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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Rose McIver said she's excited that her new series, Ghosts, premiering Thursday, returns her to the supernatural realm after her CW series, iZombie, ended in 2019. McIver played a zombie on iZombie and now plays a woman who can see and speak to spirits on Ghosts.
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"I guess I found my niche," McIver said on a recent Television Critics Association Zoom panel.
Ghosts is a remake of a British series that began in 2019. In the American version, Sam (McIver) and her husband Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) renovate a 300-year-old country home they inherit from Sam's aunt.
A fall down the stairs puts Sam in a coma. When she wakes up, she's able to see the past residents of the house. McIver said Sam's brush with death brought back iZombie memories.
"I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to get a regular job not playing somebody at least half dead," McIver said with a smile.
While Sam and Jay are living in the home and planning the renovation, nine ghosts of people who died in different eras appear before Sam. McIver, 32, said her experience in supernatural programming dates to well before iZombie.
"I grew up in New Zealand doing bit parts on all the shows that came out to New Zealand," McIver said. "We call ourselves the sword and sandals country."
From ages 7 to 11, McIver guest starred on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, which were based in her home country. At 21, McIver was a regular on Power Rangers R.P.M., a spinoff of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
"As an actor you get this chance to like go into this other world, whatever that might mean," McIver said. "The best part of the job is being able to get in and dress up and become something that isn't just you."
On Ghosts, McIver said her spiritual co-stars make the show funny. Brandon Scott Jones, Asher Grodman, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Roman Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky, Devan Chandler Long and Hudson Thames play the ghosts in the half-hour comedy.
McIver said the chemistry between characters from different eras lends itself to comedy. Thorfinn (Long) was a Viking. Sasappis (Zaragosa) is a Native American from the frontier.
Older ghosts become confused when more recent ghosts mention modern things like movies. Flower (Carrasco) is a hippie from the '60s. Trevor (Grodman) is the most recently deceased, a Lehman Brothers broker from the '90s.
The variety of characters was another aspect that appealed to McIver, saying she enjoyed seeing iZombie fans dress up as characters from the show at Comic-Con, and was happy to be on another show with fantastical characters.
"Some of the fans are the most dedicated, creative, imaginable people out there," McIver said.
However, as much as McIver said she enjoys exploring fantasy at work, she remains empirical in real life. Asked if she believes in ghosts, McIver said she's unsure.
"I haven't witnessed or experienced something myself, but a lot of people I love and trust have," McIver said. "I'm definitely open to it."
Ghosts airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.
