Kelley Mack, Beloved 'The Walking Dead' Actress, Dies at 33 After Battle with Glioma

Kelley Mack’s Journey: From Child Actor to ‘Walking Dead’ Star

Kelley Mack, who lit up the screen as Addy on AMC’s The Walking Dead, died far too soon at just 33, leaving fans and the entertainment world shocked. Born in Cincinnati as Kelley Mack Klebenow, she started acting when she was just a kid, laying the foundation for what would become a steady career in TV and film. While most people remember her from the tense, zombie-filled world of ‘The Walking Dead’, Kelley’s range as an actress touched far more than just one genre or show.

She didn’t just stop at fighting zombies. In 2019, she popped up on the emergency drama 9-1-1, and later made her mark on Chicago Med in 2022, showing how comfortably she could slip between action, drama, and everything in between. She even had projects lined up for the future—her final film, Universal, is slated for release in 2025, turning her final months into a race against time to keep doing what she loved most.

But her time wasn’t filled solely by big-name sets and red carpets. Kelley appeared in smaller projects like Unusual Suspects and indie titles such as Not Your Average Joe and Unscrewed, balancing commercial success with a real love for acting’s more creative side. She seemed to bring a spark to every role she took, no matter the size.

Honoring Kelley’s Life, Work, and Quiet Courage

The news of Kelley’s passing after her battle with glioma—a tough-to-treat brain or spinal cord tumor—left her family and friends reeling. Her loved ones say she faced her illness with the same courage and fire that marked her career, calling her a “bright, fervent light.” They remembered moments when her positivity would light up even the toughest days on set, and how she kept showing up for her craft, no matter what was happening behind the scenes.

Kelley’s parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow, her sister Kathryn, brother Parker, and her boyfriend Logan Lanier, have all spoken about how much her presence changed their lives. Her grandfather and grandmother, Lois and Larry, remember her as someone who was never afraid to try something new, both in acting and in life. Tributes on social media underscore her ‘vibrant spirit’ and how much she’ll be missed, while also sharing a personal family story: after her passing, loved ones found comfort in sightings of butterflies, saying that Kelley had “come to many of her loved ones” as these fragile but hopeful symbols. Kathryn called her “brave” and “tough,” especially during her illness, giving others the strength to handle what life threw at them.

As fans get ready to see her one last time in Universal, there’s an undeniable sense that Kelley Mack’s story isn’t just about roles played or lines delivered. It’s about a warm, creative force grappling with real pain, leaving an imprint not only on TV screens but on everyone who knew her, watched her, or simply saw her light up a room. Even after the credits roll, her legacy is set to linger, not just in reruns but in the hearts of the people she inspired.