Ramona Young Discusses ‘The Real O’Neals’ and ‘Z Nation’ [Exclusive Interview]

If you didn’t already know the name Ramona Young, you’re about to. This talented actress gets plenty of laughs as Allison on The Real O’Neals and with her role on the zombie adventure comedy, Z Nation.

I recently spoke with Young about her work on both The Real O’Neals and Z Nation, as well as her martial arts experience and writing her own short films.

ABC’s low-key family comedy The Real O’Neals chronicles the lives of a close-knit Irish-Catholic family in Chicago Illinois. A family’s pristine image is shattered when each of the three children has a secret revealed publicly. One of those secrets is middle child, Kenny’s sexuality.

The show hasn’t shied away in dealing with various aspects of coming out. In Season 2, the writers introduced a new friend for Kenny. Allison, played by Ramona Young, is the only attendee to a LGBT club meeting. Young talked about what attracted her to the role of Allison initially.

“When I read the side for that audition, I was really excited about it because Allison felt like someone who I really understood, and I also loved the fact that she’s such an underdog,” Young said.

Young’s role also introduces a bit of sobering reality to the series. In Allison’s first episode “The Real Thang,” Kenny insists that Allison come out to her parents, but when he finds out that they are openly hostile to the LGBT community, he reconsiders and tells her to come out when she’s ready.

Since, Kenny and Allison’s friendship has developed on the show and the quirky, shy, character who wears a lot of brown will be sticking around for a while. Young couldn’t give away too many spoilers, but she did talk a little bit about what you can expect for Season 2.  

“You’ll definitely see more of Allison,” she teased. “I’m excited about the Christmas episode that’s coming out. For Allison and for Kenny.”

The Christmas episode, entitled “The Real Christmas,” airs December 13, right before the height of the holiday season.

Young’s character isn’t just a member of the LGBT community, but she is also an Asian-American character with a very relatable situation.

 “I think Allison symbolizes a lot of important things that are happening right now, like being Asian American, and being LGBT — these are important things that need to be represented on top of like being a girl,” explained Young. “So I really appreciate the fact that she’s on the show, and I think even if she does like move away, or whatnot, I hope that there are more roles like that.”

In addition to playing Allison on The Real O’Neals, Young also plays Kaya on Z Nation, which has a very different vibe.

“It’s about a zombie virus that has come loose, and basically there are very few people left. There is one person, named Murphy, who is immune to this virus, and the story revolves around several different groups of people trying to get to him at the same time to find the cure for the virus. But it’s also a comedy. It’s an adventure comedy, which is very cool and they do very creative things on the show,” Young explained.

When Young auditioned for Z Nation, she was originally trying for the role of a different character.

“You know, originally I didn’t audition for the role of Kaya, so it kind of came unexpectedly at first. At first, I actually went for the character of Sun Mei, who is another character on Z Nation, but when I went in, the creator of the show kind of started giggling at me during the audition and I wasn’t sure why. I was kind of nervous about that,” she remembered.

“I didn’t hear back forever so I thought I screwed it up, but they called me back for a different role, which was Kaya,” Young explained. “I was so relieved because I was way more interested in her arc of the story, personally.”

Kaya’s arc was much different from Sun Mei, who is a researcher from Laos and one of the original survivors of the zombie outbreak. Kaya’s role is a little bit lighter.

“I love that she plays like, a love interest, and I love that her story is kind of romantic and heroic,” she stated. 

In her spare time Young likes to write. She has written, directed and produced a few short films over the years, she talked about one that was really close to her heart. 

“I wrote a short named Reflections that I am pretty proud of because it’s pretty personal,” she said. “It’s a morality tale, kinda like the original Twilight Zone series, so it’s sort of fantastical, but it’s a morality tale about appreciating your own diversity.”

Young also writes poetry and has kept a journal since she was eleven or twelve years old.

“I’m always writing. If I’m not writing shorts, I’m writing poems or I’m journaling every day. I am constantly jotting down my thoughts with pen and paper,” said Young.

“I’ve kept a journal ever since I was about twelve or eleven and I have had one every year since then. It’s kind of funny reading back, and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I said those things or thought those things,'” she mused.

In addition to acting and writing, Young is also a student of martial arts.

“I started martial arts when I was quite little. I think I was introduced to it, when I was about four, but recently I picked up this form called Wushu, and it’s sort of like dance,” she explained.

“It covers several different branches of martial arts, but it’s a very old form that covers staffs and swords and spears, and when you watch it, you see these people who perform and it looks like they’re dancing, which is pretty cool to watch. That’s what inspired me to pick it up,” she elaborated.

With her background in martial arts, she hopes to maybe do an action movie in the future.

“I think that would be a lot of fun, actually,” she said. “My coach actually does a lot of action films herself, and I look up to her a lot. She did stuff for like Pacific Rim and Avatar, and just all sorts of stuff.”

Other than that, she’s open to any roles that come her way in the future.

“I just want to be surprised. I feel like whatever I come up with there is always something that is unexpected, that’s even better, that’s out there. So I have no idea,” she stated.

“Preferably, something honest with a lot of heart in it,” she added. “I just want to be a part of something that’s passionately created.”

As a young actress in Hollywood, and a writer herself, she has a few words of advice for young creatives as well.

“Well, you know, for a while there wasn’t a lot happening for me. Then all of a sudden, one audition kind of led to another, and the best advice I can give to someone that’s starting out is to go for it, and to do your own stuff, and to educate yourself as much as possible.” she said.

“Reading is very important, and also just getting your hands dirty, like giving yourself experience so that when you’re actually working you don’t feel as intimidated.”

“I think it will happen, it’s just a matter of time and being consistent, I think,” she encouraged.

When Young has some downtime, she has a few favorite comedies she likes to watch.

“I’ve been bingewatching BoJack Horseman recently. I love that show!” she exclaimed. 

“BoJack Horseman was a celebrity from the 90s and it’s set in the modern times so it’s how he’s dealing with his comeback and his life as a 90s TV star. It’s hilarious and depressing and enlightening,” she explained. 

Another one of her favorites is Louie. A loose-format show atypical for television series, where Louis C.K. plays a fictionalized version of himself who is newly divorced and living in New York City.

“It’s kind of like Louis C.K’s version of Seinfeld in a way, it kind of reminds me of that show except it’s darker and it’s directed differently, but I love that show as well.”

You can catch Ramona Young on The Real O’Neals Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC and on Z Nation Fridays at 9/8c on Syfy.

*Featured image credit: David Muller Photography