Natalie Brown on her ‘Strain’ vampire kids: I was lucky

Zack

Natalie Brown loves her kids, even if they are creepy little vampires in FX’s “The Strain.”                                              

“I was pretty lucky,” she said at San Diego Comic Con in July, talking about the child actors playing the vampire children of her character, Kelly Goodweather. “As performers they’re all so incredibly gifted physically—and just the sweetest personalities.”

Despite Kelly being turned into a blood-sucking vampire and now the den mother to the Feelers—those nightmarish child vamps—Kelly still feels something for her human son,Zack (Max Charles), Brown said.

“Absolutely,” she said (watch the video above). “It’s a void. If you could ever imagine the horror of losing a child … and you’ll stop at nothing until you find him.”

Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) and her Feelers in “The Strain.” (Michael Gibson/FX)

Natalie Brown as Kelly Goodweather in “The Strain.” (Michael Gibson/FX)

Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro ) and Zach Goodweather (Max Charles) explore a school in “The Strain.” (Michael Gibson/FX)

Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) and her Feelers in “The Strain.” (Michael Gibson/FX)

Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) and her Feelers in “The Strain.” (Michael Gibson/FX)

The Master—he who rules the vampires—knows that vampire Kelly wants to reclaim her son and he is exploiting that love, Brown said. That’s why he gave her the Feelers—whose speed and guerrilla tactics confounded New York police trying to stop them in last week’s episode.

Viewers will see more of Kelly and the Feelers in “Identity,” airing at 9 p.m. Aug. 16 on FX. The episodic photos shown here suggest Kelly and her new family will run into Zach and Dr. Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro), who has been acting as a surrogate mom of sorts toZach.

As Maestro said in San Diego (see that video on TV Show Patrol Youtube page), helping Zach will bring Nora into conflict with Kelly.

Will Zach stay with Nora or be won over by Kelly? Ever since seeing his mom as a vampire, Zach has been fighting with his dad, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), about whether or not they can “cure” Kelly. Asa most viewers know, Eph and Nora are going the “let’s kill the vamps” route instead.

Kelly will exploit Zach’s love for her as well. She isn’t going away without a fight, Brown said.

“Kelly will stop at nothing to get to Zach—to help him. In my opinion,” she said, drawing a laugh from the assembled writers. “I’m offering him eternal life. What’s Eph offering him?”

Tune in on Sunday to find out which “mom” Zach chooses, and watch the final video below to see Brown talk about the makeup process to become a vampire.

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