What actor plays Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead?
By Renee Hansen
Shane Walsh was the best friend and co-worker of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in The Walking Dead. He was a hothead sheriff deputy who was in love with Rick’s wife, Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies). Although he was well-equipped as a survivor, his jealousy and rage got the better of him.
Shane was portrayed by Many Saints of Newark actor and podcast personality Jon Bernthal. This character would only survive until the second season, which gave him plenty of time to earn many haters from the main Atlanta Group.
After the outbreak, he tried to rescue Rick, who was in a coma, from the hospital. Told in flashback stories, viewers saw how he tried to remove Rick, but when soldiers began killing what appeared to be people, Shane blocked Rick’s hospital door with a gurney and took off. He would tell Lori and Rick’s son Carl (Chander Riggs) that Rick died.
When Rick finds his way back to his family, this creates significant tension between the two men. Shane believes Rick is unfit to protect his family or lead the group in a world overrun by the undead. This eventually leads to an altercation where Rick is forced to kill Shane. After stabbing Shane, Rick says, “This is on you, not me! You did this to us, not me!”
Shane’s death and reanimation are pivotal as it proves something to Rick that Dr. Jenner (Noah Emmerich) of the CDC tells him that everyone is infected. Shane wasn’t bit but would quickly reanimate, requiring Carl to shoot him.
Related Story. The Walking Dead looking back: Rick and Shane fight scene season 2. light
What else does Jon Bernthal star in in addition to The Walking Dead?
Over the years, Bernthal has made quite the name for himself, starring in many outstanding movies and shows. His recent appearances include The Bear, where he portrayed the brother of Jeremey Allen White’s “Carmy,” he also starred as Julian Kaye in the American Gigolo series, a character first made famous by Richard Gere, and as Wayne Jenkins in the crime drama We Own This City.
He portrayed Johnny Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark, an origin story of The Soprano’s main character, Tony Soprano. Other roles he is known for include King Richard, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Ford v Ferrari, Baby Driver, The Accountant, The Unforgiveable, Fury, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Bernthal is known in the MCU for his portrayal of Frank Castle/Punisher in the Daredevil (2016) and The Punisher (2017–2019).
Next, fans can see him in Origin, a film written, produced, and directed by Ava DuVernay, based on Isabel Wilklerson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
"The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions."
View the trailer for Origin below. The film is set for a limited theatrical release by Neon on December 8, 2023, with a wide release scheduled for January 19, 2024.
Next. Rick Grimes returns to The Walking Dead universe in 2024. dark
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