Cheerleader, Stuntwoman, and…Zombie!?

Taylor Towery is many things. She’s a college cheerleader and of North Texas student studying kinesiology, a stuntwoman, and a zombie. The 19-year-old Texas native has spent many a day in Atlanta, Georgia, wearing layers of makeup, stumbling around, and getting attacked by the various characters we know and love on the hit AMC show, “The Walking Dead.” How did a college cheerleader become a part-time stuntwoman and zombie? During the second season of the show, Taylor’s dad, Russell Towery, was hired as a stunt coordinator. Taylor was brought on as a zombie extra and she’s been working as one ever since. Taylor has returned to Atlanta several times to film as a zombie, having played several different zombies for different episodes and scenes. Each time, she’s been transformed into a different looking zombie, which isn’t easy. It takes makeup artists two hours to apply the prosthetics, body paint, and hair product. In the end, it’s all worth it, as Taylor gets to create her own different zombie character each time. According to the Star-Telegram, Taylor has been “stabbed by Andrea, played by actress Laurie Holden; attacked by Merle, played by Michael Rooker; shot by Carl, played by Chandler Riggs; and shot by Carl or Rick, played by Andrew Lincoln.” “The Walking Dead” isn’t Taylor’s first job as stuntwoman and it won’t be her last. Taylor made her debut when she was 16 in a small film. Her job was to drive a car and narrowly miss a bicyclist. She recently performed as a stunt double for Candice Bergen in the film “Merry Friggin’ Christmas” (to be released in 2014) and has worked on the 2014 film “Hoovey” and the new TV show “Dallas.” However, it’s her stunt work in “The Walking Dead” that earned her the appropriate nickname “zombie cheerleader” at her college. Fellow students and even football fans from the stands have reached out to her about her zombie hobby. While Taylor says she never planned on doing stunt work, it’s certainly worked out nicely for her, as she’s able to schedule in occasional stunt work when she’s not busy with school or cheerleading. Talk about a cool part-time job! The next time you’re watching “The Walking Dead,” keep an eye out for the cheerleader! News Source: The Star-Telegram