The Walking DeadSeason 8 finale is perhaps thebest place to stop watching the great TV showbecause of the decline in quality. However, season 9 is arguably the best season since season 6, and if you stuck it out till the end, the finale of the show pays tribute to Rick after years, and teases many more projects.It’s been over two years sinceThe Walking Deadended, and some of those spin-off projects have already started winning fans over.
A season ofThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityis out, with more seasons on the way.The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonis two seasonslong already, and a new season is currently in post-production, expected to come out later in 2025. Another exciting project fans loved wasThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, theRick and Michonne spinoff ofThe Walking Dead, starring Andrew Lincoln reprising his iconic role of Rick Grimes. Most of the cast ofThe Walking Deadseason 11 have been busy with more projects sinceThe Walking Deadended.
10Jeffrey Dean Morgan
He played Negan Smith
Ever since his recurring role onGrey’s Anatomy, which served as his breakout performance, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has played many memorable secondary characters across various genres. However, no role of his is as famous as Negan Smith, a character he portrayed for almost all episodes ofThe Walking Deaduntil the season 11 finale, ever since his guest appearances in Season 6 of the show. Alongside other projects,Morgan already reprised his role of Negan forThe Walking Dead: Dead City, which has been renewed for a second season that comes out in May 2025.
All 9 Walking Dead Actors In Invincible
Every The Walking Dead actor who voiced for the characters of the popular Amazon Prime adult animated superhero series, Invincible.
So, that naturally makes one curious as to what Morgan has been doing since the show ended, and he’s been just as active as he always was. He has a minor role in the forgettable action movieMafia Warsand a supporting role in the horror comedyBloody Axe Wound. Recently, he starred alongside Jack Quaid inNeighbourhood Watch, coming out in April 2025. While he was in it for 6 episodes, his role inThe Boysis significant, and he’ll reprise it for season 6. He also made a memorable voiceover appearance inInvincibleas Conquest.
9Callan McAuliffe
He played Alden
He’s been an actor ever since he was eight years old, but he didn’t get his acting break in Hollywood until he was sixteen. Rob Reiner, known for directingThe Princess Bride,When Harry Met Sally…, andStand By Me, some ofthe best feel-good movies of the 1980s, discovered McAuliffe and cast him as one of the leads in his 2010 romantic dramaFliiped.
McAuliffe recently played the lead in two movies – the romantic dramaAbout Him & Her, based on real events, and the dark comedy movieThe Duel, which had a one-night-only theater release.
McAuliffe played Alden onThe Walking Deadas a recurring character ever since his introduction in Season 8, until midway through Season 11, when he died right before the mid-season finale. Since then, he’s not appeared in any of the spinoffs, but played a memorable secondary character in another horror series,The Mayfair Witches, in a role he might reprise if the show gets a third season. McAuliffe recently played the lead in two movies – the romantic dramaAbout Him & Her, based on real events, and the dark comedy movieThe Duel, which had a one-night-only theater release.
8Cooper Andrews
He played Jerry
Cooper Andrews became popular as an actor for portraying Jerry inThe Walking Dead. One of the most likable characters in the show,Jerry quickly won fans overand was part of speculation for a long time. Since his introduction in Season 7, Jerry has played a significant role in the show, and in trueThe Walking Deadfashion, he was the most popular guess for who’d die a gruesome death in the final season of the show.
So, viewerscannot believe that Jerry survivedTheWalking Dead.Cooper Andrews had also been cast as Victor VasquezinShazam!and reprised the role for the sequel soon after the Season 11 finale ofThe Walking Dead. He also reprised his voice-acting role as Aquaman from the animated miniseriesAquaman: King of Atlantisfor the 2023 video gameJustice League: Cosmic Chaos. Another notable role since the ending ofThe Walking Deadis the recurring character of the protagonist’s father in the animated Disney showHailey’s On It!
7Khary Payton
He played King Ezekiel
Ever since he voiced Cyborg in the Cartoon Network animated showTeen Titans, Khary Payton has become a prominent voice-actor in the industry. He has also voiced many characters, includingAqualad and Black Lightning inYoung Justicein multiple episodes. While he has been acting for a long time, he only had minor appearances in live-action TV shows, mostly for one episode, apart from a 24-episode run inGeneral Hospital.
Khary Payton recently voiced Black Panther for the upcoming video gameMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.
So,Payton most prominent live-action role is as the recurring character King EzekielinThe Walking Dead.Khary Payton wants a prequel for EzekiellikeBetter Call SaulforBreaking Bad, and it remains to see if this ever happens. Meanwhile, he has reprised his voice-acting role of Black Samson inInvincible, which he will most likely return for in the next season. Payton also voices a significant character in the animated kids showHot Wheels Let’s Race. He was also the voice behind Penguin King inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
6Ross Marquand
He played Aaron
Ross Marquand has recently risen to fame as a voice actor, but his most famous role is as Aaron,The Walking Dead’s first male gay character. Ever since his few recurring appearances in season 5, Aaron has been a fan-favorite character in the show. He played a major role in escorting Rick and his group of survivors to Alexandria, which set up the new direction for the show back then.
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Ross Marquand might not be a household name but the actor has appeared in many movies and shows that you are likely aware of.
Aaron’s survival in the show means he might return in one of the two spinoff shows currently airing or in the shows that are likely to come in the future. He had already started voicing two significant characters inInvincible– Immortal and Robot – and he has continued playing those roles sinceThe Walking Deadended. He also voiced Infinity Ultron among other characters in the MCU showWhat If…?and voiced three prominent characters –Professor X, Doctor Doom, and Apocalypse– inX-Men ‘97. Among his live-action roles is the upcoming sci-fi thriller filmDescendents.
