Here's what the cast of 'The Walking Dead' looks like in real life
- "The Walking Dead" cast may be covered in blood, dirt, and guts while fending off zombie herds in the apocalypse, but in real life they clean up pretty well.
- The AMC series has been on air since 2010, introducing us to dozens of characters in the zombie apocalypse.
- Some of the cast members wear wigs and prosthetics that would make them look nearly recognizable off of the Atlanta, Georgia, set.
- Insider rounds up the many current and previous cast members. Some of them look unrecognizable when they're not trying to outlast and outwit the dead and the living.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
SEE ALSO: 6 ways the first episode of 'The Walking Dead' could've been very different
DON'T MISS: The most shocking deaths on 'The Walking Dead' ranked
Rick Grimes was constantly covered in blood, zombie guts in the zombie apocalypse.
Over the course of the show, Rick has led a group of survivors through the zombie apocalypse. On season nine, his hair was shorter and grayer.
Even though he left the show, 46-year-old British actor Andrew Lincoln keeps the beard partially intact.
Season nine may have been Andrew Lincoln's final season as Rick Grimes, but he's set to return in "TWD" movies, which will continue the character's story. So far, we know the first movie is set to be made by Universal.
Read more: 'The Walking Dead' is going to continue telling Rick Grimes' story in 3 movies
Michonne watches over Alexandria with Rick gone.
Michonne started a relationship with Rick, her long-time partner-in-crime, to the delight of many fans on season six. You can read more about the Richonne pairing here and how it's been in the work for years, here.
In real life, Danai Gurira looks completely unrecognizable without her Michonne wig.
Gurira is still a fan favorite, but she's now a worldwide star after appearances in "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War." You can read about her "Black Panther" workout routine here. We expect to see her in the forthcoming "Black Panther 2."
In February, Insider confirmed Gurira will leave the show after season 10. She's expected to appear in the Rick Grimes' movies.
Read more: 'The Walking Dead's' Danai Gurira is leaving the show after next season
Rick's son Carl lost his eye from a rogue bullet. On the show, he was almost always seen wearing his dad's sheriff's hat.
You can read more about Carl losing his eye here.
Many expected Carl to be the future of the show, but his time was cut short when he was killed off on season eight. Though the actor continued to mock the silly way in which his character was killed, he told Insider he had no hard feelings.
Chandler Riggs grew up on set of "The Walking Dead." After leaving the show in 2018, Riggs cut his hair short.
Riggs is now appearing on ABC's "A Million Little Things."
Carl's love interest Enid moved into the Hilltop and was a practicing doctor.
Enid looked after Maggie since Glenn's death. After the time jump, she had a new sense of purpose as a doctor and a budding relationship with Alden.
Nacon's name was added to the opening credits for season nine. For the time jump, she was finally able to cut her long hair short, something she told Insider she was very excited about. Her character was shockingly killed off by the season's end in a big moment from the comics that was brought to life.
Nacon told Insider she was surprised more big characters weren't killed off alongside her.
Actress Katelyn Nacon looks more chic in real life.
You may not have realized she was on Adult Swim's 2014 viral spoof "Too Many Cooks." Nacon joined the second season of Hulu's "Light as a Feather."
Alden was originally a reluctant Savior, but he became a trusted member of the Hilltop.
Alden was in a relationship with Enid until she was killed by the Whisperers. Actress Katelyn Nacon told Insider after the time jump, Enid is supposed to be 23, while Alden is about 29.
Callan McAuliffe looks more or less the same outside the show.
Before he was on "TWD," McAuliffe was the young Jay Gatsby in 2013's "The Great Gatsby." The Australian actor has a thick accent.
Judith is about 11 years old now after the two time jumps on season nine and the birth of Rosita's baby.
The older Judith Grimes was introduced on season nine, episode six with her own little sword and gun. Fans instantly fell for the feisty young actress behind the role. She appears to be a blend between Lori, Carl, and Michonne, the latter of whom is her caretaker. So far, we've seen Judith have a great bond with Negan on the show.
"Star Wars" actress Cailey Fleming landed the role of Judith on the show.
You've seen Fleming appear as a young Rey in the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." She also played Jennifer Garner's daughter in 2018's "Peppermint" and appeared on AMC's "Preacher" and FX's "Better Things." She was recently on "Creepshow."
"She came in and she had so much personality and life and was a great person. We just knew she'd be a perfect fit for the cast," showrunner Angela Kang told Insider of Fleming getting cast on the show.
