‘Walking Dead’ Stuntman Dies Following Fall

John Bernecker, a veteran stuntman working on AMC's The Walking Dead, has died after a fall on the show’s set in Georgia. Bernecker had fallen 25-30 feet from a balcony onto a concrete floor, suffering a grave head injury. He was transported to a hospital via helicopter and later died.

Bernecker was 33.  

Production on the hit show’s eighth season was temporarily shut down following the fall.

AMC commented, "We are deeply saddened by this loss and our hearts and prayers are with John’s family, friends and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.”  

Bernecker’s stunt work appeared in 24: Legacy, Claws and Scream Queens, among other series, according to his IMDB page. His film work included Fantastic Four and Logan.

Scott M. Gimple, executive producer and showrunner of The Walking Dead, said:

“Our production is heartbroken by the tragic loss of John Bernecker. John's work on The Walking Dead and dozens of other movies and shows will continue to entertain and excite audiences for generations. We are grateful for his contributions, and all of us send our condolences, love, and prayers to John's family and friends.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.