5Seth Gilliam
He played Gabriel Stokes
Seth Gilliam rose to fame after he was cast as Aaron Dexter in the seventh season ofThe Cosby Showin 1990. He has been in many notable TV roles ever since, including as a recurring character who’d later become a main character inThe Wire. InThe Walking Dead, he plays Father Gabriel Stokes, a priest who survived the outbreak and later joined Rick Grimes’ group of survivors.
Gilliam used to play Dr. Alan Deaton inTeen Wolf, and he appeared in the 2023 spinoff movie in the role again.
Gabriel had one of the most satisfying arcs on the show as he grew into a brave warrior on Rick’s side, and even played perhaps the most important role in defeating the Survivors. Gilliam even appeared for a surprise cameo inThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Liveas Gabriel. He also appeared in one episode ofBlacklistin 2023. Moreover, he recently reprised another fan-favorite role of his. Gilliam used to play Dr. Alan Deaton inTeen Wolf, and he appeared in the 2023 spinoff movie in the role again.
4Josh McDermitt
He played Eugene Porter
Josh McDermitt was a semi-finalist inLast Comic StandingSeason 4, and played a minor role inMad Menback in 2014, before being cast as major character Eugene Porter inThe Walking DeadSeason 4.Eugene switched sides during the course of the show, joining Negan and the Saviors for a while until he met Rosita during the fateful encounter between the Saviors and Rick’s group. Eugene survived until the end ofThe Walking Dead.
He used to be the head engineer at Alexandria before he joined the Commonwealth and became a teacher at the school there. He played a major role in the revolution against the Commonwealth’s corrupt government. He was married to Max and had started a family with her when the show ended. Apart from a minor role inLilly, a biographical drama about Fair Pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, McDermitt hasn’t taken on any film roles sinceThe Walking Deadended. He, however, playsa main character, Stuart Lane, in theSuitsspinoffSuits LA.
3Lauren Cohan
She plays Maggie
Lauren Cohan got her break as the recurring character Bela Talbot in the third season ofSupernaturalin 2007. Three years later, in 2010, she played Rose inThe Vampire Diaries, and soon after, she was cast as Maggie inThe Walking Dead. She and Glenn, played by Steven Yeun, are a married couple who survived the outbreak, and came into contact with Rick Grimes when he was looking for help to save his son, who had been accidentally shot by Otis.
Despite hating him, she is now working alongside her husband’s killer Negan in the spinoff showThe Walking Dead: Dead City.
Maggie has been in more episodes of the show than most of the other characters in the show, and despite multiple brushes with death, she has managed to survive until the end of the show. Despite hating him, she is now working alongside her husband’s killer Negan in the spinoff showThe Walking Dead: Dead City. While the film’s forgettable, Lauren Cohan does appear in the sci-fi romance dramaWhen I’m Ready. She has alsovoiced Inge in Zack Snyder’s latest production, the animated showTwilight of the Gods.
2Melissa McBride
She plays Carol Peletier
Melissa McBride has been in the TV industry since she first appeared in an episode ofMatlockback in 1993. She then played minor roles in other prominent shows likeAmerican Gothic,Walker, Texas Ranger, andDawson’s Creek.In 2010, she was cast as Carol Peletier, and her life changed forever. It was the breakout performance she needed to become a household name. McBride has been inthe most episodes ofThe Walking Deadamong her costars, a record she shares with Norman Reedus.
Amanda Seyfried, who won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for her performance inThe Dropout, isn’t the first person to portray Elizabeth Holmes on TV, as one of Melissa McBride’s pre-The Walking Deadroles was as Holmes in the 1999 TV moviePirates of Silicon Valley.
Carol has been in the show since she first appeared in the third episode of the pilot season. From Daryl’s best friend and Grimes' advisor to Ezekiel’s wife for a while and later the Commonwealth’s Deputy governor, she has played an important role in most of the memorable arcs on the show. Unsurprisingly, she’sbeen a co-protagonist inThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonsince season 2, after making a guest appearance in season 1. McBride, who’s also an executive producer of the second season, has been focused on the spinoff sinceThe Walking Deadended.
1Norman Reedus
He played Daryl Dixon
One of, if not thebest characters ofThe Walking Dead, Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon is an instantly recognizable fan-favorite who has, alongside Carol Peletier, been in every season.Daryl went through a transformative arc over the eleven seasons, and has become one of the most reliable and capable characters. A show-original character who wasn’t even there in the comics, he’s proof that when writers know their source material, experimentation can yield surprisingly enjoyable results.
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The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon continues the story of the zombie franchise’s most famous rogue, and AMC has already renewed the spinoff for season 3.
Few people can boast of having shows named after their characters, and Norman Reedus is rightfully one of them. It’s impossible to get enough of Daryl, andThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonwas a much-needed spinoff show. Reedus also recently played a minor character in Jeff Nichols' crime dramaThe Bikeriders. He’s set to appear in an important role later this year intheJohn Wickspinoff movie starring Ana de Armas. The other exciting Reedus project to look forward to is the newThe Boondock Saints, where the actor will reprise his role as co-protagonist Murphy MacManus.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 16, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
The Walking Dead: Dead City
A spin-off/sequel of the dramatic horror series, The Walking Dead: Dead City follows two significant characters from the main series - Maggie and Negan.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live follows Rick Grimes and Michonne as they navigate a transformed world that challenges their relationship. Separated by distance and facing an unstoppable force, they strive to reunite and rediscover their identities in this continuation of the Walking Dead universe.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.
