At the start of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Hope Bennett (Alexa Mansour) and Iris Bennett (Aliyah Royale) set out from a safe zone in Nebraska in pursuit of their father, who had seemingly run into trouble while working with the Civic Republic Military. However, they didn’t go it alone, as they were accompanied by Silas Plaskett (Hal Cumpston), Elton Ortiz (Nicolas Cantu), Felix Carlucci (Nico Tortorella) and Huck (Annet Mahendru). Still, things soon took a shocking turn, and the lattermost of that list was revealed as a CRM spy. This led to a major confrontation and the group splintering, with Hope heading into CRM while Iris remained outside.
CBR talked with Alexa Mansour by phone about Hope’s journey in The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2, her time on set and what she wants to do after the series.
CBR: What was your reaction to The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 1?
Pretty crazy. I couldn’t believe that all of us pulled off everything that we did in the show. It was a good feeling. It was kind of knowing all the hard work that we did really paid off, because it was not easy shooting that show.
Do you have a particularly memorable moment of any difficulties that were going on while you guys were filming or things that were hard?
I think it was mostly just the weather and the outfits that we had to wear. Because it would be like 115 degrees. This was July of 2019 in Virginia. It was over 100 degrees. And we had leather jackets on, four layers under that, and combat boots and all these like weapons and stuff that we had to hold. So it was pretty taxing, but it was fun.
What was your favorite part of The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 1?
I think it was definitely filming it. And it was getting to know everyone on set and building this second family and being introduced into the Walking Dead universe. It was so welcoming. I’ve just made a whole bunch of new friends. It was really nice.
Is there any particular relationship that you’ve made behind the scenes that stands out to you?
I would say Hal and I, he plays Silas. Him, Nico and I ended up hanging out a lot in between shooting, like in between the seasons and stuff. And now Hal and I are living together for Season 2. I think it’s probably because we’re closest in age. And we were just very alike.
Walk me through Hope’s decision to leave with Huck at the end of Season 1.
I think Hope, throughout the show, wasn’t really sure she had a purpose in life. She was just kind of doing whatever, thinking that she wasn’t degenerate, an idiot. And then, as the season went by, and she realized that she had a greater purpose, she was kind of like, “Okay, I’m gonna step up to the plate and do something that’s gonna benefit everyone and not just think about myself.” So it was kind of this lightbulb moment of her being like, “Okay, I have power, and I’m stronger than I think.”
What does that continuing arc look like in Season 2?
Let’s just say that she continues on her journey of discovering what she’s really capable of and finding the good in everything as opposed to looking at the bad side of everybody.
How has production been going on Season 2, because we’re still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s been good; it’s been tough. We have to get tested three times a week. We’re all wearing masks. In the beginning, we had to wear shields and masks. As the CDC spoke up a little bit more, we kind of laxed a little bit on that. But I mean, you’re still wearing masks, 24/7, unless you’re shooting. You only have 10 hour days, which is a nice thing, because you’re not working for 16 hours a day. But it’s definitely a little bit strange.
Strange in what way?
Just getting used to the masks, getting used to the way that everything is working. You can’t go to crafting [and] just grab whatever you want. You have to go and wait for them to give you whatever it is, and even like cast chairs aren’t close to each other. We each have our own little tent behind the scenes, so it’s not as close as it was before.
What are you most excited for people to see in The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2 so far?
I’m really excited for people to see the journey that Hope takes and how much she matures. And to see how Iris goes, because Iris’ story is absolutely insane. It kind of feels like they’ve switched places in Season 2
That’s interesting, because Hope is on the the kind of the inside of CRM, whereas Iris is more on the outside. How does that distance emotionally affect Hope? Obviously, they’re very close, and they’re very reliant on each other in a lot of ways.
I think Hope understands that she’s doing this for a bigger purpose. And it’s not just her and Iris that she’s worrying about. Obviously, she misses her sister, but they both know that they’re gonna see each other again one day, so I don’t think that that’s such a huge worry between them.
If Hope survives The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2, is there anyone from the wider Walking Dead universe that you’d want her to meet or interact with?
Oh, 100% Daryl [Dixon]. I feel like Season 1 Hope and Daryl’s character are so similar, just in the way that they just seem like badasses. And I would absolutely love to be able to work with Norman [Reedus] one day.
With World Beyond ending this season, what does the future look like for you as an actor?
I have another show that I shot in Vancouver last year called Home Before Dark. That’s coming out. […] And then, I’m not sure. Maybe doing a little bit more music Maybe going back to Home Before Dark, depending on what happens. But who knows? The life of an actor is always changing. So I guess we’ll find out at the same time.
Is there anything in particular in terms of genre, or even a franchise, that you’d like to join or anything like that?
I would love to be a part of the Sex and the City reboot. Yeah, it’s just so different from what I’ve been doing. You know, I’ve always played really young characters, and it would be cool to play someone my age. Someone in her 20s as opposed to, like, a 17 year old, but what else? I don’t know. I’m definitely aiming for a romantic comedy next. I don’t know if I’m gonna go for blood and guts for the next job.
What’s your experience with Sex and the City as a show, since it’s been off the air for quite a while?
I haven’t seen the actual show. I’ve seen the movies, and I just love the outfits. I love the way they all interact, the way they live their life, how grand it is. I think it’d be really cool to be a part of something that’s already built, just like Walking Dead. They’ve both built such amazing fan bases and such different fan bases that it’d be cool to kind of see what that’s like.
Do you have a most memorable zombie kill so far?
I think I’m gonna go back to Season 1. The conjoined empties that Iris and I killed together. Just because it was such a cute little — I mean, not cute. There’s a bunch of zombies everywhere. But you know, a sister moment. We did it together, and I thought that was really special.
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