Check Out The Zombie-Killing Machines of The Walking Dead Before They Were Famous

Andrew Lincoln

Then: Lincoln is a well-known TV star in his native England, having appeared on many British series. American movie audiences most likely remember him from Love Actually, in which his character is hopelessly in love with his best friend’s wife who is played by Keira Knightley. Women all over the world swooned at the end of the film, when he professed his love on a series of posters on Christmas Eve.

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Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes)

Now: As Sheriff Rick Grimes, Lincoln leads the survivors against the zombies taking over the United States. Grimes has to face multiple challenges: the changing dynamics of the group, outrunning the walkers, and (oh, yeah) that his wife was sleeping with his best friend when they both thought he was dead. Unfortunately, things haven't got much easier for Rick.

Jon Bernthal

Then: Bernthal earned his M.F.A. from Harvard after a short stint playing professional baseball in Europe. Prior to his role on The Walking Dead, Bernthal was a regular on the TV shows The Class and Eastwick. You may also have seen him as Al Capone in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

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Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh)

Now: As Walsh, Bernthal seduced and fell in love with Lori, the wife of his best friend Rick Grimes, who was missing and presumed dead. Things became complicated for all when Grimes returned, and Bernthal’s Walsh finds himself struggling with his friend’s leadership and his feelings for Lori. The dynamic between Grimes and Walsh turned deadly when Grimes stabbed and killed him.

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Sarah Wayne Callies

Then: When Sarah Wayne Callies was young she moved from Illinois to Honolulu, Hawaii where her parents teach college. Callies throughout her years at Punahou School participated in school plays. As you can see from her Senior Year portrait in 1995, she was perfect in front of the camera.

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Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes)

Now: After her breakout role in Prison Break, Callies shone as the adulterous Lori Grimes, who tried to balance her love for her husband and son, her role as the emotional center of the group of survivors, and the uncertainty of living in a world of death and fear.

Laurie Holden

Then: Holden has appeared on the big and small screen since the 1980s. No stranger to drama, she landed multiple-episode arcs on series such as The X-Files, The Magnificent Seven, and The Shield before outrunning zombies on AMC.

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Laurie Holden (Andrea)

Now: Holden’s character Andrea was always portrayed as tough, but we got to see a more sensitive side of her when she mourned her sister Amy’s death. Although she wanted to give up, Andrea planned to stay in the CDC when it self-destructed, she refused to succumb and emerged from the CDC right before the explosion. Sadly, Andrea gave up in season three.

Jeffrey DeMunn

Then: A character actor who has been working steadily for over 30 years, DeMunn has appeared on series such as The Twilight Zone, Law and Order, ER, and The West Wing. But his work hasn’t been limited to television, and you can see him in many films as well, including The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Burn After Reading.

Matthew Welch/AMC

Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale Horvath)

Now: DeMunn’s character Dale was supposed to travel the U.S. with his wife in an RV, but she died before they could take their trip. The other survivors admired Dale and looked up to him. He formed an especially close bond with Andrea (and her sister before her death). Dale was with Andrea when she emerged from the CDC before it exploded. He eventually became part of the show's high body count.

Steven Yeun

Then: South Korean-born Yeun had small roles on Law and Order: L.A. and The Big Bang Theory before hitting it big on The Walking Dead.

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Steven Yeun (Glenn)

Now: Pizza delivery guy Glenn meets Grimes during one of the scavenging trips to Atlanta. He is integral to their getaway with his knowledge of the city’s shortcuts. Like Lori, he provides a lot of heart to the survivors, insisting on burying their dead instead of burning them.

Norman Reedus

Then: A prolific film actor, Reedus has appeared in Deuces Wild, The Boondock Saints, Blade II, and many more movies in his 15-year career. This is his first major recurring television role, but he’s not letting that slow him down! Reedus appeared in recent films Night of the Templar and Sunlight Jr.

Matthew Welch/AMC

Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon)

Now: Daryl Dixon is a loose cannon, still upset over the fact that his brother Merle was left for dead. Despite this, he is open to forming relationships with the other survivors and is starting to really feel the value of having a community.

Irone Singleton

Then: Singleton is probably best known for his role as the menacing Alton alongside Oscar winner Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side.

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Irone Singleton (T-Dog)

Now: He was the one responsible for leaving Merle behind on the rooftop and felt guilty. He found a friend in Dale and was totally committed to helping the group survive so much so that he sacrificed himself.

Melissa Suzanne McBride

Then: McBride’s resume goes back to the early 1990s, when she was featured in movies such as The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, TV shows including Dawson’s Creek and Profiler, and various TV movies. She also works as a casting director.

Matthew Welch/AMC

Melissa Suzanne McBride (Carol Peletier)

Now: Carol and her daughter Sophia suffered greatly at the hands of her abusive husband Ed. Now that he’s dead, Carol has a sense of peace—at least within her community of survivors. She and her daughter were very close. Carol's since been banished from the group...for good reason.