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TV
Jason Clarke hunts down escaped inmates in Alaska's wilderness in 'The Last Frontier'
Jason Clarke has been in the film and TV industry long enough to know when a script speaks to him.
When the actor read the script for “The Last Frontier,” he had a visceral reaction to it.
“You know pretty quickly if you like the story, if you’re interested in this world, and if this is a character you want to dedicate yourself to for a long period of time,” Clarke says. “I really liked Frank. And I liked the world that the show was set in, along with the action and adventure.”
“The Last Frontier,” is set within the remote wilderness of Alaska, and follows Frank Remnick, played by Clarke, the lone U.S. Marshal in charge of the quiet, rugged barrens of the state.
According to Apple TV+, Remnick’s jurisdiction is turned upside down when a prison transport plane crashes, setting free dozens of violent inmates.
Tasked with protecting the town, he begins to suspect the crash wasn’t an accident, but the first step of a well-crafted plan with far-reaching and devastating implications.
He is joined by Sidney, played by Haley Bennett, a CIA operative who arrives in Alaska after the prison transport plane crash.
The 10-episode thriller series also stars Dominic Cooper, Simone Kessell, Dallas Goldtooth, Tait Blum and Alfre Woodard.
The series is created by Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio. A new episode is available to stream on Apple TV+ each Friday through Dec. 5.
Clarke says that prior to moving to Alaska, Remnick worked in law enforcement in Chicago, so he has certainly dealt with more than small-town crime in his career, but the events that have unfolded in Fairbanks are on an entirely different level.
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“Frank is wary of the CIA, the FBI, or any other people stepping into his small community and using them for their own purposes,” Clarke says. “But he’s out of his depth, and at a certain point he realizes that if he’s going to solve this, he needs some help. Sidney’s not the first person he expects to rock up to do that. So they both have to go on a learning curve to be able to trust each other and work together.”
Clarke and Bennett quickly found a bond that built from working together on 2020’s “The Devil All The Time.”
“I’ve always liked Haley as an actress,” Clarke says. “And I thought she’d be great in the chameleon-like role of Sidney. You can never fully understand where her character is coming from or who she really is. It requires a very good actress to do that. I’m so happy that Haley committed to doing this role.”
Bennett says she was instantly drawn to the many layers of this character and jumped at the chance to collaborate with Clarke.
“I’ve learned so much working with Jason and he’s the consummate professional,” Bennett says. “Sidney has a lot of secrets, and there is a lot going on beneath her brazen and confident exterior. She appears contained and controlled, but what is going on underneath is a whole different story. She’s whip-smart, incredibly guarded, and she’ll go to whatever lengths it takes to complete her mission.”
Bokencamp says he and D’Ovidio tossed around the idea at the heart of “The Last Frontier” for several years. He says originally, the series was to be set in New York City and over time, the location moved to Alaska.
“I wanted to tell a story that was a love letter to the ’90s summer blockbuster, a show that is accessible and fun, with a lot of action,” Bokenkamp says. “I love opening a show or a story with a big punch in the gut, something that grabs you by the shirt collar and rips you into it. It’s an espionage thriller, so there’s meticulously plotted twists and turns, but at the end of the day, it’s escapist entertainment.”
