Judith O'Dea
At the time of the movie, O'Dea was a 23-year-old commercial and stage actress. She travelled to Hollywood to try to find a bigger and better career, which Night of the Living Dead provided for her. O'Dea initially was unsure if she wanted to act in the movie, because she was scared of most horror films. O'Dea was very proud of the prowess that the film brought her, which was, for the most part, unexpected. She also performed stage stunts outside of acting.
Duane Jones
An African-American actor, Jones was not very well known at the time the film was shot. The fact that he acted in such a movie was very controversial, because of his race. The fact that he was the hero of the film did not sit well with many, but George Romero claimed that he had the best audition of anyone for the part. Acting in other films after Night of the Living Dead, Jones was afraid that people still only knew him as his role as Ben.
Keith Wayne
Best known for his role as Tom in Night of the Living Dead, Keith Wayne also had a career in TV and singing. Majoring in music in college, Wayne still did not achieve the career that he had wanted to. In 1995, he committed suicide.
Karl Hardman
Best known for his role in this film, Harman was an actor in other movies as well as a movie producer. He was the producer of the Night of the Living Dead, as well as its 30-year anniversary remake. He acted as Bruce Brunswick in Santa Claws, but continued to be tied to his position in this film.
Marilyn Eastman
In real life, Helen and Harry were also close. Marilyn continued a film relationship with Karl Hardman for much of her life, as they are seen together in many films. Along with Karl, she formed Hardman/Eastman Inc., an independent film company.
