"With respect and love to Frank Hildebrand, 1950-2024. From AMC and The Walking Dead Universe"
Those are the words that preceded the credits of The Walking Dead: Dead City episode. 202, "Another Shitty Lesson," in tribute to Frank Hildebrand, actor and producer of Fear the Walking Dead. Hildebrand died on November 21, 2024, following a brief illness, just one week before his 74th birthday.
In the 1980s, Hildebrand moved to Hollywood after beginning his filmmaking career in the UK. He served as a co-line producer for Vice Squad (1982) and produced the Jim Carrey-led Once Bitten (1985). Next, he produced other great films such as Freeway (1996), Boewulf (1999), the Oscar-nominated Into the Wild (2007), The Runaways (2010), and more. In the 2006 horror, The Hills Have Eyes, Hildebrand executive produced alongside producer Wes Craven.
Hildebrand joined Fear the Walking Dead as a producer in season 2 and continued to work on the series through its eighth and final season. He is credited with producing almost 100 episodes of The Walking Dead spinoff and acting in several, including one cameo in season 6 and three episodes in season 8.
In season 6, Hildebrand desired to make a cameo as a Lawton Ranger. He appeared in episode 602, "Welcome to the Club," and is part of the group of Rangers who accompany Virginia (Colby Minifie) to the molasses factory that was cleared by Strand (Colman Domingo) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey). His character was named Survivor #62
In the final season of Fear TWD, Hildebrand played Hildy for three episodes. This character was created with the producer in mind, honoring his Swiss-German heritage. Hildy was a councilmember of the German-speaking group who lived at the Emissary Suites, where Strand, now known as Aton, lived with his new family. Hildy is mortally wounded in episode 810, "Keeping Her Alive," and is put down by Strand.
TWD Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple posted a wonderful tribute to Hildebrand on Twitter/X, expressing what he meant to The Walking Dead universe.
We lost a great 1: FTWD's Frank Hildebrand. A maestro of mitigating madness & creating calm in the storm of 16 eps/yr, he knew how to work & how to play, all with class. He's 1 of those people who sticks w/you: a notable character of character. We were lucky to know & work w/him. pic.twitter.com/EDVxdcOERc
— Scott M. Gimple (@ScottMGimple) November 25, 2024
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