How to make a walker

So you want to be a tv zombie? while the walking dead has a training programme for people who want to play zombies on the show, a lot goes into bringing the undead to life. from the small details like nails and facial hair, to a full facial mask, everything is crucial to make the walkers as scary as possible. and some of those techniques are also used to bring other sci-fi creatures to life, including the white walkers from game of thrones (2011-current) and the werewolves in grimm (2011-current). the wardrobe team – headed by former capetonian eulyn womble – play a big part in giving life to walkers. clothes are aged to look grimey and are stained with anything from coffee to beetroot. the amount of damage also depends on how long the person’s been undead.

nails

walkers scratch at walls and doors to break into buildings, so their nails tend to be broken and bloody. an acrylic nail is applied over the actor’s real nail. it’s then broken and given a coat of fake blood and texture, followed by brown dye to make it look rotten and dirty.