‘The Walking Dead’s Michael Cudlitz Helps Disney Raise Donations for Make-A-Wish

The Walking Dead and The Kids Are Alright star Michael Cudlitz is participating in Disney’s [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

The Walking Dead and The Kids Are Alright star Michael Cudlitz is participating in Disney's annual #ShareYourEars campaign as part of Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary celebration.

Magic lovers are encouraged to share photos showing off their Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse ears — or any creative "ears" — on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Ears can be simplistic and homemade, but photos need to be shared before November 17.

The Walt Disney Company will then donate US $5 to Make-A-Wish, up to $2 million, for every public photo shared with the hashtag #ShareYourEars. The donations will help grant even more life-changing wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit working to fulfill the desires of children battling critical illnesses.

Cudlitz, who has gone on to headline ABC family sitcom The Kids Are Alright following the end of his tenure as Sgt. Abraham Ford on The Walking Dead, can be seen wishing the famed Disney mascot a happy birthday in the video above alongside fellow ABC stars Mary McCormack and Leighton Meester (Single Parents).

Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead, "Stradivarius," marks Cudlitz's return to the series and the actor's directorial debut.

The episode sees Carol (Melissa McBride) reunite with Daryl (Norman Reedus), now living in self-imposed exile following the apparent death of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).

Meanwhile, isolationist Alexandria leader Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Siddiq (Avi Nash) shepherd newcomers Magna (Nadia Hilkes), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Kelly (Angel Theory) and Luke (Dan Fogler) to the Hilltop, the farming community now operating under a surprising new leader following the departure of Maggie (Lauren Cohan).

"The great thing about directing the cast was that the cast is changing now, so I had a wonderful experience about being [able] to direct, basically half of my cast was brand new and the rest were people that I have longstanding, amazing relationships with," Cudlitz told TheWrap.

"To be able to work with the people that I've worked with before in an acting capacity, you know, and to help guide them in telling these stories and to be able to work with people that I not only respect but admire as performers, and have never worked with before, to be able to work with those guys was really great."

Cudlitz's first behind-the-camera effort "sort of helped establish the early roots of what some of these new characters will be, because, as everyone who watches the show understands, the early episodes where you learn a lot about the characters really do set the tone of how they are perceived and received from there on out," he said.

The Kids Are Alright airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC. The Walking Dead premieres "Stradivarius," the penultimate episode of the front half of Season Nine, Sunday at 9/8c on AMC.

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