When most actors join a long-running TV series like The Walking Dead, their journey usually follows a familiar path. Once their story ends, they move on, leaving behind moments that become part of the show’s history. But one actor’s journey didn’t stop there. Instead, it took a turn that no other main cast member followed within the original series.
That actor is Michael Cudlitz, best known to fans as Abraham Ford. After leaving the series in front of the camera, he returned in a completely different capacity. He stepped behind the scenes as a director on the very same show. This was something no other cast member of The Walking Dead had done while the series was still running.
From Abraham Ford to behind the camera
When Cudlitz first appeared as Abraham in the fourth season, he brought an immediate presence to the zombie series. Fans quickly learned that Abraham was in no way a quiet survivor. He was loud, blunt, and unpredictable, with a military past that shaped his aggressive approach to survival.
A former U.S. Army sergeant, Abraham arrived with Eugene and Rosita on a mission to escort Eugene to Washington, D.C. They believed he could help “save the world.” But as the journey unfolded, it became clear that Abraham’s sense of purpose was doing more for him than Eugene’s plan ever could.
After losing his family in the early days of the outbreak, Abraham was emotionally fractured. He was clinging to the idea of a mission because it gave him a reason to keep moving forward in a world that had already taken everything from him. But like many characters in the series, Abraham’s journey ended violently when Negan killed him in the season 7 premiere.
For most actors, that would have been the end of their Walking Dead story. But for Cudlitz, it wasn’t. Instead of stepping away entirely, he returned to the franchise in a role no one expected. He became a director of the main series itself.
He didn't just direct one episode either. He would end up helming four episodes across the later seasons of The Walking Dead, starting with the seventh episode of the ninth installment. Titled "Stradivarius," that's the episode when he made his directorial debut. He would then go on to direct additional episodes across seasons 10 and 11.
Below, we shared all of the episodes Cudlitz directed of the main series:
- "Stradivarius" (season 9, episode 7)
- "Silence the Whisperers" (season 10, episode 4)
- "Open Your Eyes" (season 10, episode 7)
- "Rogue Element" (season 11, episode 11)
While no other Walking Dead actor besides Cudlitz helmed an episode or episodes of the flagship series, there are a few cast members who stepped behind the camera in other parts of the franchise. Lennie James, who played Morgan Jones across both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, directed episodes of the spinoff series while continuing to be involved as an actor.
Lauren Cohan, best known as Maggie Rhee in The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: Dead City, is another great example. She helmed the sixth episode of Dead City season 2 and appeared in it as well. And we can't forget to mention how Cudlitz also directed two episodes of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
So as you can see, actor-directed episodes are not unheard of in The Walking Dead universe. They're just largely spread across the spinoffs and companion series rather than the original flagship show. Cudlitz, however, remains the key exception.
The Walking Dead is available to stream on Netflix.