Where is Eliza in Zombies 3? Kylee Russell’s computer appearance explained

Eliza is looking a little different in Zombies 3. Here we explain why Eliza actress Kylee Russell only appeared in the latest fantasy musical instalment in computer form.  

Eliza in the recently released Zombies 3 (opens in new tab) has taken on a different form for her third outing as Zed’s (Milo Manheim) tech savvy best friend. Actress Kylee Russell has played pivotal character Eliza Zambi, since the first Zombies outing in 2018. Usually seen at the centre of the singing and dancing action, Russell only appeared on computer screens during Zombies 3. Fans were left wondering why the actress had a reduced role in the third outing. Here’s everything we know about why Russell had to stand down. 

Not the only zombie franchise raising questions this month, television fans were left wondering where they could watch the new Resident Evil (opens in new tab) series. And from zombies to fallen angels - fans were left asking if Lucifer season 7 (opens in new tab) was coming, when all 6 previous seasons landed on Netflix.

Where is Eliza in Zombies 3?

Eliza still makes appearances throughout the film, but only on a computer screen. This is because Eliza has secured an internship at Z-Corp, the company behind Z-Band production - which is based in a location far from Seabrook.

Z-bands are worn by all zombies and take the form of a bracelet. They send electromagnetic pulses through the wearer’s body, preventing them from returning to a flesh-eating state. If the bands malfunction or become hacked, the zombie will immediately desire to eat brains for sustenance. 

Not only sensitive to hacking, the bracelets can be affected by heat or flames. With Eliza’s technical computer skills, she is well placed to improve the composition of the Z-Bands, to make them more effective. No longer in the Seabrook area while interning, Eliza can only interact with her friends using a tablet, and is not physically present. 

Is Eliza from Zombies pregnant?

Yes, Kylee Russell who plays Eliza, was pregnant for the majority of Zombies 3 filming. Although Russell announced her engagement to boyfriend Gavin Schmidt on February 20, 2021, she didn’t announce her pregnancy until the baby was overdue. 

Sharing a picture of herself  with a large baby bump - along with Schmidt - to her Instagram page, she wrote “today is your due date but you clearly have other plans and want to show up fashionably late. Which is totally fine, it’s not like mommy and daddy are impatiently waiting on your arrival or anything. We can’t wait to see your face and hold you in our arms. You’ve blessed our lives in so many ways already”.

Shortly afterwards, Russell announced the safe arrival of baby girl Greyson Blue Schmidt. The baby arrived on July 10, 2021. 

Russell’s scenes were shot when the rest of the cast had finished filming theirs. She predominantly used a green screen when filming, listening to recordings of cast mates delivering their lines, to pitch the delivery of her own correctly. Her character remained pivotal to the film’s storyline and conclusion, being responsible for guiding Addison and Zed to charge the alien mothership with the werewolf moonstone. 

 How old is Eliza from Zombies in real life?  

Born on October 8, 1996, Eliza actress Kylee is 25-years-old. She would have been 24 when she gave birth to her daughter. 

Russell spoke candidly to Girls United (opens in new tab) about the difficulties in balancing motherhood and her career. She said “for the first six months, I couldn’t balance it. I was all over the place. I felt like my life was falling apart. At the same time, everything about it was perfect because we have our daughter.” 

She continued to add “I just called my agency and I was like, ‘hey, I think I need a minute to just figure out my home life for a second, and then when I kind of have that figured out, I can jump back into work and stuff’”. 

She continued to speak about being allowed to take Greyson to the filming location with her. She asserted that it made filming so much easier for her, because she could care for her daughter easily between takes. She concluded that the visits to her daughter while on filming breaks, gave her the energy to go back and complete filming for the day.

Who is Kylee Russell’s husband? 

Kylee Russell isn’t yet married, but remains engaged to Gavvin Schmidt. Not a lot is known about Gavvin, but his Instagram page lists him as an artist. 

He shared a video to Instagram, showing him being filmed while he sat on top of a car. The caption reads “Up There music video out now”, suggesting he is in a band. 

Kylee Russell is also a singer/songwriter, suggesting a shared interest or reason they had for meeting.

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