Nell Tiger Free Got 'Bald Patch,' Bruises and Hoarse Voice Filming “First Omen”: 'My Battle Scars' (Exclusive)

"The weirder, more intense and emotionally and physically taxing the thing I have to do, the way happier I am," says the actress

Nell Tiger Free was put through the ringer to make The First Omen — and she wouldn't have it any other way.

In the horror film, a prequel to the 1976's The Omen, Free, 24, plays a nun named Margaret who is sent to Rome, where she discovers a shady conspiracy within the church aiming to birth of evil incarnate.

It's a demanding part for Free, best known for starring in the creepy M. Night Shyamalan series Servant. The First Omen director Arkasha Stevenson tells PEOPLE that Free is "absolutely fearless."

"It's really exhilarating to watch her on set because you can feel her shift the second you call 'action.' There's an electricity in the air with her. It's really exciting to work with her," says Stevenson.

Free says she was "so excited" to dive into The First Omen and all its gory requirements.

"The weirder, more intense and emotionally and physically taxing the thing I have to do, the way happier I am," she says, joking, "It's possible I may be a masochist. I'll have to look into that."

Related: The First Omen Star Nell Tiger Free Says Her Dad 'Nearly' Fainted Seeing Her Horror Movie (Exclusive)

All that screaming, running and stunt work can take a toll, she admits.

"A lot of bruises, a lot of hoarse throat and herbal tea," says Free. "I actually have a small bald patch because I had very long hair in the movie, and there's always something going on around me; I'm always on the floor or being pulled in something. Someone's dress accidentally got caught in a piece of my hair, and so I was, like, balding."

"It comes with wears and tears, but it's so worth it. I love it. I love them. They're like my battle scars of making these horror films," she says. "It's so fun."

Related: 'The Nun' Actress Bonnie Aarons Is a 'Lovely Person' but 'Really Chilling' on Set, Says Sequel Director (Exclusive)

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Stevenson explains that since the film is told "entirely through Margaret's point of view," the "whole project rests on one person's shoulders."

"We knew that we needed to find a pure force of nature, and when we met Nell, we just knew we found Margaret," says the director. "Nell is such a beautiful artist and also just has the ability to go from this very sweet novitiate to this absolute vicious, feral, demonic animal. And she's not afraid to do that."

The First Omen is in theaters Friday, April 5.

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