Shaun of the Dead Supporting Cast

Throughout Shaun of the Dead, we are introduced to numerous characters who play some small part in the life of our protagonist, Shaun. While it is by no means comprehensive, the following list endeavors to highlight those characters who are most significant in the Shaun of the Dead universe. Note: Patrons of the Winchester Tavern have been afforded their own separate article.

Mary (as portrayed by Nicola Cunningham) - Mary works as a cashier at Landis Supermarket. On the way home from work one night, a man follows her. She ducks into the Winchester Tavern to take refuge and sits down at the first table she comes to.

Seated there is a homeless man (who gets change from Shaun early in the film). He tells Mary that he doesn’t feel well and needs a doctor. She tries to help him outside, but he falls down once they leave the Winchester and dies. He quickly turns into a zombie and bites her, turning Mary into one of the undead.

She kills the man who was following her (the large zombie who also ends up in Shaun’s backyard), then notices Ed and Shaun leaving the pub. She follows them home and winds up in their backyard.

The next morning, Shaun and Ed discover her, believing her to be a drunk. When she attacks Shaun, he pushes her backwards and she falls onto a pole, impaling herself. She then rises up with a massive hole in her stomach, causing Shaun and Ed to flee into the house.

They later try to kill her by flinging records at her head, but this proves to be unsuccessful. The duo then bust into their tool shed and grab a shovel and cricket bat. Mary is killed when Shaun bludgeons her with the cricket bat.

Nelson (as portrayed by Arvind Doshi) - Nelson is the local shopkeeper around the corner from Shaun’s house. When Shaun goes into the store early in the morning, Nelson tries to sell him beer. The next day, Shaun goes back into the store, failing to notice bloody handprints and pools of blood on the floor.

Shaun leaves some change on the counter, but yells out to Nelson that he still owes him a bit more. As Shaun leaves the store, a zombified Nelson can be seen shambling from the back of the store. As Ed and Shaun prepare to escape in Pete’s car, we see Nelson one last time. He staggers forward; his hand outstretched for the change Shaun owes him.

Noel (as portrayed by Rafe Spall) - Noel works at Foree Electric with Shaun. He is 17 years old and often gives Shaun a hard time about being the oldest staff member (once even calling him granddad). He calls Ed to see if he has any marijuana to sell, and Ed refers to him as Noodle.

When Shaun tries to conduct a staff meeting, Noel talks on the phone, informing another friend that Ed wasn’t holding.

Later in the film, as the heroes try to seek refuge in the Winchester, Noel calls Ed again to see if he’s ever scored any weed. Shaun slaps the phone away and berates Ed.

Six months after "Z-Day," we see a television news story about zombies being put to work at menial jobs. We see Noel, now a zombie, working at Landis Supermarket. He’s chained up in the parking lot and responsible for gathering stray shopping carts.

Yvonne (as portrayed by Jessica Stevenson) - Yvonne is a perpetually upbeat friend of Shaun’s and may possibly be an ex-girlfriend. She and Shaun have not seen each other in a while (the last time being at either a club or concert). Shaun runs into her on the way home from work, and she mentions that she recently bought a house. As the two chat, a dead body is carted away in the background.

We once again see Yvonne after the zombie plague is underway, when her group crosses paths with the group led by Shaun. The two factions prove to be remarkably similar, with each side possessing a double of the other. Shaun and Yvonne chat for a moment and then part ways.

Yvonne is seen again near the end of the movie. As Shaun and Liz exit the Winchester and prepare to fight the zombies, they are rescued by the military. Yvonne is there with the soldiers, even taking out two zombies with a golf club. She chats a bit more with Shaun and Liz, telling them that the soldiers will take them someplace safe. It is assumed that Yvonne survives the events of "Z-Day."

Homeless Man (as portrayed by Horton Jupiter) - We first see the homeless man and his dog outside of Shaun’s house. He asks Shaun for some change, and our hero obliges. Later that evening, the homeless man is bitten by a zombie and goes into the Winchester to have a drink. He meets Mary there, and she tries to help him outside. He collapses and dies of his wounds, quickly rising from the dead and biting Mary.

The next day, we see him again outside of Shaun’s house. This time, one of his feet is badly bent, and he’s pulling an empty dog leash. He reaches out for Shaun, but our hero thinks he’s wanting more change (not bothering to actually look up). He is last seen as Shaun and Ed speed away from their house in Pete’s car.

Declan (as portrayed by Martin Freeman) - Declan is part of Yvonne’s group, which is comprised of members who are all very similar to that of Shaun’s merry band of survivors. Declan is introduced as Yvonne’s boyfriend, which would make him the counterpart of Liz. That being the case, we can assume that Declan is practical and confident about who he is. He only appears in the one scene, so his final fate is unknown.

Mark (as portrayed by Reece Shearsmith) - Mark is part of Yvonne’s group, which is comprised of members who are all very similar to that of Shaun’s merry band of survivors. With his umbrella as a weapon, brown leather jacket, and glasses, he is obviously the counterpart to David. His smug look would also confirm that fact. Mark’s final fate is unknown, but he is not around when Yvonne shows up outside the Winchester, so it would be safe to assume that he meets a grisly end (just like David).

Maggie (as portrayed by Tamsin Greig) - Maggie is part of Yvonne’s group, which is comprised of members who are all very similar to that of Shaun’s merry band of survivors. With her cheery demeanor and woven cap, she is no doubt the counterpart of Dianne. Given this fact, she might be an actress herself. As they pass one another, she exchanges a pleasant greeting with Dianne but is not seen again. Her final fate is unknown.

Yvonne’s Mom (as portrayed by Julia Deakin) - Yvonne’s Mom is part of Yvonne’s group, which is comprised of members who are all very similar to that of Shaun’s merry band of survivors. She is the counterpart to Shaun’s mom, and as such, seems friendly and a bit distant. Yvonne’s mom is seen holding tissues to her wrist, which foreshadows the zombie bite to the wrist that Shaun’s mom will soon endure. The two moms exchange a very warm greeting as they pass one another. Like Barbara, Yvonne’s mom may also turn into an undead later on and be killed by her child, but these details are never confirmed. Her final fate is unknown.

Cousin Tom (as portrayed by Matt Lucas) - Cousin Tom is part of Yvonne’s group, which is comprised of members who are all very similar to that of Shaun’s merry band of survivors. He is the slovenly counterpart to Ed (right down to the crude T-shirt), and he barely even looks up during the proceedings (preferring, instead, to fiddle around with his cell phone). As he and Ed pass one another, they grunt their hellos. Tom’s final fate is unknown, but he may very well share Ed’s fate of being turned into a zombie.