Why Sonequa Martin-Green Had ‘Imposter Syndrome' Making New Movie Despite “Walking Dead”,“ Star Trek” Success (Exclusive)

As she nears 40, Sonequa Martin-Green feels her career is just beginning.

“I can see that I’ve done a lot, but I feel like I’ve only just begun,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s print issue. “I feel like I’m continuing to purify myself, shedding layers. It’s like, ‘Here I come!’ ”

The Alabama native rose to fame in 2012 when she landed the role of Sasha Williams, a pragmatist who is more vulnerable than she first appears, in the zombie thriller The Walking Dead. Soon after, she starred in Star Trek: Discovery as Starfleet officer Michael Burnham and became the first Black woman to take on the lead in a Star Trek show.

“It was divine, the way one door closed and the next one opened, directly after it, days after it, even,” she says of her back-to-back roles. “Some of the best times of my life—and however good I am right now—are a result of the maturing that happened during my time on those shows.”

Related: Sonequa Martin-Green Looks Forward to Showing Her Kids Star Trek: Discovery: 'Lead by Example' (Exclusive)

Yet, despite her years of experience, Martin-Green admits that her latest leading role, as an Army veteran struggling with PTSD after losing her best friend — a fellow soldier — left her questioning if she could handle it.

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“There was definitely a time where it felt like imposter syndrome was creeping in,” Martin-Green shares about taking on the role of Merit in My Dead Friend Zoe, which premieres Feb. 28.

She adds about starring in the film, which counts Travis Kelce as an executive producer, “I so desperately wanted to do justice to the veterans and active soldiers who have these life experiences, so there was a time when I doubted my ability to do it.”

In preparing for the role, Martin-Green spoke with veterans, including director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, and drew inspiration from her costars, such as “craft masters” Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris.

“They come with so much seasoning and such a wellspring of truth; I can’t possibly take it all in, it’s almost too much,” Martin-Green, who has admired Freeman “for [her] entire life,” tells PEOPLE. “We were able to create some beautiful things.”

Related: 'The Walking Dead' 's Sonequa Martin-Green Reveals How Her Mother's Battle Against Cancer Inspires Her

She adds about Hausmann-Stokes, whose story inspired the film, “I also had Kyle there who, just being able to look at him and know, well, you might be struggling with bringing this moment to life, but he actually lived it. So calm down, get it together, get on your mark and do the work because you're pretending. But this was real life for him, and this is real life for so many people.”

Outside of her castmates and director, Martin-Green leaned on prayer—which she has credited with helping her cope with the deaths of her parents, who passed away one day apart in 2021—to guide her through the role. “I had to lean on God to work through me,” she explains. “It was painful, but exhilarating at the same time opening my heart up to what these veterans' lives are like.”

With this role under her belt, Martin-Green is eagerly anticipating what the next decade of her life will bring. “One of my favorite things about life is getting older,” she says. “I feel better than I ever have before, so I am super hopeful for what’s to come.”

Read the original article on People