Read more: How 'Star Wars' actress Cailey Fleming landed the role of Judith Grimes on 'The Walking Dead'
Negan has been locked up since the end of season eight after his war with Rick.
Though Negan's throat was slashed at the end of season eight, he loves to hear himself talk. He's been sitting in jail at Alexandria ever since. Though he escaped his cell, Negan found he didn't really care much for the world outside Alexandria if he had to go it alone.
We'll start to see Negan get out of his cell a bit this season. Showrunner Angela Kang confirmed on "Talking Dead" he'll even have a run in with Whisperer Beta. Ryan Hurst told us that when the two meet, it will be one of the series' funniest episodes.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, known for his roles on "The Good Wife" and "Grey's Anatomy," couldn't wait to audition for the role.
Morgan's hair has been shorter for the show since season nine. He married longtime girlfriend Hilarie Burton after an appearance at 2019's New York Comic Con.
Read more: How Jeffrey Dean Morgan landed the coveted role of the meanest villain yet on 'The Walking Dead'
Austin Amelio joined the cast on season six as one of Negan's Saviors, Dwight.
Daryl sent Dwight off to find his wife Sherry at the end of season eight. That journey led Dwight straight to "Fear The Walking Dead" for season five. It's unclear whether or not we'll see him wind up on "TWD" again.
In real life, he looks a bit different without the giant facial burn scar.
Other than "The Walking Dead," Amelio recently completed several shorts. In September at FanX Convention, Amelio said he'd like to see his character on a darker journey. He'll appear on ABC's new show "Stumptown."
Fan favorite Daryl is front and center on the show with Rick gone.
The biggest difference in his life after the time jump is that he has a pet dog, named Dog. Reedus told Insider we're seeing a different side to Daryl's character this season as he's opening up more.
Actor Norman Reedus ditches the bad boy look off set, but keeps his shaggy hair long when he's not filming.
It wasn't always that way. Reedus launched his career as a Prada model years ago. You can see photos from his Prada days here. He and his girlfriend, Diane Kruger, welcomed a daughter last November.
Reedus pulls double time on AMC between "TWD" and his "Ride With Norman" series.
Maggie has a young son, Hershel, and is currently somewhere in the world with Georgie.
Like Daryl, she was sour over the decision to jail Negan until she went to visit him and saw he was a shell of his former self. Maggie is currently MIA on the show with Georgie (Jayne Atkinson), but she'll be back.
Cohan surprised fans at NYCC by jumping on stage in cosplay to announce she's returning to "TWD" as a series regular on season 11.
Cohan appeared on the first five episodes of "TWD" season nine before leaving along with Andrew Lincoln. The actress starred on ABC series, "Whiskey Cavalier." It was the final show the network chose to cancel earlier this year.
While Cohan will be back on the show next season, showrunner Angela Kang told Insider we may see her sooner than that this season.
Maggie's husband Glenn became one of Negan's victims on the season seven premiere after an outburst from Daryl.
Glenn was one of the original stars on the show. Many fans were upset over the brutal death of the character.
He can usually be seen wearing glasses off set. Yeun has gone on to voice animated characters and appear in critically-acclaimed films.
Yeun has voiced characters on animated series since leaving "The Walking Dead," including "Voltron" and "Trollhunters." He also appeared in two outstanding movies of 2018, "Sorry to Bother You" and "Burning."
He was named as one of many actors to appear on the "Twilight Zone" reboot and as a voice actor on Skybound's upcoming adaptation of "Invincible." He'll join an all-star cast of Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, J.K. Simmons, Zazie Beetz, and Seth Rogen.
Paul was better known on the show and comic series as Jesus for his uncanny resemblance to the religious figure.
Jesus protects those who live at the Hilltop and became a close friend of Maggie's. He was shockingly killed on the season nine mid-season finale. Though he's currently dead on the show, Payne appeared in a flashback on the rest of season nine.
Actor Tom Payne started out wearing a wig, but began growing his hair out for the show. He chopped it all off in 2019.
When Insider spoke with Payne in December, he said he planned to keep his hair long unless the right role came up that demanded him to cut it short. It looks like he found the right role on Fox's "Prodigal Son," where he's the lead.
Read more: Payne talks about cutting his hair for "Prodigal Son" and getting used to shorter hair
Aaron has become another important asset to Rick and Maggie's groups.
Aaron brought Rick's group into Alexandria and now is a member of its council along with Michonne. During season eight, Aaron took in baby Gracie, who belonged to a killed Savior.
Actor Ross Marquand has a full head of hair to tame for the show.
In addition to "The Walking Dead," Marquand is a talented voice actor. He had a surprising role in "Avengers: Infinity War." You can read about it here.
