The Walking Dead: New casting announcement for Chad L. Coleman

Powerhouse producer, Will Packer (Ride Along, Straight Outta Compton), took to Instagram recently to share casting announcements for his reboot of the mini-series Roots. Chad L. Coleman, who played gentle giant Tyreese Williams on The Walking Dead, has been chosen for the project, along with other big names such as Forest Whitaker and Anna Paquin, also pictured in the photo. Congratulations to Chad on his continued success!

Interestingly, producer Packer has a history of using talent from The Walking Dead. Former The Walking Dead cast members, Neil Brown, Jr. and Aldis Hodge, played Dj Yella and MC Ren, respectively, in Packer’s Straight Outta Compton. As you will recall, Brown played Vatos leader, Guillermo, in season one of The Walking Dead, while Hodge portrayed Michonne’s boyfriend, Mike, in a flashback scene of the show’s fourth season.

These alumni from The Walking Dead are not the only talents to share the screen in this summer blockbuster. Corey Hawkins is new to season 6 of The Walking Dead with his portrayal of comic book character, Heath. Meanwhile, Hawkins played Dr. Dre in the biopic. The connections also extend to companion series Fear The Walking Dead. Keith Powers, who played Nick’s dealer, Calvin, in the companion series, portrayed Tyree in Straight Outta Compton.

Even the trailer for Packer’s upcoming release of Ride Along 2 includes a reference to The Walking Dead. There is a scene where Kevin Hart shoots a suspect that keeps coming at him; Hart’s character panics and compares the phenomenon to The Walking Dead. Editor Adam Carlson shared the comical scene in a recent article.

Having The Walking Dead on your acting resume certainly appears to open doors for future projects. Let’s hope producers like Will Packer continue to recognize the talents of actors from our favorite zombie series!

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