themed series, , in its upcoming third season as Crimson Countess.
Up next, we have one of the series’ most adored characters, Steven Yeun’s Glenn Rhee. After a 6-year run on the series, fans were horrified to witness the death of Yeun’s Glenn during the premiere episode of the show’s seventh season. After bidding his farewell to the character, Yeun has gone on to appear in several critically acclaimed films such as 2017’s and Academy Award-nominated 2020 film.
Coming in next we have one of the series’ OG leading ladies, Sarah Wayne Callies, who played Lori Grimes. Callies portrayed a very central character during the series' first three seasons where she struggled to navigate her post-apocalyptic life whilst being trapped in a hellish love triangle between her husband and his best friend, which left her pregnant. Her shocking death in season 3 came about during her agonizing childbirth. Since her departure from the show, Waynes Callies went on to appear in several hit television series as a main and recurring character such as , , and .
Up next, we have one of the series’ earliest antagonists, Shane Walsh. Portrayed by the incredibly talented Jon Bernthal, Shane served as a foil to the series' protagonist and leading man Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). The unhinged deputy’s death in season 2, episode 12 is considered to be a crucial event in Rick’s character development as it forced him to truly understand what surviving in the apocalypse required. Since leaving the show in 2012, Bernthal went on to appear in many Hollywood hit films such as and. Most notably, Bernthal became a part of the Marvel universe in 2016 with his portrayal of Frank Castle’s The Punisher in. that Bernthal went on to star in his own Nextflix series.
For many long-time fans of the show, the very essence of can be found in one of the series’ most iconic and longest-running characters, Daryl Dixon. Norman Reedus’ portrayal of the tough-as-nails redneck quickly became a fan favorite after his first appearance during the show’s third episode of its first season. Since then audiences have watched and rooted for Daryl throughout the series’ 12-year run. After its finale in 2022, Reedus will continue to portray the beloved character in a future spinoff show. Reedus is also widely in Marvel’s future projects.
And finally, we have the series’ original protagonist and leading man Rick Grimes, portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Fans of the series followed the determined sheriff from the very first episode and were heartbroken in his final moments during the series’ fifth episode of its ninth season. It’s possible that for the series’ final moments as his character was shown to have survived during his final appearance. Despite this, following his departure from the show, in favor of spending more time with his family, notably only appearing in the 2020 Netflix film,, since.
