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Her character, Maria, is a "tornado of ever- changing emotions. One minute she's happy and charming and the next, she's filled with rage." She is kidnapped by the cartel at the age of seven and has been performing assassinations ever since. And her style of attack is very distinct. "She's a dancer, so she uses that to distract her opponents. To prep for the role, I actually hired a personal trainer. Maria's body had to reflect her strength and abilities. And our stunt department is phenomenal. They have a way of making you feel very comfortable and confident. They do badass things that make us look awesome." While the characters may be facing issues that seem a little extreme for society today, there's one issue that Maria says was super imperative for her to portray. "I think people will realize that the show is not about violence, rather the consequences of violence. Maria deals with mental health in a very unhealthy way. The show helped me realize my own struggles with anxiety and it was really important for me to start talking about it. Because of my character, I became more honest about those things. It's super important to use my platform to speak on it." "Eleanor! Stop that, Eleanor!" Maria laughs. "That's Eleanor, my cat. She's my spirit animal. I really appreciate when I get to spend downtime just cuddling with her and the fiancé. I like simple things, hiking, reading; it's how I like to spend my time off." Though it doesn't look like there's going to be much downtime for the actress, who in addition to filming a hit T V show is in the midst of planning her wedding. "We're thinking maybe a December wedding, if we're lucky enough to get a second season of the show! I'm taking it one day at a time --just enjoying shooting. I'd love to do a movie between seasons, here in America, while also staying in tune with my Latin roots." ML Keep up with Maria at mariagabrieladefaria.com, follow her on Instagram: @TheFaria and Twitter: MGabrieladfc and don't miss Deadly Class on Wednesdays at 10/9c on SyFy. "The show helped me realize my own struggles with anxiety and it was really important for me to start talking about it. Because of my character, I became more honest about those things. It's super important to use my platform to speak on it."