Aliyah Royale: ‘World Beyond getting delayed taught me it’s okay to live for the future too’ (Interview)

Aliyah Royale and her TWD co-stars spoke to The Natural Aristocrat about Dr. K’s [Beth Leavel] advice to Iris to ‘live in the present instead of the future’ getting reversed in real life when The Walking Dead: World Beyond was initially delayed.

The following question was asked by The Natural Aristocrat® during a virtual press roundtable for The Walking Dead: World Beyond with Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu, and Hal Cumpston.

Interview with Aliyah Royale:

The Natural Aristocrat [Nir Regev]: There’s a portion in the first episode where Dr. K tells Iris and I’m paraphrasing, ‘you have to stop living for the future so much and start living for the present’. I’m wondering for you, considering the series was delayed at one point… If you kind of had to reverse that in real life and focus on the future instead of the present?

Aliyah Royale: Yeah, that was actually really hard. I was really, really proud of the work that we did on the show. It fits right into The Walking Dead universe but it’s so different & distinct that I think people are going to find things to love about it. So, I was all in it, and I was present, and I was here.

Aliyah Royale as Iris – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Zach Dilgard/AMC

Then we got to delayed… And I was like, you know what? I think things are going to be okay! It’s still an amazing project. I’m so thankful that it’s coming out now. I think that even though Dr. K teaches Iris that it’s okay to ‘live for the now’… I think the show getting delayed, taught Aliyah that it’s okay to live for the future too.

Alexa Mansour: It showed me all the patience I didn’t think I had!

Aliyah Royale as Iris, Alexa Mansour as Hope, Hal Cumpston as Silas, Nicolas Cantu as Elton – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz/AMC

Nicolas Cantu: Oh, the delay was so hard to take!

Alexa Mansour: The delay was hard, yeah.

Hal Cumpston: It was boring…

Aliyah Royale: (laughs)

Aliyah Royale as Iris – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Zach Dilgard/AMC

Watch The Walking Dead: World Beyond each Sunday

Watch Aliyah Royale as Iris Bennett on The Walking Dead: World Beyond over at AMC on Sunday, October 11 at 10:15 p.m. ET.

Follow Aliyah Royale on Twitter and Instagram.

Be sure to read:

– Nico Tortorella: ‘Younger was cute but I get to act again for real on TWD’ (Interview)

– Alycia Debnam-Carey talks Steven Clark flashback potential (Interview)

– Alycia Debnam-Carey: ‘I grieved when Frank Dillane left Fear the Walking Dead’

Read more TWD exclusive interviews and news in The Walking Dead: World Beyond Articles section.