When The Walking Dead first hit TV screens in 2010, no one could have guessed it would grow into the massive cultural phenomenon it eventually became. What started as a gritty survival story about a group of strangers trying to make it through a world overrun by the undead quickly became one of the most emotionally intense and talked-about shows in television history.
One of the defining elements that made The Walking Dead so compelling was its ever-changing cast of survivors. Over its 11-season run, audiences were introduced to countless individuals from all walks of life. However, not every character or the actors behind them remained at the forefront of fans’ memories. With new faces constantly entering the story and others meeting sudden, often shocking fates, some performances slipped quietly into the background.
In this article, we’re shining a spotlight on four actors whose appearances in The Walking Dead you may have completely forgotten.
Addy Miller
Addy Miller didn’t play any of the main survivors or speak a single line. However, she has arguably one of the most iconic “blink-and-you-miss-it” performances in the show’s history. She appeared in the very first episode of season 1, “Days Gone Bye,” as a little girl turned walker named Summer, clutching a teddy bear. This was the first walker Rick Grimes encountered in the series, and her presence immediately set the tone for the brutal, unpredictable world viewers were about to enter.
After mistaking Summer for a living child, Rick approaches cautiously, only to realize the horrifying truth. She’s already one of the undead. The moment is short but devastating, forcing Rick to put her down with his first walker kill. Miller would return years later for a brief cameo as a walker in the season 8 premiere, “Mercy,” giving longtime fans a subtle but exciting nod to her original appearance.
Emma Bell
Emma Bell portrayed one of the original survivors in The Walking Dead. She played Amy Harrison, Andrea's younger sister, who wouldn't make it past the first season. Amy first appeared as part of the group struggling to survive outside Atlanta.
However, her story takes a heartbreaking turn during a walker attack on the camp in the fourth episode. She is bitten, and Andrea is forced to make the gut-wrenching decision to shoot her in the head after she turns into a walker in the fifth episode. This moment was one of the show’s first truly emotional punches, instantly showing audiences that The Walking Dead didn’t shy away from loss.
Bell would make a brief return in the sixth episode of season 3, appearing in a hallucination sequence that reminded fans of her early role as Amy.
Madison Lintz
Madison Lintz played Sophia Peletier, Carol’s sweet, wide-eyed daughter. Sophia might just be one of the earliest Walking Dead characters you completely forgot about until you remember that barn. She first appears in season 1 as part of the group of survivors outside Atlanta.
Her story, however, takes one of the earliest shocking turns in the series. After going missing in the season 2 premiere, Rick's group launches a frantic search. Desperate to find the young girl alive, the group eventually discovers Sophia in Hershel's barn. But their relief is short-lived. Sophia has turned into a walker. The shocking reveal hits everyone like a gut punch, and the group is forced to make the heartbreaking decision to put her down.
Rutina Wesley
Rutina Wesley may currently be known for her role as Maria Miller on The Last of Us, but she also popped up in The Walking Dead in a role that many fans totally forgot or didn’t realize they knew her from! In the zombie series, Wesley played Jocelyn, a character introduced in the season 9 episode “Scars.” This isn’t a major recurring role. In fact, she only appears in that one episode.
Jocelyn shows up at Alexandria as an old college friend of Michonne from before the apocalypse, and at first, her arrival seems like a welcome reunion. She brings along a group of children, seemingly seeking safety and shelter. However, it quickly becomes clear that Jocelyn isn’t exactly the benevolent figure she seems to be.
She has been raising the children in a strict, survivalist manner, and when she kidnaps Judith and a few other children, Michonne and Daryl are forced into a tense and dangerous pursuit. Ultimately, Jocelyn's story comes to a close after a dramatic showdown in which Michonne has no choice but to fatally stab her to protect the children and Alexandria.
The Walking Dead is streaming now on Netflix.