Erik Jensen, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Steven Edwards on The Walking Dead Season 5, has been diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer.
The actor’s family revealed the news in a GoFundMe post.
“After miraculously surviving a brain aneurysm just a year and a half ago, our beloved Erik Jensen was just diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer,” the message on the fundraising platform reads.
“The cancer has metastasized to his liver, but Erik is young and strong (cutting a film during chemo, working full-time as a director and writer throughout) and his doctors think they have a shot at shrinking the tumors enough to do two very major surgeries and get them all out.
“He can make it through this. But Erik and his family are in for the fight of their lives, and they need your support.”
“Stage IV is not a death sentence, and Erik is working incredibly hard to stay positive and fight for the shot that his doctors say he has,” the statement concludes.
Scott M. Gimple, the TWD universe overlord, shared the fundraiser on X (formerly known as Twitter.)
“One of TWD’s own could use a little help,” Gimple wrote.
“Erik Jensen, who played Dr. Steven Edwards in S5 was just diagnosed with cancer, and it’s a time of great uncertainty for him and his family.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played Negan on both the mothership series and spinoff TWD: Dead City, also shared the link.
“Never had the chance to work with Erik,” he wrote.
“[But] have heard many things about what a great guy he is. I do know he and his [family] could use some help.”
In addition to The Walking Dead, Jensen’s TV credits also include Alias, For Life, Mr. Robot, Law & Order, Mindhunter, Person of Interest, The Americans, and 30 Rock.
On the big screen, Jensen has appeared in Blair Witch 2, After Everything, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and What Breaks the Ice.
What Happened at Grady Memorial Hospital on The Walking Dead?
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know that Steven was introduced as a friend for Beth when she was kept inside Grady Memorial Hospital.
In a memorable scene, Rick and his group gave Steven and the rest of the survivors the option to leave the hospital behind.
However, everyone chose to stay behind. Unfortunately, we learned several seasons later that everyone inside the hospital perished during a time jump.
Related: The Walking Dead Dead City Breathes New Life Into a Tired Franchise
The hospital arc was one of the zombie drama’s most polarizing because it culminated with Beth’s death.
Fans had been clamoring for Beth to be reunited with Maggie, Daryl, and the others, but the creatives went in a different direction.
Just when it seemed like Beth was safe, she was brutally gunned down as everyone tried to get her to safety.
Had the violent ending to The Walking Dead Season 7 not been a thing, there’s a good chance viewers would still be speaking about it.
The Walking Dead is Over, but the Franchise is Still Popular
The Walking Dead ended its run in 2022, with Fear the Walking Dead ending later this year.
Related: The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon Doesn’t Reinvent the Wheel But Does Feature Zombie Punch
The enduring franchise remains alive with The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and The Walking Dead: the Ones Who Live.
The Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira-led spinoff is set to air in 2024 on AMC and AMC+, while the sophomore runs of the other spinoffs are set for later in the year.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.