Gregory was the cowardly original leader of The Hilltop who enjoys a nice glass of scotch.
Gregory was killed off quickly by Maggie on the season nine premiere after he threatened her life.
Berkeley has a full beard in the off season and often likes to wear hats.
Berkeley is also a talented artist who does portraits. You can see his work here.
Abraham was the wise-cracking, strong arm of the group before Negan took him out on the season seven premiere.
Cudlitz came up with a tiny gesture to add into the season seven premiere you may have missed.
Michael Cudlitz dyed his hair bright red to bring the comic-book character to life. He looks a bit different clean shaven.
After his character's death on the show, Cudlitz starred on ABC's "The Kids are Alright" and returned to direct an episode, "Stradivarius," on the show's ninth season. This season, Cudlitz is directing two episodes of season 10, episode four, "Silence the Whisperers," and episode seven, "Open Your Eyes."
Read more: "TWD's" Michael Cudlitz asked to direct an episode of the show for years before being given a chance
His lady love, Sasha, gave her life on the season seven finale for Rick's group.
Sasha took a poison pill while in a coffin hoping that she would be able to take out Negan.
Read more: "The Walking Dead" season seven finale pulled a twist on an iconic moment from the comics
Sonequa Martin-Green lets her hair down on the red carpet.
Martin-Green leads the CBS All-Access sci-fi series, "Star Trek: Discovery," which is heading into its third season.
Eugene had swapped sides to align himself with Negan and the Saviors, but wound up helping Rick win the war against Negan.
Eugene was Negan's bullet maker and made sure all of the guns backfired when the Saviors tried to attack Rick, The Hilltop, and the Kingdom. Eugene has been back living at Alexandria for years and unsuccessfully tried to woo Rosita. He's now on diaper duty, taking care of Rosita's daughter, Coco.
Josh McDermitt grew his hair out for the show too.
On the season 10 premiere, Eugene insists on salvaging parts from a satellite that crash lands in the woods. McDermitt told Insider he's excited for Eugene to work more with the radio this season.
"I think the communities are so far apart and it's going to take this great distance and shrink it for us so we're able to communicate to each other a lot quicker than riding on a horse for days to go talk to someone at the next community," said McDermitt of Eugene's role on season 10.
Rosita has toughened up and now has a baby.
She's now one of the fierce female fighters on season 10 with a new braided hairstyle that makes more sense in the zombie apocalypse for her safety. Her life's a bit complicated at the moment as she's raising a child with three different men.
Actress Christian Serratos looks glamorous when she's not fighting the dead.
Serratos gave birth to her first child in May 2017.
Siddiq has been a part of "TWD" family since season eight. He's the lead doctor between the communities.
Carl saved Siddiq during season eight from the undead, a move which, ultimately, cost him his life. Since then, Siddiq has cared for the members of the Hilltop and Alexandria and has been a loyal friend and comrade to Michonne.
Avi Nash is suave and all smiles off set.
Nash plays the first Muslim-American character on "TWD." Nash has said he had never watched the show before joining. When he originally signed on for the series, he told The Teal Mango his initial contract was for three episodes.
Tara had smoothed things over with Oceanside and was a valued member of Rick's group.
Tara became the de facto leader of the Hilltop after Jesus died and Maggie ran off with Georgie's group. She was killed near the end of season nine alongside Enid.
Actress Alanna Masterson filmed season six while pregnant and cleverly hid it on set.
You can read more on how Masterson acted while pregnant on the show here.
Tara welcomed Magna and her group into the Hilltop community.
Magna and her four friends were introduced after the second time jump on season nine. Magna is covered in tattoos and was revealed to be a former inmate.
Actress Nadia Hilker is not covered in so many tattoos in real life.
Hilker joins "TWD" after appearing on "The 100," another apocalyptic series.
Yumiko is Magna's girlfriend in the zombie apocalypse.
Yumiko seems to be a sense of calm in Magna's life and a core member who keeps her group intact.
Eleanor Matsuura is elegant when she's not fighting off the dead with arrows.
Matsuura told TV Daily she came up with a backstory for her own character after a discussion with showrunner Angela Kang.
Luke is the member of the new group who is able to play the violin.
Luke was quite heartbroken when Michonne broke his Stradivarius violin. He went searching for some of his missing friends with Alden and the two wound up kidnapped by Alpha and the Whisperers. They're safe for now and have become closer since Enid's passing.
You probably recognize Dan Fogler from the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.
Fogler has described his "TWD" character as "a kindred spirit."
