Alycia was recently featured on Elle.com! Read the whole interview here or read some excerpts below.

Even though Fear the Walking Dead is obviously following in some pretty heavy footsteps, it’s still got its own personality and tone.

Yeah, it’s sort of a throwback to that old suspense-thriller vibe. You’re just waiting for things to fall apart. It’s a constant suspense.

Does it start to resemble The Walking Dead as we move through the season?

It’s still more of a slow burn, because it has to be different from the original. But it gets there. My character still doesn’t quite know what’s going on. She’s definitely been sheltered from everything. But you’ll start to see more of the infected.

Tell us about Alicia. She’s kind of a brat, no?

Well, she’s the only one that has ambition and goals. She’s striving to get out of L.A. and go to school in Berkeley, but she struggles against a really difficult family dynamic. She has a drug-addicted brother. Her father isn’t there anymore. She doesn’t get along with her stepdad. And her mother is just there trying to take care of everyone. So she’s been trying to protect herself and take a step back. But then, when everything falls apart, she has the most to lose, and she’s roped back into this situation she’s really trying to escape from.

Does anything within her character act as a tool in the zombie apocalypse?

She’s a very smart, well-equipped individual, and she’ll have a very interesting journey to go on. Will she crumble or rise to the occasion? And if she does rise to the occasion, will it be in that hardcore way where she’s really resilient? Will she grab that machete? We probably won’t find that out this season. because everyone is just discovering this new world, but I think the women in The Walking Dead shows have a really strong core.

Do you have a favorite zombie movie? Or did you watch any to prepare for the show?

I haven’t seen many, actually. I did watch the whole run of The Walking Dead. Michonne [Danai Gurira] with her swords—that’s what everyone wants. Screw the machete. But zombie films weren’t really my genre. When I got the script I was kind of nervous because blood and gore aren’t normally my thing….

What convinced you to do it?

The script is so good. And I liked the idea of the lead-up to the world falling apart. I liked and wanted to explore that. Because it is something we’re all very interested in. It’s not too far off from everyday life. Even with something like the Ebola crisis. That contagion idea is so relevant, and shows how quickly civilization could self-destruct. And then once we lose all that infrastructure, we’re basically just….

Animals?

Yes. Exactly. Animals.