Tom Savini chose the gray color for the zombies' skin, since La notte dei morti viventi (1968) was in B&W and the zombie skin-tone was not depicted. He later said it was a mistake, because many of them ended up looking quite blue on film.
Extras who appeared in this film were reportedly given $1 in cash, a donut, and a Dawn of the Dead T-shirt.
The outdoor scene where hunters, emergency crew and soldiers are shooting at zombies was done using local volunteers. Several local hunters arrived on-scene with their own weapons, the local National Guard division showed up in full gear, and local emergency crew (police, fire and ambulance) were present, all voluntarily.
The two zombie children who attack Peter in the airport chart house are played by Melissa Dunlap and Mike Savini, the real-life niece and nephew of Tom Savini. These are the only zombies in all of George A. Romero's "Dead" films that spontaneously run and never do the trademark "Zombie shuffle."
Zombie actors took photographs of themselves dressed up in full zombie makeup inside a photo booth on the second floor. They then replaced the sample pictures on the front of the booth with the ghoulish ones.
Joseph Pilato: as a policeman at the boat dock. Pilato had auditioned for the role of Stephen, and would play Captain Rhodes in Il giorno degli zombi (1985).
John Amplas: In 3 roles: Rico, the last Puerto Rican bandit to be shot on the ghetto apartment rooftop, Mall Parking Lot Zombie whose arm is pulled off and Zombie thrown over the mall balcony by Peter.
George A. Romero: plays both the director in the television studio, and "Old Nick" the Santa Claus biker (briefly visible in biker raid).