Connie is a deaf survivor in the zombie apocalypse.
She can hold her own and recently risked her neck to save a baby from a herd of zombies.
Actress Lauren Ridloff was born deaf and has been on Broadway.
Ridloff joined the cast as the series' first deaf character in 2018. She was recently cast in Marvel's upcoming superhero movie "The Eternals" with Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
Kelly is Connie's kid sister. Her hearing loss is gradually progressing on season 10.
Kelly's story line for season 10 is directly influenced by her real life story. Showrunner Angela Kang told Insider they wrote Angel Theory's progressive hearing loss onto the show.
"When I think about my story being represented through Kelly, it brings tears to my eyes (happy tears) because it reminds me of how much Ms. Kang, the writers, and AMC believed in me from the very beginning," Angel Theory wrote to Insider.
Angel Theory originally tried out for the role of Connie.
Though the role went to Lauren Ridloff, Angel Theory was liked so much that the team created the role of Kelly for her. In the comics, the character is a male.
Cyndie is now the leader of Oceanside.
She first formed a bond with Tara when she stumbled across the group of female survivors.
Sydney Park's hair is a bit shorter and straighter than her "Walking Dead's" counterpart.
Park also had a role on the "Pretty Little Liars" spin-off, "The Perfectionists." She returned on "TWD's" season 10 premiere after missing on the show since Rick's disappearance.
King Ezekiel lost his son Henry last season and the love of his life, Carol, in the process.
Ezekiel lost his beloved tiger, Shiva, and many of his soldiers on season eight, but he gained a love in Carol. Ezekiel worked hard to put together a fair to unite the communities during season nine. His adopted son, Henry, was kidnapped during the fair and killed. Carol left him, heartbroken, soon after his death.
Currently, Ezekiel seems to be in a bit of a depressive state.
Payton shaved his head for the part.
Payton is also known for doing voiceover work on cartoon series like "Teen Titans." He recently lent his voice in the "Teen Titans GO! to the Movies."
Jerry is King Ezekiel's close friend and faithful bodyguard.
Jerry is married to Nabila and is the proud father of three children in the zombie apocalypse.
Cooper Andrews keeps the long hair in real life, too.
In addition to "The Walking Dead," Andrews appeared in April's "Shazam!" movie.
After taking some time to find herself, Carol is back in action and a prominent, well-respected leader among the communities.
The zombie apocalypse helped transform Carol Peletier into the ultimate warrior. After years of keeping her hair short, her adopted son Henry said she finally felt safe enough to grow it out once she was with Ezekiel.
Carol was pretty shaken after Henry was murdered and went off on the ocean to get away from everything. Now that she's back, it's clear she wants to go after the Whisperers.
The actress still rocks her short cropped hair off set.
Right now, the show appears to be setting up some sort of showdown between Carol and Alpha, and we're here for it.
Henry got an upgrade after the time jumps and was played by the actor's older brother, Matt Lintz.
Henry left his cozy home at the Kingdom, where he's referred to as a prince, to live at the Hilltop and learn a trade as a blacksmith. Of course, things haven't been that simple for Henry. He got mixed up with a new stranger, Lydia, and quickly fell for the young girl who lives with an abusive mother.
When Lydia returned to her family, Henry couldn't live with that and went after her. He paid the ultimate price for it when he was killed last season.
Read more: 'Everyone wants to see this': 'The Walking Dead' star hopes we'll get an Alpha and Carol showdown
Matt Lintz actually made his hair lighter for the role on the show.
His hair is naturally a little darker than the blonde we see it as now. Lintz told Insider that after "TWD" he was looking forward to enjoying his junior year of high school.
Lydia joined the show as an abused member of the mysterious Whisperer crew.
Lydia was caught by Daryl and Michonne and brought back to the Hilltop. When her mother and the Whisperer group showed up at the community, she was reluctantly returned to the group. Since Henry's death, she's living at Alexandria and is trying to learn how to read.
Cassady McClincy looks a bit different when she's not hanging around with the Whisperer crew.
Before "The Walking Dead," McClincy appeared on Hulu's "Castle Rock," Netflix's "Ozark," and "Lore."
Lydia's mother Alpha appears to be someone you don't want to mess around with.
Alpha shaved her heads and is the leader of a group who walk among the dead, covering their heads in walker skin. Alpha seems to be pretty cutthroat, ordering a crying baby to be left for the undead.
Read more: 'The Walking Dead' just teased talking zombies on the show — here's what's really going on
Samantha Morton shaved her head for the role as the show's latest villain.
