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9-1-1: Lone Star 's Natacha Karam on Mouse, Marjan, and that 'big twist'

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star, "Road Kill."

Filming this week's 9-1-1: Lone Star was intense, to say the least.

"The word I've been using to describe it is 'feral.' I think Marjan's in a very feral state, like a wounded animal," says star Natacha Karam, whose character, Marjan, spent the episode hunted by Grant (Dahmer and American Horror Story's Cameron Cowperthwaite). It also found her protecting a young girl named Mouse (Samsara Leela Yett) from danger... only to realize Mouse is a figment of Marjan's imagination, a younger version of herself.

Ahead of Tuesday's episode, Karam teased "a big twist" that made her "audibly gasp" when she first read the script — now that she can openly speak about the Mouse reveal, EW got the star on the phone to talk about filming the harrowing episode, what she learned about Marjan while filming, and what's to come as the character recovers from her injuries.

Natacha Karam as Marjan on the road on '9-1-1: Lone Star'
Natacha Karam as Marjan on the road on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

FOX Natacha Karam as Marjan on the road on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Lone Star is usually such an ensemble show. What was it like to step into the spotlight in this way?

I was very grateful to the writers and producers for giving me the chance to do something a bit different than what we usually do. This season, in particular, it feels like certain people are getting to showcase a little bit more, and characters are breaking off and having their own story lines. It's been really fun, as an actor, to get to do something a little bit different while still being in the same world that we've created over the last few years.

This episode seemed extremely physically demanding.

The word I've been using to describe it is feral. I think Marjan's in a very feral state, like a wounded animal. She has to keep it together and keep moving even when she wants to give up, because she has someone under her care that she feels she can't let down, which is Mouse. And so when she's not willing to do it for herself, she finds it within her to do it for someone else.

The physicality of it all was sort of a new challenge for me, as an actor. I was very careful to make notes and draw out a timeline of what Marjan's feeling at different points, and which injuries she's sustained, and how long she's been there, and what kind of levels of consciousness she's dipping in and out [of]. I wanted to be very specific about that kind of stuff so I wasn't just repeating myself over and over again in this journey. I wanted there to be a process of deterioration.

Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'
Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

fox Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

What did you learn about Marjan through Mouse?

I mean, essentially anything that comes out of Mouse's mouth is new information about Marjan. The main takeaway for me is that maybe the reason she's devoted her life to helping people is because she couldn't when she faced that drama when she was younger. That could be the thing that set her onto the path that she's on now. You can see why she tries so hard not to lose anyone in the field, and why she goes above and beyond to help other people — because she lost so much when she was little and helpless.

Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'
Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

fox Samsara Leela Yett and Natacha Karam on '9-1-1: Lone Star'

What's next as Marjan recovers?

Well, as has happened before, she gets put on desk duty and is doing paperwork — and she gets jealous of everyone else. She ends up being quite a micromanager of the firehouse, and the way that things are running in there in order to feel like she has some kind of control over something. It ends up being quite comedic, which was fun to play after all this high drama. And then you see her doing physical therapy and trying to strengthen. Ultimately, I think she's more herself now than she's ever been, because she's had this profound experience and it confirmed and affirmed that helping people is indeed her purpose in life.

After so many weeks away from your Lone Star costars, what was it like filming your first scene back at the 126?

I was very happy. It just feels so comfortable and snug now. We all know each other so well and there's this familiar energy when all of us are in one space together and when there's no high stakes and it's just us experiencing the day to day — there's so much magic that happens. I think they end up being some of people's favorite scenes, just watching the 126 kind of be. We have a lot of fun with them.

9-1-1: Lone Star airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

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