How To Become A Walker On AMC’s The Walking Dead

There are quite a few reason why someone would want to be a walker on the hit AMC television series The Walking Dead.  With the huge number of extras needed in the show to fill up the hordes of walkers needed for some of the scenes, there are quite a few opportunities for either fans of the show or aspiring actors to put on the makeup and shamble around Georgia.

There are some things to keep in mind though.  Here are some of the major points:

You Have To Have The Look

Greg Nicotero – Special effects and director of The Walking Dead

Greg Nicotero, who is in charge of makeup and special effects told Entertainment Weekly about what he likes in a potential walker: “We look for certain attributes that we feel make good Walkers, like big eyes and good bone structure and a long neck. The whole point, the whole look that was established in the graphic novel was that these things are emaciated and starving and very thin and gaunt looking so we try to stick to that visual aesthetic and I think that’s been tremendously successful for us.”

You Have To Be Available and Able

• The majority of filming on The Walking Dead happens in Georgia and can take months at a time to film.  You have to physically be available to endure the huge amount of time needed for applying makeup and standing for hours on end.  For most, this is the hardest part of being an extra because they can’t find the time needed to devote to the project.  Plus, learning to do the shambling that the walkers do isn’t easy.

You Have to Audition From A Casting Agency

• You’ve got to really want it.  You’ll be questioned just like a normal job interview where they will decide who to accept based on your appearance, ability and desire.  Most casting calls for The Walking Dead happen through Extras Casting Atlanta, so if you follow them on facebook or other forms of social media, you will know when they are looking for help.  Then, you follow the directions they give you to audition.

Graduate From Walker University

• That’s right.  There are classes that a potential walker has to pass in order to be on the television show.  This includes facial expressions, how to walk, body movements, and much, much more.  But once you’ve graduated, you’re ready to be placed into an actual filming of The Walking Dead.

Being a walker isn’t for everyone.  It is hard, time consuming work that only the truly passionate will finish.  But, in my opinion, it is well worth it to be a part in one of the best horror themed television shows in history.