Ashley Reyes joins the cast of The CW’s Walker tonight in an episode called “Nudge,” and her character isn’t just a guest on the show: Cassie Perez is going to be Cordell Walker (Jared Padalecki)’s new partner! But first, we have to get through tonight’s show where they just might drive each other crazy.
KSiteTV was able to interview Ashley Reyes recently to talk about this new character and what she will be bringing to the world of Walker. Enjoy!
KSITETV’S CRAIG BYRNE: When you auditioned for this role, did you think it would be for Cordell Walker’s new partner?
ASHLEY REYES: No, I didn’t. I had no idea what she was going to be on the show. They sent me a big long essay for this character breakdown, and just two pages of sides. I didn’t know what it was going to be. All I knew was she sounded super fun and exciting, and when I read it, I immediately connected with it. She’s witty, she’s funny, she’s sexy. And she’s hilarious… she doesn’t think about what she says, and it’s amazing. Very rarely do you read auditions like that. It really excited me.
But I had no idea… I thought it was going to be for two episodes, and then I got my first script, and I was shocked to see that [Cassie] was his partner now. When I got the job, Jared called me and he pretty much welcomed me to the family, so I knew that maybe I’d be there for longer than two episodes, but didn’t know quite how long.
Was the scene in the sides in the actual episode?
It’s not. It was dummy sides, so that means that it is just something that they made up just for the audition, so they don’t give anything away. It was kind of similar to the scene in the car, with Walker in the trunk.
How do the characters get along at first?
Well, Cassie doesn’t know who Walker is [at first]. In the episode, there was some an imposter who is pretending to be her former partner, and she thinks that he is the imposter, so she is on full attack. She is not going to let this man get a word, and she thinks every word that comes out of his mouth is garbage. Walker isn’t too thrilled about that.
What was it like getting this stuff Jared into the back of a car?
I love that this question keeps coming up. I mean, he’s a 6’5″ man; I’m 5’2″. He’s so flexible. I just had to touch him and he folded into the car. It was insane. I have a photo of him in the trunk of the car folded up like a spider. He probably could have stayed in there all day. He looked so comfortable!
Can you tell us more about Cassie as a character?
Cassie is she’s a badass. She’s a wildcard. She doesn’t love authority, which is amazing because she’s a Ranger. She doesn’t like being told what to do. She likes to do things on her own terms. And she’s incredibly loyal, and diligent, and ambitious, and she will go to bat for the people that she cares about. And, she’s a very good Ranger.
Do you think these things are reasons why Captain James thinks that Cassie and Cordell would make a good team?
Absolutely. I think Captain James sees Cassie as kind of a young Walker. She just graduated from Ranger School and before she took her leave of absence, she’d only been on the force for six months. She’s young and she she goes out and goes rogue sometimes, and that’s what James loves about her, because it reminds him of Walker.
Can you tell us anything about Cassie’s interaction with Walker’s family?
Cassie is very endearing and charming, and there are definitely certain members of the family who are very drawn to her, and they appreciate her warmth. She’s almost like the family guru, if you will. She’s a little advice giver.
Initially, does Walker get annoyed that the family is so drawn to her?
Of course. It’s his family and she is crossing over into his territory, and he feels kind of bombarded by her. But he takes her in as well, eventually.
Can you talk about what it was like to work with some of the cast members who are part of Walker’s family?
Molly [Hagan] has become one of my favorite people of all time. Not only is she an extraordinary actress, but she’s so kind and funny, and she’s got a dark sense of humor. I was bit nervous at first being around her because she’s done so much. And Mitch has got this kind of discerning thing about him, but he’s so warm.
Is Cassie gonna be taken aback by the Walker-Davidson feud?
She ends up finding herself somewhere in the middle of it, especially as things start to get messier between the Walkers and the Davidsons.
What is Cassie trying to accomplish by coming to Walker’s jurisdiction in the first place?
She’s trying to find her missing partner, Miles, who disappeared six months ago. She joins back up with the Rangers because Walker promises to help her find him.
Will the search for Miles be a continuing part of Cassie’s arc?
Absolutely. She will not rest until she finds out the truth of what happened.
Speaking of partners, does Cassie have a special someone somewhere?
You’ll have to wait and see, but she is single and ready to mingle.
Is it helpful to Walker that Cassie has this outside perspective that his seems to be able to just point out the things he’s not recognizing, for example, the fact that he’s totally into Geri?
I think at first it irritates him every time she is right about something, but he does listen to her. She is usually right about things, especially when it comes to Geri. She can see things clearer than he can.
Is it true that you are certified in swords and hand to hand combat?
The rumors are true, and I get to use a lot of those skills. I think they were really excited when they saw that I was able to do a bunch of stuff, and throughout the season, I get to use a lot of my special skills that are required.
So far, what has it been like to be a part of the Walker family?
Kind of a dream, to be honest. Everybody has been so kind and welcoming. Very rarely do you get a cast and crew of people who enjoy going to work every single day and make the most out of every day, and we do.
Beyond finding her partner, what would you like to see for Cassie in the future?
I would love to see Cassie find love. That would be nice, to see a softer side of her because she is very intense, and she takes everything very seriously and very personally. As much as she jokes, she’s a very intense person, so it would be nice to see a softer side of her.
Will we be seeing any more of her backstory as the season progresses?
Absolutely. As the show goes, we kind of see little glimpses into everyone’s lives.
Do you have anything you’d like to say to the fans who will be reading this?
I hope you love Cassie as much as I do. Thank you for being along on this journey with all of us.
We just want to bring [the fans] joy and enjoyment. I really hope that they still get the same [enjoyment] because I’m coming into the show, but I’m not replacing anyone. I will never be able to replace what was done before me and I would love it if the people would love it still, as much as they did before.
Walker “Nudge” airs Thursday, March 3 at 8PM ET/PT on The CW. See some preview images from the episode here!
