The Walking Dead's cast and crew are back at work in Atlanta less than a week after one of its stuntmen died tragically.

Veteran crew member John Bernecker was rushed to Atlanta Medical Center last week when he fell more than 20 feet while rehearsing and suffered an unrecoverable head injury. He died hours later.

The Walking Dead's US network AMC shut down production on Friday in John's memory, but a cast member's social media post confirmed that work resumed as normal on Monday (July 17).

Pollyanna McIntosh, who plays Scavengers leader Jadis, paid tribute to John Bernecker on Instagram hours before the cast once again went before the cameras.

"As I prepare to work again tomorrow I'm again thinking of John's friends and family and of John," she wrote on Sunday (July 16). "My heart goes out to you all and to the rest of your set family and families who've known John and his art."

When the tragic news first broke last week, Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple released a statement saying that both the cast and himself were "heartbroken" over Bernecker's death.

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"John's work on The Walking Dead and dozens of other movies and shows will continue to entertain and excite audiences for generations," Gimple wrote.

"We are grateful for his contributions, and all of us send our condolences, love, and prayers to John's family and friends."

Scott M. Gimple at Paleyfestpinterest
Albert L. Ortega / Contributor//Getty Images

(Scott M. Gimple)

Bernecker also performed stunts for Logan, 24: Legacy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Marvel's Black Panther over the course of his eight-year career.

The Walking Dead will air its 100th episode this autumn on AMC in the US and FOX in the UK.


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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.