The 2024 Oscars didn’t just validate but celebrated a widespread consensus that’s persisted among The Walking Dead fans for almost a decade. As a series-based franchise encompassing the performers and storylines of The Walking Dead TV show, the Fear the Walking Dead spinoff, the Walking Dead: World Beyond limited series, and more, The Walking Dead rarely warrants a nod from the film-centered acknowledgment of the Oscars. On special occasions, when a TWD alum traverses into film acting and dominates their movie role quite like they did in their franchise role, the Oscars will acknowledge their exceptional talent.
It happened to be the case for TWD actor Steven Yeun – after Glen Rhee’s death in TWD season 7, Yeun left the franchise, later starring in the 2020 drama Minari. For his performance in the must-watch Minari movie, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, which endorsed the acting talent that every TWD fan already knew he had. At the Oscars this year, another alum of the TWD franchise was recognized for their remarkable acting talent, even though it was nearly 10 years in the making for franchise fans and even longer for admirers of the actor’s 30-year-long career.
2024’s Oscars Finally Recognized Colman Domingo’s Acting Talent
The Oscars finally recognized Colman Domingo’s acting prowess with a Best Actor nomination for his performance in the biographical drama film Rustin, about the true story of the civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Domingo took on the lead role of Rustin’s revolutionary with electric appeal, earning him a nod beside the likes of Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), and Bradley Cooper (Maestro). Domingo lost the award to Cillian Murphy of Oppenheimer, though the Rustin actor’s place in the running was still an incredible testament to his exceptional career.
Since he started acting in 1995, Domingo has become a distinguished actor in both TV and film. His film credits include Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie Lincoln, Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Blitz Bazawule’s 2023 The Color Purple remake, among plenty of others. Domingo’s TV cred is just as great, as he has performed in series such as Law & Order, BoJack Horseman, The Knick, the popular sensation Euphoria, and, of course, TWD’sFear the Walking Dead, which saw him play antagonist Victor Strand for a whopping 109 episodes between 2015 and 2023.
Victor Strand Was Quietly The Walking Dead’s Best Villain Performance
Domingo’s Strand, who frequently stooped to selfish and wicked ways, was quietly one of the TWD franchise’s best villain performances. The character often flew under the radar because he existed in Fear the Walking Dead, and the obstruction of the original The Walking Dead series’ sheer magnitude in both length and support, as well as all ofTWD’s offshoot shows, distracted from him getting the recognition he deserved. Nevertheless, Strand is often considered a favorite franchise villain, saluted for the character’s wildly compelling story arc and Domingo’s formidable performance as him.
Strand started in Fear the Walking Dead as a conman before stooping lower and lower across the seasons to remain alive, all while increasingly shocking audiences with his wildly determined hustle to survive without any remorse. Frequently, the character would engage in startling acts of villainy – like betraying friends, killing innocents, or threatening haven settlements – to a point where audiences thought FTWD’s Strand was beyond redemption. However, in the end, Strand grew remorse for his past, completinga crowd-pleasing character arc made better by Colman’s solidly convincing performance.
