
In case you're needing of another reminder, The Walking Dead returns this Sunday for the second half of season three (and sadly, the last episodes in which Glen Mazzara is showrunner, and if you don't think that showrunners matter, season three compared to the first seasons, and last night's return of Community should dispel that notion). Anyway, I just thought we'd take a moment to appreciate one aspect of the show that's not often discussed, and that shouldn't change with a new showrunner: The make-up effect. The make-up on this show is outstanding, which is why it's won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special. It's easy to appreciate the walkers on the show, but it's even cooler once you consider what the walkers looked like before they sat in the make-up chair.
Here's a quickie slideshow of 10 of the actors and actresses on the show, and what they looked like before Greg Nicotero got a hold of them.
Lauren Henneberg


PJ McDonell


Clair Danielle Canterbury


Jeremy Ambler


Xan Angelovich


Lilli Birdsell


Max Calder


Amber Chaney


Hines Ward


Addy Miller





Hmm, Jeremy Ambler and his before looks very similar to his after.
Yea, his first picture looks more like a “between” than a “before”.
He was also in The Road and his look in that movie made him immediately recognizable.
I looked up The Road on IMDb and he was not in the cast list. So I looked up his IMDb and no, he was not in that movie at all, either that or he was in a role that was not credited.
YES JMiller Jeremy Ambler is in the Movie THE ROAD With Viggo Mortensen not the other Movie called The Road And He Was Also In The Movie Trailer For It As The Nude Dying Man In Cellar also it is also listed on His IMDB Page every Movie he has been in is listed other than one or two indie films…
I couldn’t look at #4 without thinking of walker panties.
*shudder*
If that’s what some of them look like before they turned, somebody just got addicted to necrophilia, amiright?
I’ll see myself out.
Jeremy Ambler looks to be a zombie without his makeup
he might look better as a zombie.
Jeremy Ambler was my Fav. Zombie of ALL TIME!!! <3
also, hines ward. LOL. LOL. LOL.
Is being attractive a requirement for being a female zombie?
oh actors with their headshots. “Go for ‘playful’ but still ‘edgy’”
TWD has some great makeup artists…..they should get more recognition for their amazing work
I agree wholeheartedly!
And as much as I love Greg Nicotero and all his great work, I like to tell people that my makeup for episode 1 of season 2 (#6 in this article) was done by Garrett Immel, also a very talented makeup artist. That whole team is amazing.
You forgot Sam Witwer (Tank Zombie). Didn’t even know it was him until I read an interview he did a while back.
Dude, you’ve got the wrong actress listed for walker #7. Big Eyed Zombie was Ashleigh Jo Sizemore.
Thanks, Michael! Indeed, that nasty-eyed creature is Yours truly.
Additional fun facts: Lilli Birdsell was in the first webisode series as the pre-zombie version of “Bicycle Girl”, who was originally played by Melissa Cowan in the first episode of season 1.
The good news is it doesn’t stain your teeth.
Lilli Birdsell is NOT a zombie – she played Hannah in The Walking Dead webisodes of Bicycle Girl – but she never was a zombie. The zombie you are portraying was played by Ashleigh Jo Sizemore. Please correct this.
Also where are the more notable zombies? I see Addy in here, but where is Bicycle Girl or Swamp Walker or RV Walker or Well Walker? Where are the other zombies people recognize? Just curious.
i want to see the walker from the well sans makeup too…i’m convinced it’s pauly…
Well zombie was Brian Hillard, one of the KNB guys, I believe. There is also a great before and after of RV walker out there somewhere…
Yay Lauren! She is the zombie on the other side of the fence, under T-Dog’s chin! Too cool, Lauren, you’re getting closer to being a hero each season!