Kelley Mack, an actress known for appearing on The Walking Dead, has died aged 33.
Her death was announced in a post on her Instagram page, which read: “It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley. Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go.
“Kelley passed peacefully on Saturday evening with her loving mother Kristen and steadfast aunt Karen present. Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies. She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express.”
Who was Kelley Mack?
Mack was an actress, best known for playing Hilltop Colony resident Addy in five episodes of the The Walking Dead in 2019.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Cinematography from the Dodge College of Film at Chapman University in 2014, she moved to and worked in the Los Angeles area for 11 years.
As a child, she kicked off her TV career by appearing in commercials. Her portrayal of Chloe in The Elephant Garden (2008), earned her an award from Tisch School of the Arts and the Student Visionary Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In January, she told fans on social media that she moved into a new apartment with boyfriend Logan Lanier in a health update.
She wrote in a post, “In September, I moved into a new apartment with my boyfriend, Logan. For a month after that, I had persistent lower back pain and thought I slipped a disc. A few weeks later, I had neuropathic itching in my right quad. And then, the shooting pains in my legs and back began, which resulted in me having to sleep in a recliner for a month because laying down was too painful.
“On Thanksgiving Eve, I had emergency MRIs done at the hospital, which revealed an abnormal mass in my spinal cord.”
Not much is known about Lanier as the mysterious man has stayed away from the limelight for the entirety of their relationship. The pair did not have any children.
How did she die?
The 33-year-old died as a result of glioma of the central nervous system, a type of brain cancer.
Mack had previously disclosed that she was receiving intensive treatment after the rare cancer diagnosis in September.
In March, Mack posted that she was receiving physical therapy and that she had completed proton radiation treatment.
“Overall, this journey has not been easy, but things are getting better — improvements are tough to see when you’re in the thick of it. Thank you again and again for the support and prayers,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
In children and young adults, gliomas—growths of cells in the brain or spinal cord—are the most prevalent form of brain cancer. They might be either cancerous or benign.
Headaches, eye issues, slurred speech, seizures, or a general behavioural shift are some of the symptoms.
The brain tumour normally arises from changes in the DNA of glial cells within the brain or spinal cord.
What are her career highlights?
Mack, who played Addy in season 9 of The Walking Dead, has 35 acting credits and five producing credits.
She was also cast as Penelope Jacobs on FOX's 9-1-1 and in season 8 of Chicago Med. She also starred as Wilda in the recently released Delicate Arch and Alice in Broadcast Signal Intrusion.
Mack also demonstrated her talent by doing voice-over work; she had previously recorded the voice of Hailee Steinfeld's character, Gwen Stacy, for the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
She appeared in a lot of advertisements, including those for Dr Pepper (in the made-up town of Fansville), Ross Stores, Budweiser, Dairy Queen, Eli Lilly, Chick-fil-A, and, alongside her mother, Rakuten.
Posthumously, the actress will play Ricky in the upcoming film Universal, starring alongside Joe Thomas, who gained fame portraying Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners.
