It’s been over 15 years since Rick woke up all alone in a hospital with no idea how he got there or where his family went on The Walking Dead.
When The Walking Dead first premiered, few could have predicted just how far its cast would go beyond the walls of Alexandria, Hilltop, and the other communities that became home over the years. Some have become major players in the Marvel universe, others have taken on acclaimed television roles, and several are still bringing their Walking Dead characters to life in new spin-offs.
More than a decade later, their careers look very different from when we first met them, making now the perfect time to look back at some of the show's biggest stars and see where their journeys have taken them.
Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
It all started with him. This British man charmed us all with an accent so believable we never thought for a moment that he wasn’t American, let alone that he wasn’t from Georgia himself. Without his gut-wrenching portrayal of Rick Grimes, the show would not be where it is today. documentary.
The Walking Dead nearly ended after his departure in season 9. He came back in 2024 for The Ones Who Live, a wonderful spin-off featuring him and Michonne (Danai Gurira). After that, he went on to star in Coldwater in 2025, a British psychological thriller. He also narrated Force of Nature, a six-part natural history
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus)
A show only character that became so beloved that he managed to survive the whole series and even got his own spin-off. Norman Reedus won our hearts and is truly half the reason some of us stayed. I knew him from Boondocks Saints and was pleasantly surprised to see him as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. He’s on the final season of his show, closing out a 15-year chapter of his life. Some fans of a little action might have seen him in the 2025 action movie spawning from the world of John Wick, Ballerina.
Michonne Grimes (Danai Gurira)
Everyone's favorite Katana-wielding zombie slayer. Michonne stole the show the moment she arrived. The aura and grace that Danai brought to her character were magnetizing.
For those that like superhero movies, you might have noticed Danai in Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame as the spear-wielding Okoye. A fighter with the power to stand toe to toe with some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. More recently, Danai was announced as an addition to the Invincible cast along with other famous names on this list.
Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun)
Glenn, gone too soon but never forgotten. Glenn was in a way the heart of the show. His fate rocked the fandom and, honestly, caused some fans to jump ship without him.
Yeun has thrilled superhero fans as the titular Invincible in the hit Prime show Invincible. More recently he voices the fiery Firelord Zuko in the Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender movie, released this past July. He also won an Emmy for his portrayal of Danny Cho in the Netflix comedy series Beef. Fans might have also spotted him in 2025's sci-fi comedy Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson.
Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
Most fans might know him as Negan. But my first encounter with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, aka JDM, started with a hunting trip and two sons continuing the family. So you can imagine my surprise and absolute delight when JDM joined The Walking Dead universe. I loved him in Supernatural, and I knew he would blow Negan out of the park. And JDM delivered with absolute ease. He brought menace and charisma to a man that by all accounts we should hate. But because of his phenomenal performance, we can only watch awestruck as he steals the show with a baseball bat named Lucille.
JDM is still a large part of The Walking Dead universe, starring alongside Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Rhee in the Dead City spin-off. He’s also appeared as Conquest in Invincible, reuniting with some of his Walking Dead costars. JDM also appeared in the hit Prime show The Boys.
Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan)
Another face that for me started with a little show about hunting monsters and saving people. Lauren Cohan portrayed the lovely Bela Talbot in Supernatural, and she appears as another Walking Dead fan favorite, Maggie Rhee. Maggie might have started off as sweet and maybe a bit naive, but she evolved into a character that can hold her own in a world gone to hell.
Cohan is currently still portraying Maggie Rhee in the Dead City spinoff, but she’s also appeared in the Prime hit show Invincible (I’m starting to see a trend here; how about you?). Lauren portrayed Holly, aka War Woman, in the show. She’s also in the Zach Snyder Netflix series Twilight of the Gods. But her recent work doesn’t end there. She played Julia Pennyworth, the estranged daughter of Alfred Pennyworth, in the DC animated movie Catwoman: Hunted.
Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal)
Shane. The man that arguably made questionable choices for a good reason. Shane was the kind of character that you shouldn’t agree with or root for. But his portrayal of Shane turned him into a household name. Jon Bernthal ended his run as Shane to hit the ground running as Frank Castle, the titular Punisher in the hit Netflix show. Bernthal might have the most varied post-Walking Dead repertoires of those on this list. He didn’t stop with Frank Castle, though.
Bernthal starred opposite Angelina Jolie in Those Who Wish Me Dead, and he graced us again with his presence in the award-winning movie King Richard. He gave an amazing performance in the hit FX show The Bear. And he returned to Georgia for his own Netflix mini-series His & Hers alongside fellow Marvel alum Tessa Thompson. But more recently he took up the mantle of Punisher again in the Marvel-produced Daredevil: Born Again and what’s becoming an end-of-summer phenomenon, Spiderman: Brand New Day. But that’s not the only Summer hit that he’s starring in. Bernthal also appeared alongside his Spiderman co-star in the Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey as the betrayed king Menelaus.
This list is by no means an all-encompassing list of the accolades of the amazing Walking Dead cast. But these are definitely my favorites.
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