Former Georgia firefighter and 'Walking Dead' actor Dango Nguyen dies at 48 after cancer battle

Dango Nguyen, a former Georgia firefighter who left public service to become an actor and was featured in "The Walking Dead," has died at the age of 48 after a battle with cancer.

Dango, who played a guard to diabolical Governor on hit AMC show died on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

The death of Dango Nguyen was announced on the Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Facebook account.

It is with tremendous sadness that we mourn the loss of one of our former firefighters. Dango Nguyen passed away early this morning after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Dango was a member of our department for almost 20 years.

Dango was a sergeant with our department when he left to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and other interests. But, once you're a firefighter, you're always part of our family. And Dango was a very well known member of our family.

He will always be remembered for his physical and mental strength. He was an aggressive and tenacious firefighter and first responder. He was also an excellent fire officer. He carried out his service to our community with a high level of pride in his craft, as well as a competitive spirit that made everyone else that he worked with better too.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Michelle, his family, and all of his friends. He touched many lives. We will all remember his quick wit, high energy, and unwavering determination. We all aspire to be "Dango Strong".

Nguyen, known under his stage name Dango Nu Yen, appeared in several episodes of the third season of the Atlanta-based hit show about a zombie apocalypse. He played a guard for the town of Woodbury who worked for The Governor, a villain who frequently fought with the show's protagonist Rick Grimes.

After his stint on the show ended, Nguyen appeared in other TV shows including "The Red Road" and "Banshee," according to his IMDB profile.