Morton told Entertainment Weekly landing the part of Alpha was "a dream role" for her as she was a big fan of George Romero's horror films growing up.
Beta is Alpha's right-hand man in the Whisperer group.
Beta made his debut on season nine, episode 12. Since joining the show, he's had a scuffle with Daryl. This season, Beta will meet Negan and actor Ryan Hurst tells Insider it will be one of the show's funniest episodes.
That's Ryan Hurst's real beard and height. He has quite a mane of hair to match.
You may know Hurst from his role as Opie on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Fans have eagerly been awaiting to see the actor on the show since he shared an image confirming his role on the show in October 2018.
Hurst told Insider he was a big fan of the show and that he worked on Beta's backstory with Kang. We'll learn more this season about why he chooses to cover his face all the time.
Read more: Ryan Hurst wanted to be on 'The Walking Dead' so much he had his agent cold call the producers
Gamma was just anointed one of Alpha's most loyal followers.
Gamma is so dedicated to the Whisperer cause that she willingly let her own sister die. What will she do if she finds out that Alpha has lied to the group about Lydia?
Thora Birch joined the show as Gamma this season.
The "American Beauty" star told Entertainment Weekly she caught up on the entire show before joining it.
"I had an opportunity to speak with [showrunner] Angela Kang, and she gave me a little bit of a rundown of who the character was, and where she may be going. And I was super intrigued. I quickly did all the homework, that I possibly could on the show and was super excited to jump on board," said Birch.
Morgan was MIA for several seasons of the show, but reunited with Rick at the end of season five.
Morgan left the show after season eight and is now leading the charge on the series' spin-off show, "Fear: The Walking Dead." On the season five finale, he was left to die after being shot in, what appears to be, the shoulder.
British actor Lennie James is always wearing glasses off set. He also has a pierced ear.
It's unclear whether or not we'll see Morgan on "The Walking Dead" or even "Fear" again.
"For Morgan, the question is whether or not he's going to be able to take his own advice and literally live 30 seconds past when the camera cuts in that final shot. And that's just something people are going to have to wait and see," "FearTWD" coshowrunner Andrew Chambliss told Insider.
Jadis/Anne was the awkward leader of the Scavengers, a group of people who only looked out for themselves.
Near the end of season eight, Simon had all of the junkyard gang except Jadis murdered. It was revealed that Jadis' real name was Anne and she tried to become a member of Alexandria. She never really felt accepted though and planned to bail on a helicopter.
When Anne came across a gravely injured Rick, she swooped him up and took him away in a mysterious chopper. Maybe we'll see her again in a "TWD" movie.
Pollyanna McIntosh had those bangs before the zombie apocalypse, but they've been a bit longer in the past.
Now that she's off of "TWD," McIntosh has been working on her own movie, "Darlin'," in which she stars and directs. It's a sequel to her 2011 movie, "The Woman."
Father Gabriel started to come into his own, earning Rick and the group's trust.
He became blind in one eye after suffering an infection during season eight. Now, he's a trusted leader of Alexandria and is in a relationship with Rosita.
Actor Seth Gilliam's beard is a lot whiter in real life.
At WSC NJ last December, Gilliam asserted he was not responsible for Negan's prison cell escape.
Steven Ogg played Negan's right-hand man Simon.
He was killed on season eight after it was discovered he went behind Negan's back and killed all of Jadis' people. Simon was also trying to take over the Sanctuary from Negan.
Ogg told Insider if he knew Simon was responsible for killing the men and boys of Oceanside, he may have played the character differently.
Read more: 'The Walking Dead' star didn't know the dramatic reveal about his character on Sunday's episode
Ogg had his famous mustache shaved off at the end of his tenure on "The Walking Dead."
You may notice Ogg for his roles on a few other big shows. He has also appeared on "Westworld" and "Better Call Saul." He's currently working on the "Snowpiercer" TV series.
The last time we saw Heath, he got separated from Tara. He's currently missing in action.
It appears Heath is alive. Showrunner Angela Kang told Insider he was taken prisoner by Jadis/Anne's group and was presumably traded to the mysterious helicopter people.
We hope we get to see him again in these "TWD" movies as well.
Read more: 'The Walking Dead' showrunner confirms what happened to long-missing character Heath on the show
You may recognize actor Corey Hawkins without the long locks. He has been in a lot of movies.
He played Dr. Dre in 2015's breakout film "Straight Outta Compton," appeared in "BlacKkKlansman" and will next be in Netflix movie "6 Underground" alongside Ryan Reynolds.
Hawkins could be too big of a star to return.