Usually when we talk about death and The Walking Dead in the same statement, we’re talking about which beloved character has been killed off of the hit series.
Fans mourn fictional characters because they become real to you over time. Compelling stories elicit those kinds of reactions.
Unfortunately, this time it’s an actual actor with the series who’s died, and that’s hard to handle because a real person is gone from this world. The world has lost Randy Schell, who passed away in a tragic skydiving accident.
Randy Schell’s face might not look familiar to The Walking Dead‘s viewers.
But that’s because his contribution to the series was his voice.
Randy Schell was the one who said “Previously, on The Walking Dead.”
That’s the kind of line that’s so minor that people don’t always think about it.
(The fact that we can all watch a series without wondering who says a specific line or about other things happening behind the scenes is part of the magic of show business)
In fact, it’s probably safe to say that most shows have one or more castmembers say the “previously on” line.
Galavant actually had a song titled “Previously on Galavant,” but that show was a musical.
Other series, however, who don’t want to give one particular character the narrative voice, hire talented professionals like Randy Schell.
Randy Schell isn’t only known for his work on The Walking Dead, however.
He has IMDB credits for Blindspot, Dancing with the Stars, American Restoration, and Life in Pieces.
Schell also narrated nearly 500 episodes of Judge Alex.
Plus he did narrative work for major companies like McDonald’s and Geico.
Randy loved skydiving, as you can see in the above image that he’d previously used as a Facebook background.
Unfortunately, it was a skydiving accident that claimed Randy Schell’s life.
This happened around noon on what would have been “a normal Saturday afternoon of skydiving,” via a company called Skydive Spaceland.
Randy Schell and another diver collided in the air.
The collision was after both parachutes had deployed.
It sounds like the impact resulted in Randy’s chute malfunctioning.
It’s hard to imagine final moments that are more horrifying.
People who worked with Randy Schell are in mourning.
So, too, are countless fans, including those who watch The Walking Dead — a show whose fandom is known for their passion and enthusiasm.
It’s amazing how someone whose work, when done best, goes almost unnoticed can make such a difference.
Others knew Randy better, however.
His agent, Jenny Josby, describes him as having been a “consummate professional.”
He’ll also be remembered for his work in production and sound engineering.
According to Josby:
“He was a great friend, a great man, a great client.”
The other jumper survived the fall but was apparently treated for a leg injury.
This is sad for fans, but sadder for friends and family.