In just a short amount of time, actor Elizabeth Faith Ludlow is already carving out her own path in the crazy world of Hollywood.

Many of you will remember her as Arat in several memorable episodes of the hit series The Walking Dead. Recently, she starred as First Lieutenant Griffin in the blockbuster movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

On July 25th, Elizabeth will star alongside Katee Sackhoff in the highly anticipated Netflix science fiction series Another Life.

We had the chance to chat with Elizabeth about her new series, working on the series The Walking Dead and what it meant to her and what the future holds for her in Hollywood.

Pop Culture Principle – What was it about the script for Another Life that made you sign on to the project?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – I was immediately drawn to Another Life because it challenged me to ask myself, how far would I go to protect the ones I love? In the event of an actual threat, am I willing to leave them behind for the greater good? I would like to think I would go anywhere and do anything for them. To have the opportunity to portray a strong, female character who does take these risks was a dream come true.

Pop Culture Principle – Can you give us a brief summary of what Another Life is about?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Another Life is about a young crew of astronauts led by Katee Sackhoff (Niko Breckinridge) who go on a mission to explore the origin of an alien artifact that has landed on earth. Needless to say we face a very unique set of challenges on the mission.

Pop Culture Principle – What can you tell us about your character Cas Isokavic?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Cas Isakovic is Nikos’ (Katee Sackhoff) second in command. Niko and Cas have a very specific relationship that differs from her relationship with the rest of the crew. Their history that tends to cause turmoil not only among the two of them but also between Cas and the rest of the crew.

Pop Culture Principle – As the first season progresses, will we get to learn more about Cas’ backstory?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – We will get the opportunity this season to learn about Cas’ backstory!

Pop Culture Principle – Can you name one similarity and one difference between you personally and Cas?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – One similarity between Cas and I is our strong sense of independence and our desire to succeed. One difference between Cas and I is her inability to control her emotions. Cas tends to fly by the seat of her pants and let her emotions control her where as I tend to be more calculated.

Pop Culture Principle – Katee Sackhoff is the lead in the series. What was it like working with her and did you learn anything working with her?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Working along side Katee was a learning experience in itself. I am honored to have had the opportunity. Katee is one of the hardest working most talented women I have ever met. She has such a strong presence and is a natural born leader not only on screen but also in real life. Her dedication is an inspiration to me. I learned so many things from her!

Pop Culture Principle – Katee Sackhoff has said that the series was very fast paced. Would you agree with and if so, what was it like filming a series with so much going on?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – The series was very fast paced. It was also an intense working environment with its own set of challenges. Filming in an astronaut helmet can get a little tricky at times! The role of Cas also required a lot of physicality so there were definitely a couple days my body was hurting but its what I love to do so I wouldn’t have changed a thing!

Pop Culture Principle – How did you prepare and deal with the physicality of the role? Did you get claustrophobic when shooting in the sleep chambers?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – I physically prepared for the role by putting in way more hours at the gym. Whenever we would wrap early enough I would go straight to the gym and then prep for the next day. I already eat pretty clean so I didn’t have to do too much there. I had an initial moment of claustrophobia and panic the very first time I got in the chamber. Thankfully, Katee was standing right next to me and had already been in there so she was able to guide me through the experience.

Pop Culture Principle – What can fans look forward to with the first season of Another Life?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Fans have a lot to look forward to this first season! I personally am most excited about the alien encounters because I really do believe there are other forms of life in the galaxy and I always love seeing a new take on it! Other than that, the fans can look forward to a lot of action but also the characters. I am absolutely in love with our cast and I believe the audience will fall in love with them too! There are so many reasons to connect to each character I can’t wait for the audience to choose their favorites.

Pop Culture Principle – You also play Lieutenant Griffin in the recently released blockbuster Godzilla. What was it like filming a big budget film like Godzilla?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Filming Godzilla was and still is unreal. I look back on that experience and have to pinch myself because it came and went so fast it doesn’t feel real sometimes. To me that was the epitome of movie magic. There wasn’t anything that couldn’t be done on that set. If you could imagine it they could do it.

Pop Culture Principle – Working on The Walking Dead, you dealt with a lot of practical effects, but on Godzilla, you have to work with CGI. Was it a big adjustment for you working in the world of CGI as compared to practical effects?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Fortunately I had some experience working with CGI before on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II so it wasn’t a huge adjustment for me. Working with practical effects allows you to draw directly from your surroundings and environment which is always helpful. Working with CGI you have to really rely on your imagination.

Pop Culture Principle – This is your second straight strong, fierce character. You also played Arat in The Walking Dead. Is it important to you to find and play these types of characters?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – It is extremely important to me to find and play these characters. I strive to inspire girls and women all over the world. I want them to know that anything is possible despite where you come from. I was adopted and grew up in a pretty oppressive community in southern Georgia. As a little girl I had no idea how to pursue this dream and I did not receive very much support from my peers.

It was always meant to be just a dream as far as anyone else was concerned. Despite this, I found a way to make my dream a reality and I want every little girl to know she can too, regardless of her current circumstances. If your dream it to become to be a pilot, you can. If your dream is to become an astronaut, you can. If your dream is to be an actress and be in a Hollywood blockbuster, you can. Anything is possible.

Pop Culture Principle – Speaking of The Walking Dead, can you talk to us a bit about your time on the series?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – My time on The Walking Dead was one of my most cherished experiences. Working on that show is such a unique experience it really can’t compare to anything. There is this immediate bond that’s created between the cast members.

Most of the time you are working outside in the middle of the woods in the intense Georgia heat so it becomes very easy to lean on each other just based on those conditions. You instinctively start to take care of each other and watch each others backs. I have made some real long lasting friendships because of my time there.

Pop Culture Principle – As you continue to grow as an actor, do you see yourself branching out into directing, writing and producing?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – I am already transitioning into directing and I have been writing for a while now. I am currently writing a film based on my (adoptive) parents lives that I will direct and produce. I am also an EP on a pilot that a very good friend of mine created.

Pop Culture Principle – Are there any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow – Unfortunately I can’t say too much about what I’m working on at the moment but if you follow my Instagram @ElizabethFaithLudlow or my Twitter @ElizabethLudlow you can stay updated on all of that!

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A big thank you to Elizabeth Faith Ludlow for her time talking about Another Life and other projects. Don’t forget, Another Life drops on Netflix on July 25th! If you would like to keep up with all of Elizabeth’s news and projects, you can follow her on Twitter @ElizabethLudlow and Instagram @elizabethfaithludlow.

**Main photo courtesy of Storm Santos**

**Another Life photos courtesy of Netflix**

**Godzilla: King of the Monsters photo courtesy of Warner Bros.**

**The Walking Dead photo courtesy of Gene Page/AMC**

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