Apple TV’s “The Last Frontier” follows a U.S. Marshal hunting down escaped inmates after a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, but beneath the survival and suspense lies a story about connection, morality, and endurance. ABC4 Celebrity Interviewer Patrick Beatty sat down with creator Jon Bokenkamp and stars Dominic Cooper and Hayley Bennett to talk about the show’s origins, the extremes of filming in freezing weather, and how they built trust and chemistry in such a brutal environment.
Patrick B: What sparked this idea? Because choosing to have a plane full of prisoners escape in Alaska sounds crazy.
Jon Bokenkamp: Yeah, what sparked the idea? Probably an abject fear of flying. I’m not a great flier. But I think conceptually there’s a hook there that I like, something that suggests an ongoing story. All these inmates spill into the wilderness, and there’s one guy who’s supposed to hunt them down one by one. There’s an engine to that that feels like a TV show and feels like it has legs.
And then you step back and look at the characters and go, “Okay, what’s it really about? Who are these people? What is this catastrophe going to do to them?” That always becomes more interesting than the hook at the beginning.
Patrick B: You both have very unique and interesting characters, and the way they work together is fascinating. What was it like building that complicated chemistry? Was it through rehearsal, through the script, or did you talk about it beforehand?
Dominic Cooper: We had loads of information because we had ten episodes ready to roll with. More often than not, you get them as you go. But we’d be in rehearsal, we’d chat about them, go, “What do you think they did in that past moment we were talking about?”
We actually had that information; they have a very intricate, very complex relationship that we learn more about later on. But we luckily got on very well and talked about it. And I thought Hayley was incredible at pushing the boundaries of what she was prepared to do in each environment and scene.
Hayley Bennett: And I think, you know, it’s a series that’s heightened and elevated, and there’s this blockbuster element to it. But Dom and I wanted to explore the intimacy of these two characters — and they’re two people who know how the other operates very well. They’re each other’s intellectual equal. That cat-and-mouse game between them is a very dynamic aspect of the series.
Patrick B: Jason Clarke, wow. I think he’s one of the most underrated actors right now. I love that you have him as the lead. What were those first discussions like between you and Jason about his character?
Jon Bokenkamp: Jason really connected to the character. I think he understood this kind of rural guy, somebody probably not unlike where he comes from. He saw something that was maybe different from what we’re used to seeing him do.
This is a very frank, very warm, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. Maybe a bit of a throwback. Maybe some of his values are outdated. But I think that was interesting for him. He’s fantastic in everything, but I thought he was specifically great in this.
There’s also a physical aspect to the show that’s undeniable. Jason’s up for anything. When we were doing takes on a dog sled or snowmobile, he’s like, “Let’s do it again, let’s do it again.” He never steps back, and that physicality was definitely part of what drew him in.
Patrick B: Were you out in Alaska with the crew for everything? What were the conditions like while you were shooting?
Jon Bokenkamp: We actually shot in Canada, outside Montreal, Quebec City, and Calgary. We were in these beautiful areas, but it was both beautiful and brutal. The insurance company told us they’d shut us down at thirty below, and we got down to twenty, a little below twenty. That brittle, biting cold.
At the same time, because we shot over six or seven months, by the end, we were filming in August. The wardrobe people were pulling the stuffing out of jackets, the A/C was cranked on the sets, and we were trying to make it look freezing while it was sweltering, and all the trees were leafing out. It was a very physical shoot.
Patrick B: It’s always so interesting, you start in the right season, but by the time you wrap, everything’s flipped. That’s wild.
Jon Bokenkamp: Yeah, it was a challenge. Especially because the show takes place almost one episode per day, over eight to ten days. So continuity was really important.
Patrick B: What was something during production, while you two were working together, that maybe felt like a challenge, but because you had that particular scene partner, you knew you were in good hands?
Hayley Bennett: I always felt like I was in good hands. Dominic is incredibly well-prepared. He’s always on time, very professional. I always felt like I could rely on him. But at the same time, he’s an artist, spontaneous, making decisions in the moment. That’s something I appreciate the most in an actor: someone imaginative, who listens, who’s reactive.
Dominic Cooper: What I loved when we worked together — those scenes ended up being some of my favorites. When you’re in an action film, you sometimes crave those dialogue moments, where you just get to look someone in the eye and really listen.
We had these lovely, quiet moments that balanced out all the action. And, you know, we were under massive time pressure — making ten episodes isn’t like making a film where you get to rehearse and block things out. But Hayley always made sure we had space to feel it out and make it real.
Hayley Bennett: You have to protect that. You want to protect the integrity of the characters, create a dialogue on set, and make new discoveries — even things that might not be on the page. Dom does that so well, and I think that’s what made it work.
“The Last Frontier” is now streaming on Apple TV+, bringing high-stakes survival and emotional depth to the frozen wilderness. For more exclusive interviews and reviews, catch See It or Skip It every week.
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