Kelley Mack, Spider-Verse and The Walking Dead star, dies at 33 following a rare brain cancer, glioma

 

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Who was Kelley Mack?

Kelley Mack appeared in five episodes during Season 9 of The Walking Dead. In the show, the young star was part of a tragic storyline involving the Whisperers. Even though her time on the show was brief, she was one of the most impactful and memorable characters. The show also helped her gain recognition in the industry. Before and after The Walking Dead, Kelley bagged an impressive list of credits. She took on several cameo roles in shows like 9-1-1, Chicago Med, and the Modern Family spin-off titled Schooled. Apart from TV series, Kelly was also part of a few indie films, including Broadcast Signal Intrusion with Harry Shum Jr. She was set to appear in the upcoming film Universal, which she also produced.

Born on July 10, 1992, in Cincinnati as Kelley Lynne Klebenow, she started in the industry as a child actor and appeared in a few commercials. She studied acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and made a name for herself after winning an Acting Award there for her role in The Elephant Garden (2008), a short film that also made it to the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. Upon completion of her college, she moved to Los Angeles and spent over a decade working in films, TV, and voiceover projects. While many might not know, one of her most memorable voice roles was for Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) in the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

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Apart from acting, Kelley was also a budding filmmaker. She wrote, directed, and edited the short film Positive (2015). Just a year before, she served as a cinematographer for The Kingdom. In 2016, she produced A Knock at the Door. The movie went on to win an award at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival. Her final work, Universal, was premiered at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. In her final Instagram post, she described the comedy sci-fi drama as: “A couple of academics enjoying a romantic break in a remote log cabin find their stay interrupted by someone who has tracked them down, seeking their help with what could be the biggest discovery in history.”

Kelley lived with her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow, and her siblings Kathryn and Parker. She was also close to her grandparents, Lois and Larry and was dating Logan Lanier. Her family will hold a memorial service on August 16 at the Glendale Lyceum in Ohio.