Z Nation Q&A: Matt Cedeno

He's a badass with the firearms, but who would've thought Vasquez (or at least the gentleman who plays him) was also prone to impromptu performances of the hit singles of '80s pop sensation Tiffany?

Get a little closer to Matt Cedeno, the newest member of Team Murphy on Z Nation.

Tell us the best thing about shooting Z Nation, and the most challenging?
The best thing about shooting is getting to play out all of the adventures and compromising scenarios that [co-creator] Karl [Schaefer] conjures up in that imaginative mind of his. It also becomes the most challenging when those scenarios are shot in extreme conditions like summer heat waves and raging smoke-producing fires, combined with the usual apocalyptic-type settings we shoot in.

What do you like about your character, Vasquez?
I like that Vasquez has a singular mission and he's adhering to it. It's admirable to have extreme focus and not get sidetracked by the riff-raff. Oh, and he gets the coolest weapons.

Who's the funniest person in the Z Nation cast?
I'd have to say Kellita [Smith, who plays Roberta Warren] when she's feelin' good and on a roll. Those stand-up skills help elevate the mood in the apocalypse.

Did the cast put you through any kind of hazing on your first shooting day?
I am still going through hazing after 15 episodes.

If you played a zombie, what costume would you want to have? A fireman zombie? A mailman zombie?
The radiation-induced Blaster zombies [from Season 2, Episode 3: "Zombie Road"] were pretty freakin' cool and probably my fav. I'd play one of those.

If you couldn't play yourself, who would play you in a Matt Cedeno biopic?
Probably my brother Ray. He's a cop and quite the storyteller. I'm sure he'd love that.

What's the best concert you've ever been to?
Probably not the best for my taste now but in the moment, my first concert was Motley Crue and man that was the shiznat back in the day. We were way too young to be there, I think our parents were clueless, but for us it was the ultimate.

What's the first movie you saw in a theater?
Star Wars ... bam.

What movie can you watch a thousand times and never get sick of?
I'm not a repeat movie watcher; there's way too much content out there and I'm way behind! But back in the day it was Scarface.

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

What's the last cultural reference you made that someone didn't understand and it made you feel old? (for us, it was an Ann Jillian reference)
I referenced Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," inspired by this interview with Nat Zang [who plays 10K] and he looked at me with a blank stare.

What was your first Halloween costume?
No freakin' clue. It was that long ago.

What was the most insane story or scene you had to play on Days of Our Lives?
It was all pretty straightforward formulaic soap storylines for me: boy meets girl, falls for girl, girl has guy already, love triangle mixed in with a little "Who's my Daddy?" and "Am I the Daddy?"

If you could be any of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which would it be?
Ah man, they are all bad news so might as well be the baddest: Death!

Do you prefer Tiffany or Debbie Gibson?
Tiffany was more of a hit for me ... if "I Think We're Alone Now" popped up on my regular radio station, I might just privately hum along to it for a hot minute.