The Walking Dead: Age, Height, Zodiac Sign, And Other Things You Didn’t Know About Melissa McBride

A brilliant actress with a magnetic personality, Melissa McBride is best known for her role as the cunning survivor, Carol Peletier, on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Despite her comic book counterpart not being of extreme importance to the series, McBride’s talent and the appeal of her portrayal of Carol have made her a fan favorite.

She is currently set to star alongside Norman Reedus in an as of yet untitled Daryl and Carol spin-off series, but until then, she is hard at work on filming the show’s final season. Though the past ten years on the series have been a huge part of her work, there is much more to McBride’s fascinating life and career than just The Walking Dead.

10 She is 55 Years Old

Melissa McBride was born on May 23rd, 1965, in Lexington, Kentucky. She is one of four siblings, and had two brothers, and one sister. Though she was born in Kentucky, she moved to Georgia in the 1980s.

She continued to live there until she was cast in The Walking Dead. She still works in Georgia today, and likely will throughout the course of the upcoming spin-off series.

9 She is 5’6

Melissa McBride stands at 5 foot 6 inches tall and is a similar height to most of the other women on the show. Though the tallest member of the recent, recurring cast is Ryan Hurst, who towers over her at 6’4, she is far from the shortest member.

Others include Emily Kinney who is 5’5, Katelyn Nacon who is 5’4, and Samantha Morton who stood just as confidently and fiercely as Beta at 5 foot 3.

8 She Is A Gemini

Known for being friendly, curious, and energetic, Geminis learn new things and make new friends wherever they go. More than just a classic Gemini, those born between May 17th and the 23rd are labeled as on the Taurus-Gemini cusp.

It is said that this allows for a combination of traits to be shared between the two star signs, with the Taurus side bringing some stability to the youthful and sometimes hectic energy of a Gemini.

7 She Used To Be A Casting Director

Along with her work as an actress, McBride has pursued other jobs in the entertainment industry as well. Though she has credited professional acting experience as far back as her guest star role on Matlock in 1993, she also worked as a casting director.

T-Dog actor and future co-star, IronE Singleton, even said that he used to audition for her for roles in commercials. Some of the films that she cast include The Promise (2007) and Golden Minutes (2009).

6 A Small Part Got Her The Role Of Carol On The Walking Dead

Prior to being cast in AMC’s hit drama, Melissa McBride fully intended on giving up acting for good, until she worked on a film that would one day help get her the role of Carol Peletier.

A horror movie based on a story by Stephen King, The Mist was written and directed by none other than Frank Darabont, the future showrunner of season 1 of The Walking Dead. He was so impressed by her performance that he was eager to work with her again on the show.

5 She Loves Dogs

In the days when she was considerably more active on social media, McBride often posted on Twitter about her love of dogs. She has even said that she based Carol’s sweet interactions with Dog in “Diverged” off of how she speaks and acts around her own pets.

She isn’t the only cast member of The Walking Dead with an affinity for furred or feathered friends! Norman Reedus often talks about his cat, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s social media is teeming with animal pals from ducks to donkeys.

4 She Played Two Different Characters On Dawson’s Creek

Melissa McBride’s many guest roles in the 1990s include work in Matlock, American Gothic, and two episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger. A few years later, she made not one, but two appearances in the classic teen drama Dawson’s Creek – as two different characters!

In 1998, she was in the episode “Road Trip” as Nina, and in 2003, she returned to the series in “All Good Things” as Melanie.

3 She Was Supposed To Be Killed Off Of The Walking Dead

Carol has lost children and other loved ones, and despite it all, she not only remains alive but full of strength and compassion. What some fans may not realize is that she was originally supposed to die in season 3, episode 4 “The Killer Within.”

Producer Scott Gimple commented on their decision against it saying, “I saw her journey of going from somebody under her ex-husband’s thumb to being a warrior. It just looked like the most amazing journey for our character to have.”

2 Her Version Of Carol Is Entirely Different From Her Comic Book Counterpart

Carol from the comics is almost nothing like the woman in the television series. Robert Kirkman and Scott Gimple have both commented on the transition. “Carol is her own unique character; it would be a disservice to Melissa McBride to say she’s evolved into the Carol from the comics.”

Aside from the fact that comic book Carol died at the prison, she also didn’t have a knack for fighting Walkers, she was very co-dependent, and she also had a romantic relationship with Tyreese.

1 She Has Won Several Awards For Her Portrayal Of Carol Peletier

Over the past ten seasons of the show, Melissa McBride has absolutely nailed many extremely emotional scenes in The Walking Dead, whether it was witnessing Sophia come out of the barn as a Walker, or her famed “look at the flowers” moment with Lizzie.

Though she is yet to be nominated for an Emmy for her brilliant work as Carol, she has been recognized in other venues. She was nominated and won the Saturn Award for “Best Supporting Actress on Television” in both 2014 and in 2015.

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