Interview With Avery Konrad, Star Of Epix’s ‘From’

From, the new Epix show from the team behind the beloved Lost, is scary. Not only do the monsters look like people—and even worse, people that you know—but the thought of being stuck in a place with no escape, no matter how hard you try, is terrifying. To celebrate the release of the show, I chatted with star Avery Konrad about her character, Sara, how she got into acting, and horror movies.

PopHorror: Hi Avery! I love the show, so I’m really excited to speak with you.

Avery Konrad: Oh, thank you so much!

PopHorror: What intrigued you about From and made you want to be a part of it?

Avery Konrad:: The audition came through just like any other audition, and as soon as I read the breakdown and saw that there were people—the executive producers—attached from Lost, I was so obviously intrigued and excited, because I was such a huge fan of Lost when it was on. Then I read the breakdown for Sara and was even more intrigued, because she is such an interesting, layered character. I read the material and it got even better. I ended up on the show, which is really a dream come true, because it was kind of a dream project, to be honest.

PopHorror: I love Jack Bender, so I was really excited to see him producing and directing. He’s so talented and that had to be a lot of fun.

Avery Konrad: He’s incredibly talented. He directed the first four episodes and oversaw the rest of the season. He’s such an amazing leader and gives you room to do your thing. He’s just such an amazing leader. I love Jack so much. He’s such a great person.

PopHorror: That’s so cool. I spoke to him once, and it was just amazing.

Avery Konrad: He’s the best!

PopHorror: After reading the script, was there anything that you were adamant about bringing to your character?

Avery Konrad: I think that everything was already on the page. All I wanted to do was to be—with anything that I do—as truthful as possible. I only saw Sara one way, and because she gets caught in these kinds of extreme scenarios and maybe doesn’t do the right thing all the time, I just wanted to find a way—and I still feel this way to this day—I wanted to look and lead with love all of the time, because if I couldn’t defend her and see where she was coming from, it wouldn’t make sense. I wouldn’t believe it, the viewers wouldn’t believe, and no one would believe it. So, I think that that was my main goal, that no matter what she was doing, to always have it feel authentic and genuine and that it made sense. And that everyone watching would be able to… I’ll defend her. I’ll always defend her. I think that’s one thing that I wanted to have all the way through, no matter the circumstances. 

PopHorror: I think you were successful because she was one of my favorite characters.

Avery Konrad: Thank you! 

PopHorror: “Doesn’t always make the right choices.” That’s a good way to put it!

Avery Konrad: I mean, if I’m putting it lightly…

PopHorror: Without giving anything away…

Avery Konrad: Without giving anything away, and if I’m putting it lightly, that’s the best way I can put it. Not always making the right decisions.

PopHorror: What is it that draws you to the horror genre?

Avery Konrad: I think it’s so interesting. I honestly didn’t realize how… I’ve done so much horror and sci-fi and that kind of stuff. I love the extreme circumstances, and I love bringing humanity to these extreme circumstances. Everything’s very elevated, and to be able to be grounded in that situation and bring truth to it, is always a challenge. I really enjoy a challenge. And I really like the genre as well. To play in that world, I think that’s why I tend to fall into it.

PopHorror: What made you want to get into acting?

Avery Konrad: Growing up, I had two neighbors who were basically like my sisters. I was homeschooled from grades 1-12. My upbringing was not the same as everyone else’s. They were very much my role models, and I wanted to do everything they were doing. I think acting was the first thing I expressed that I ever wanted to do on my own. My mom was like, “Okay, if she’s wanting to do this, we’ll let her try it.” I’m dyslexic, so school was always a bit of a challenge for me because I learn in different ways than other people. Tons of people are dyslexic, and I had the privilege of being able to do schooling at home. So when I got into acting class, it was the first place where I felt like something that hindered me was something that was helping me. I could look at things differently, and it was encouraged and celebrated, and I felt like I understood it. It was the first place I ever felt smart and that sort of thing. That kind of fueled me to where I am today. I also got this overwhelming feeling of being in a scene and bringing something to life is a very magical feeling, and it’s carried me through the ups and downs and led me to where I am today.

PopHorror: Thank you so much for sharing that. Just one last question for you today. What is your favorite scary movie?

Avery Konrad: Oh, man. This is going to make you laugh.  I feel like everyone laughs when I tell them this. I’m so bad at watching scary movies. I’m so bad at it. I get so scared so easily. I remember the last really scary movie that I saw was Parasite, and I had to sleep with all the lights on. I had to call my mom. I was like, “I don’t think I’m going to make it. Maybe I should drive out to you because I can’t go to sleep tonight.” That one, and then also, I know this isn’t really a horror movie, but I saw The Lighthouse, and to this day that movie still sits with me in an uncomfortable way. because it was done so well. It was very much like watching a play, which I really enjoyed. So I think those two would be at the top of my list.

Thank you so much, Avery, for taking the time to speak with us. You can catch From on Epix, now!