How ‘The Walking Dead’ Chopped a Person in Half for Epic Battle Axe Stunt

In Sunday’s episode of The Walking Dead, Jerry showed the world that he really knows how to split up a fight. Bringing the horrific and violent moment to life, however, was no easy feat.

In a behind-the-scenes video from the making of The Walking Dead Episode 8×04, “Some Guy“, director Dan Liu and Jerry actor Cooper Andrews walk audiences through the making of the scene. In it, Jerry rushes up to Savior character Gunther and splits him in half with his axe just before Gunther can kill King Ezekiel. It was a moment which Andrews was tremendously excited for.

“This morning when I woke up, I was super excited,” Andrews said. “I was already showered, already dressed. I went to bed with my clothes on just to get out the door.”

The scene was shot in several ways, many of which were centered around Andrews’ performances. “We did some modifications on levels of anger,” Liu said. “Cooper’s had martial arts training forever so a lot of times where we do stunt work he comes up with his own ideas for how to kill people and they look great.”

As for the King’s perspective, Khary Payton appears to have had a good time watching Andrews swing his axe all day. “He just stood over me after cutting a man in half! It was really visceral and intense and kinda cute,” Payton said.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.