Alexandra Park Talks Becoming 'The Royals' Rebel

She might play a wild child on her new show, but The Royals star Alexandra Park doesn't exactly have that in common with her character Princess Eleanor. When asked if she can relate to Eleanor at the New York premiere of the show on March 9, Park says, "Not really. I think growing up and being around wild friends — I mean, I wasn’t that wild growing up myself. Except I’ve been around it and you see it in social media."

If you haven't heard, The Royals is E!'s first scripted show. It follows a fictional British royal family and along with Australian actress Park, stars Elizabeth Hurley, as Eleanor's mother Queen Helena, and Chronicles of Narnia star William Moseley as Prince Liam, Eleanor's brother. As for the character of Eleanor herself, previews for the upcoming show make it clear that she's all about her party lifestyle and even arrives home passed out in a helicopter one morning, still donning her sparkly night out dress.

While Park can't relate entirely, she does find a way to get into her character's head. She explains,

I think it all comes down to Eleanor and what she’s dealing with and the mask that she’s putting on — this wild crazy girl. A lot of it is just a mask because she’s trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. It's almost like she’s acting as well.

Going along with this, Park's favorite part of playing her role is "what's on the inside." As she puts it,

I love the more vulnerable side of Eleanor where I get to really explore who she is and what she wants, and her struggles and hardships. I mean, the party side of it is always fun, but for me it's finding the true heart of her. That's the most challenging part and the most interesting part for me as an actor.

The actress, who is probably unknown to American audiences but has starred in a few Australian TV shows, also likes the princess' punk-inspired wardrobe and would love to keep it for herself. "I want to keep it all!" she says. "I've asked, 'Can I have everything,' and they’re like, 'No.' I think I’ve kept a couple things, like the leather jackets. And the shoes are incredible. Every episode there’s fantastic shoes. I'd probably keep all of her shoes if I could."

As for whether Park is scared of the reaction the current royal family will have to The Royals, like her costar Merritt Patterson, she's not. "Not scared no. Definitely not the right word. Not scared at all," she says, adding, "I think there's nothing to be scared of when making a story about a fictional royal family. It's of no mockery or imitation of them at all and I hope they get a kick out of it."

And hey, if the royal family is into dramas that combine Shakespeare's Hamlet with the spirit of soapy teen dramas like One Tree Hill — for the record, the man behind The Royals IS OTH creator Mark Schwahn — then they'll probably love it.

To see what The Royals is all about for yourself, tune in to E! for the premiere on Sunday, March 15 at 10 p.m.

Images: Getty Images