Making it through the zombie apocalypse means putting your survival instincts to the test—and
putting your weekly manicure on hold until things blow over.
But while these survivors on The Walking Dead look like they haven't seen a hot shower in
a while, the actors playing them are doing just fine in the personal hygiene department.
"I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you smell very very good."
"Oh thank you!"
"… do you shampoo?"
"I do, I do!"
Stick with us while we check out what the cast of AMC's The Walking Dead looks like
in real life.
And in case you were wondering, there are some minor undead spoilers for Walking Dead seasons 1-6 ahead.
Andrew Lincoln
As the first character introduced in the series premiere of The Walking Dead in 2010, Rick
Grimes started his undead odyssey as your typical clean-cut Sheriff's Deputy.
But being constantly brutalized and watching your friends and loved ones succumb to the
horrors of the apocalypse can change a man—and Rick's difficulty coming to grips with the
world's encroaching chaos is physically embodied by his hair and beard, which grew increasingly
more disheveled before reaching its magnificent peak in Season 5.
Fortunately, the dashing Andrew Lincoln has little in common with his tormented character
beyond his rugged good looks.
Where Rick is a hard-boiled guardian, Lincoln is a fun-loving guy who likes to play pranks
on his castmates — and who keeps his facial forest well under control.
Norman Reedus
Daryl Dixon is more comfortable on a hog than in an armored car, and his appearance parallels
his no-nonsense approach to survival.
With scraggly locks and that trademark squint, Daryl's look is a post-apocalyptic take on
biker chic… except when he's wearing this fabulous poncho.
In real life, Reedus is pretty much indistinguishable from his character… albeit with slightly
less dirt and blood caked on his clothing.
It doesn't take much effort to transform Reedus—who, like Daryl, really takes his motorcycles seriously—into
his fictional, walker-whacking counterpart.
But in real life, Reedus is a sweetheart who loves to surprise his castmates with kisses.
Lots of kisses.
Chandler Riggs
This young actor has undergone major changes since Season 1—both as a result of the nightmare
unfolding around him, but also as a result of puberty, which is a whole different kind
of nightmare.
Riggs was first cast as Carl at the tender age of 10, and seven years later, he's got
some battle scars — like the gaping hole where his eyeball used to be.
"Have you seen it?
Have you looked in the mirror? That is gross as hell!"
But take away the bandage (or the gruesome prosthetic), knock off the cowboy hat, and
here's what Chandler looks like in real life — complete with that signature shag haircut,
which he's contractually obligated to keep.
Danai Gurira
This sword-wielding warrior took the screen by storm in season 3 — and forget what we
said about putting fashion on hold in the apocalypse, because Michonne kicks walker
ass in style, slicing and dicing in distressed skinny jeans and her signature sleeveless
leather vest.
Gurira really brings her character to life—so it came as a minor shock to super fans everywhere
when they realized that the actress has always worn her hair short, even shaving it for her
role in Marvel's Black Panther film.
That's right—those locs are a wig, and while they're not the most comfortable thing to
wear while filming in the Georgia heat, Gurira says they have their perks.
"It's one of the most user-friendly styles a black girl can have during the apocalypse."
Steven Yeun
Glenn may be best remembered for the skull crack heard around the world, but he was also
the group's moral compass.
His practical, no-frills style was an echo of his attitude — but in real life, actor
Steven Yeun is a much more dapper dresser, and much less likely to show up covered in
zombie guts.
At his most casual, though, he still has a lot in common with his character, right down
to the baseball cap.
Melissa McBride
Thanks to her friendship with early Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont, this casting
director-turned-actress was a shoo-in for the role of Carol.
A fan favorite for her cunning and loyalty to the team, Carol's short, silver hair has
become an emblem of her journey from an abused wife to an ice-cold killer.
When it's time to transform McBride into a camera-ready survivor, it's just a question
of mussing up her hair, popping a rifle in her hands, and smearing a little dirt on her
face.
The rest is pure acting talent.
Lauren Cohan
From farmer's daughter to tough-as-nails widow, Cohan's character Maggie has transformed since
her season two debut into a savvy leader of the Hilltop's militia — and traded in her
farm-friendly look for baseball caps, hunting jackets, and handgun holsters.
But in real life, Lauren Cohan is all glitz and glamour—at least compared to her kneecap-busting
counterpart.
Cohan, who modeled for Richard Branson's failed apparel company Virgin Clothing before hitting
it big in Hollywood, regularly opts for designer clothing and elegant makeup rather than the
apocalyptic rags in Maggie's wardrobe.
Hey—nobody wants to take their work home with them, right?
Lennie James
Between his mental breakdown, his fling with pacifism, and his chaotic collapse back into
homicide after Richard's betrayal of the Kingdom, Morgan is a ticking time bomb in makeshift
armor.
But actor Lennie James, on the other hand, is one dapper son of a gun.
After graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the English — yes, English!
— actor had a long career on screen before finding his way to The Walking Dead, although
there's at least one coveted role he still hasn't gotten to play.
"I would like to have been Batman."
Meanwhile, like the caped crusader, Morgan's looking a little wild around the eyes these
days — but James is out and about rocking a pair of dark frames and a single earring.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Whether you hate to love him or love to hate him, this man changed the game as the zombie
apocalypse's Louisville-slugger-swinging sociopath — and we'll be darned if he doesn't look
awfully stylish, even in that dastardly debut that had fans sobbing into their barf bags.
In his role as Negan, Morgan rocks a leather jacket that suggests a pre-apocalypse penchant
for punk rock and a red scarf that has inspired countless articles speculating about its meaning.
