***The following interview contains spoilers for the season 4 finale***

On the season finale of FROM on Sunday, everything changed for Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori), literally. After giving birth to the nightmare creature, Smiley (Jamie McGuire), she has shared a connection for awhile, being able to see through his eyes. When he entered the clinic during the eclipse, she was once again able to somewhat control his actions through their connection, but it was too late as he had already slashed Marielle (Kaelen Ohm), who died later in Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot)’s arms. However, later, Fatima used that connection when accompanying her husband, Ellis (Corteon Moore), and father-in-law, Boyd (Harold Perrineau), into the caves to try to rescue Jade (David Alpay) and Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), able to alert them when the creatures were close. When the monsters were closing in, she realized she was able to hold them off by transforming completely into a creature herself. Whether she still retains her humanity is yet to be seen.

Recently, in an interview with SciFi Vision, the actress teased that she felt Fatima would “always be human at heart,” but couldn’t say how that would affect her going forward, but she did speak to striking that balance when playing the transformed version of her character. “[T]he thing that sets our show apart is that our monsters are eerily human,”she told SciFi Vision. “So, I would say that more than anything, I had to worry about coming across as too much of a monster, because then it takes away the scariness of them.”

As of the end of season four, the actress didn’t work with practical effects when it came to the transformation itself, only CGI. “It was just CGI dots on my face,” she explained. “Our post production team, the amazing team we have, they took care of all of that.” Ghafoori, however, did say she got to work with practical makeup effects for the veining on her stomach.

During the interview, besides speaking about the transformation and her work in the finale, she also talked about the shock of the reveal, working with McGuire and the other monsters, her thoughts on how things could have went differently if she took Marielle’s advice sooner to tap into the connection, her reaction to the fan theories around the show, what the growth of the fan base has meant to her, the personal lesson about resilience that she feels the role has given her, and more.

Watch the full interview and read the transcript below. The full season four of FROM can now be streamed on MGM+.




SCIFI VISION:   When you turn into the monster, did you do anything to work to, I guess, learn how to act like a monster? Because I know, like, with zombie shows, they kind of have zombie school and stuff. So, I thought maybe you had monster lessons.

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Okay, so the thing that sets our show apart is that our monsters are eerily human. So, I would say that more than anything, I had to worry about coming across as too, too much of a monster, because then it takes away the scariness of them. And, you know, Fatima, I feel like will always be human at heart. So, what that does to her next season, I don't know. But yeah, I didn't have to do much. Most of it was in post, what you see.

SCIFI VISION:   Did you then not have, I mean, I assume you had some makeup and prosthetics of some kind, even if it wasn't all [practical].

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   We did make a cast of my teeth, but we didn't end up doing any of that in season four. It was just CGI dots on my face. Our post production team, the amazing team we have, they took care of all of that. But I just walked around looking a little silly. But I don't know.

SCIFI VISION:   Did you get nails at least? Or was that post too?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Yeah, that was post. I tried on the nails that were for a different monster, and I looked crazy. So, I can't wait for what's to come. But this season, it was all post.

SCIFI VISION:   Yes, I can't wait either. I want to ask you, “is she going to be human,” but I know you can't answer that. So, I won't ask you that. But this is another question I know you won't know the answer to, but I'm kind of curious, just your opinion and what you think. I was thinking about how Kristi kept stopping Marielle from talking to Fatima about, you know, kind of, should she use her [connection] with Smiley. Do you think that maybe if she had let her do that, that Fatima would have, I don't know, worked on that connection and figured out how it worked better and maybe it would have ended differently? I was just curious what you thought about that, because I was thinking about that today.

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   That's actually really interesting. Yeah, every decision that we make leads to a different outcome. And I think it's - oh God, that's going to drive me crazy now, thinking about every decision that could have led to something different. I don't think with the amount of time we had, from when she did find out about that to when she needed to use it, you know, to that extent, that she would have had much time. But I don't think the things that are happening to Fatima, she had anything to do with. Like she thinks about things and sometimes they happen, sometimes they don't. And I don't think even if she wanted to, she would have had it in time.

SCIFI VISION:   All right, that's fair. Saying that, are you somebody who has tried to figure out what's going on or have your own theories? Are you into that like us?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Not to the extent that our fan base is. You guys are so creative, and it is so impressive, but I get a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities, and then it just messes with me, so I had to stop.

SCIFI VISION:   That's fair. Talk a bit about working with Jamie and the other monsters.

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Oh my gosh, they're the best. Jamie is the sweetest human you'll ever meet. If you didn't know him within the show, he's got the sweetest smile. So, they're great, and they're always so down to play, and I don't get to hang out with them very often, but when I do, they're great to be around.

SCIFI VISION:   When did you first find out that you were going to be transforming?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   About three weeks before we finished the season, so very late in the game. Yeah, when we started the 10th episode.

SCIFI VISION:   What was your initial reaction to that?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Horror. I didn't know what our writer was up to, I was a little afraid to ask, but I was surprised and I was like, holy moly, what do I get to do? I get to play, I get to do things I've never done before, that no one else on the show has done before, and I was a little scared about whether I'd be able to do it or not, but, you know, you've got a good team, and they carry you through it, and here we are.

SCIFI VISION:   Do you know if the other cast members knew when you did or did they not find out after? I was just curious if you knew, [but] you might not.

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   They got the episode when I got the episode, so very quickly I started getting messages. It was like, “Have you read the script?” I was like, “Not yet, I'm out with the dogs. Why? What's the rush?” And then very quickly I found out what the rush was.

SCIFI VISION:   What's been your reaction to how popular the show's become? Because over the last two seasons it's obviously become a lot more popular all of a sudden, at least it feels like it to me anyway.

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Yeah, more people are telling their friends - which continue to tell your friends, but it's been so heartwarming because people really show up. It's not just, oh, everyone's watching this show. Everyone is invested in this show, which you don't get all the time. And to know that this show might be ending next season, but we've got all of our fans now, it's just so, so, so sweet. So many more of them now too.

SCIFI VISION:   I know, I love it, for sure. What has she taught you about yourself?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   Oh, that resiliency shows up when you think you've got no more left in you, not how resilient you identify as.

SCIFI VISION:   What did they do for the marks on your stomach? Was that all digital too, or was any of that makeup?

PEGAH GHAFOORI:   No, that was all makeup. That's all our makeup special effects. They hand drew those veins and it's nuts how they did it, but yeah, it's all makeup.