The Walking Dead actress Kelley Mack has died at the age of 33 following a battle with diffuse midline glioma, a rare and aggressive brain or spinal cancer. She passed away peacefully on August 2, surrounded by her mother and aunt, according to a family statement posted on Instagram.
Mack was best known for playing Addy in Season 9 of The Walking Dead, appearing in several episodes between 2018 and 2019. She also had roles in 9-1-1, Schooled, Chicago Med, and the indie film Universal, released earlier this year.
Her family described her as a 'bright, fervent light' and said she had already appeared to loved ones in the form of butterflies. A celebration of life will be held in Glendale, Ohio, on August 16, with a separate memorial for friends and colleagues in Los Angeles.
Mack first revealed her diagnosis in January, after experiencing persistent lower back pain that progressed to nerve pain and shooting pains in her legs. An emergency MRI found an abnormal mass on her spinal cord, later diagnosed as diffuse midline glioma. A biopsy left her using a wheelchair with partial paralysis.
Tributes poured in from co-stars and colleagues. Gustavo Gomez called her a 'bright light', Alanna Masterson said she was 'proud to have fought alongside her', and director Michael Satrazemis remembered her as 'a bright light on every level'.
Mack is survived by her mother Kristen, father Lindsay, sister Kathryn, brother Parker, grandparents, and boyfriend Logan Lanier.
