Q&A: Anastasia Baranova on Russian Titanic, Posh Spice and More

We love Anastasia Baranova, who plays Addy on Z Nation. So we decided to ask her some important questions - and here they are!

What was your initial reaction when you found out your love interest on the show, Mack, was being killed off?

I was upset. Mike [Welch, who played Mack] became one of my best friends during the filming of Season One so the idea that I wouldn't have him there for Season Two was really sad and kinda scary. 

What did Mack’s death do to Addy’s character? How is she different now that Mac is gone?

It was the final straw, I'd say. She loves and cares deeply for the team, but Mack was the last person deeply close to her heart. Losing him gave her the freedom to throw herself a thousand percent into the mission. 

Addy’s signature weapon is her z whacker. Did you undergo any specific training to handle that thing or do you just let it fly?

I lived with a professional hula hooper in the months leading up to the show. She taught me a couple moves which fortunately I was able to translate into looking like a badass zombie killer!

What’s been your favorite shooting day so far (and what were you shooting)?

All of our days are pretty brutal, but the company makes it awesome. Any time Pie Girl (Sara Coates) is with us it's awesome. Emilio Rivera (Escorpion) is a ball. Missi Pyle [Bernadette in Season 2, Episode 9: "RoZwell"] is oxygen. 

What’s been your least favorite shooting day so far (and what were you shooting)?

Any day the temperature is over 100 and we are in several layers of leather. 

Who's the funniest person in the Z Nation cast?

Me. (Jk. But we are all pretty funny)

Who’s been the most memorable zombie extra so far?

We've got a core group of guys and a girls who have been in a bunch of episodes. It's cool to see them in all the different incarnations of zombies. 

If you couldn't play yourself, who would play you in an Anastasia Baranova biopic?

Jennifer Lawrence. She's my spirit animal. 

What's the best concert you've ever been to?

James Blake at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Or any No Doubt shows. The energy those guys bring is ... Next level. 

What's the first movie you saw in a theater?

I believe it was Titanic, in Russia. But I could be wrong. 

What's a movie you like that seemingly no one else likes?

Probably Life or Something Like It. It's an Angelina Jolie movie. There's a part where her character get slapped in the face with life and for a couple of days she in sweatpants listening to records, eating pizza, checked out from the world before she gets back in. I found myself in the middle of several low periods in my life in sweatpants eating ice cream watching that movie. Afterwards I'd take a shower and get myself together. 

What movie can you watch a thousand times and never get sick of?

Disney films. Pirates of the Caribbean. Ocean's Eleven. 

What was your first Halloween costume?

Posh Spice. It was my first year in America. I was obsessed with the Spice Girls. The girls I was going to go trick or treating with ditched me. Can you imagine?? Oh well. It built character. 

What's your porn star name? (name of your first pet + name of the street you grew up on)

Dina Otsego (hilarious).

If you were stuck at a mall for eight hours and couldn’t leave, where would you spend most of your time?

Sephora. Come out lookin' like a damn Kardashian. 

What superlative were you (or would you have been) given in high school?

Most Likely to Never Attend a Full Year of School. Too busy immigrating to foreign countries, moving states, or filming TV shows. 

Do you think Addy and 10K would be a good romantic match?

I think 10K would need to hit that bench press a couple times. Addy's no little lady.

If Addy had a Real Housewives style intro line (ex: “I may not be a housewife, but I am real”) what would it be?

"I may not be a damsel in distress, but I am princess -- be a dear and mercy that Z for me."