In real life, Jeffrey Dean Morgan doesn't share the same sensibilities as his character—
and with good reason, since he's confessed that he finds the role itself extremely emotionally
taxing.
That might be why he grows out his whiskers during The Walking Dead's off season, the
better to distance himself from the villainous, clean-shaven Negan.
Josh McDermitt
As the zombie drama's most knowledgeable survivor, Eugene can make poison and craft bullets—
and betray his friends to become Negan's right-hand man.
Happily, the actor who plays him is the total opposite of his TV counterpart.
Let's do this one rapid-fire: Actor Josh McDermitt's natural hair color is blond, that's not his
real voice, and the mullet he sported when he first arrived on the show was a wig—
"I have this other acting job called my personal life that I not wanna have the mullet on."
— although recent photos suggest that he's starting to embrace Eugene's hairdo as a way
of life, if not his penchant for cargo vests.
But most importantly, Josh McDermitt is nothing like the cowardly Eugene, which means that
if you see him on the street you should be nice and not yell at him.
Khary Payton
As the show's scenery-chewing community-theatre-actor-turned King, Payton has undergone a dramatic makeover
himself to play Ezekiel one of the series' most polarizing characters.
The King sports a mane of gray dreadlocks and regal garments fit for an Elder Scrolls
emperor— a look that's totally in contrast with Payton's stripped-down, casual aesthetic.
In real life, this actor keeps things simple—with a shaved head and the best beard this side
of Game of Thrones.
Christian Serratos
It's hard to believe that Christian Serratos shared a cafeteria with the Twilight vampires
before stealing our hearts as the feisty Rosita Espinosa when she joined the cast in season
4.
After the decimation of two of her besties at the hands of Negan, Rosita quickly became
an outspoken proponent of slaughtering the Saviors— and swapped out her trendy traveling
outfit and youthful pigtails for a more practical look.
Meanwhile, off-camera, Serratos is right at home on the red carpet and usually wears designer
duds that would be totally impractical in a zombie apocalypse.
Michael Cudlitz
Let's face it: Abraham's got a face only a mother could love.
Well, and Rosita.
And Sasha.
And his late wife Ellen…
OK, so the big lug actually gets a lot of love.
But between the signature scowl, the iconic mustache, and the orange box cut, Abraham's
lucky he's got charm — and a gift for self-expression.
"Maybe I'll let you shave me down all over - dolphin smooth."
In real life, fans of Abe will be shocked to learn that actor Michael Cudlitz is actually
a natural blond— and he's nowhere near as averse to sleeves as The Walking Dead costume
department would have you believe.
Austin Amelio
After a botched attempt at stealing medical supplies, Amelio's character Dwight had a
close encounter with a burning-hot iron— which is Negan's preferred punishment for
disloyal Saviors, when he doesn't just straight-up beat them to death.
Fortunately, that melted face is purely prosthetic.
In real life, Austin Amelio lacks both the disfiguring injury and the haunted look of
his Walking Dead character.
And when he's not cleaning up to walk the red carpet, his preferred style is skater
chic, in keeping with his first career as a semi-professional skateboarder.
Sonequa Martin Green
Before being cast on Star Trek: Discovery, this actress spent five seasons playing Sasha
— the Walking Dead character who just couldn't catch a break.
First, she lost her brother Tyreese; then her boyfriend Bob met a bad end; and, finally,
her romance with Abraham was cut short before it could even begin.
At the end of Season Six, Sasha sacrificed her life to help turn the tables on the Scavengers
and the Saviors… and to boldly go where no man had gone before, of course.
In real life, Martin-Green is just as devoted to her family as Sasha, particularly the son
she gave birth to shortly after the show's fifth season.
But don't be fooled by her laid-back apocalypse style and permanent ponytail; off set, this
actress is all about experimental glamour and gravity-defying hairstyles.
David Morrissey
This actor's performance as Philip Blake—better known as the Governor—reminded audiences
that zombies weren't the only thing to be afraid of during the end days.
With a clean-cut appearance that masked some seriously twisted sensibilities, the Governor
was a sinister figure even before he put on the iconic eyepatch that marked him as a true
villain.
But while David Morrissey is just as handsome as his Walking Dead character in real life,
the similarities end there.
For one thing, he's a much snappier dresser.
But more importantly, the British actor is such a warm, friendly fellow that his co-stars
considered it a privilege to be hunted by him.
"That was the funnest scene, I think, when he was trying to kill me"
Seth Gilliam
For all of his errors in judgement, Gilliam's Father Gabriel has since turned out to be
a loyal, solid moral force within Rick's band of survivors — not to mention the only person
capable of frightening Negan just by showing up.
"Hoooly crap!
You are creepy as s---!"
Needless to say, Seth Gilliam doesn't wear a clerical collar in real life — but he's
no stranger to playing characters who share Gabriel's complexity.
You might have seen him on The Wire as Sergeant Ellis Carver, who epitomized the potential
for positive change both as a human being and as an officer of the law.
Pollyanna McIntosh
Season seven of The Walking Dead saw the introduction of a new group to the mix—the Scavengers,
a group of survivors with a love of recycling and all things hooded.
Unfortunately, this crew eventually betrayed Rick's collective during a massive shoot-out
with the Saviors.
But we're glad they showed up just for the pleasure of meeting McIntosh's character,
an oddball named Jadis who collects junkyard art and staunchly refuses to conjugate her
verbs.
"Our guns to take our deal still on."
Offscreen, McIntosh is practically unrecognizable as Jadis, except for the blunt bangs and post-apocalyptic
dye job that somehow manages to still look glamorous.
And unlike her character, the actress speaks in complete sentences — and with an English
accent.
"It was really exciting from start to finish."
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