We were joined on the Popternative show by Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Masters of the Air) and Derek Hinkey (Horizon: An American Saga) to chat about the new Netflix Western series, American Primeval. The limited series premieres on the streaming platform on January 9 and is written by Mark L. Smith (Twisters, The Revenant), directed/created by Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights, Ballers), and executive produced by Eric Newman (Griselda, Painkiller).
Set in the 1857 American frontier, the series is described as “a fictionalized dramatization and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control this land.”
The ensemble cast also includes Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Betty Gilpin (GLOW), Joe Tippett (The Morning Show), Jai Courtney (Kaleidoscope), Dane DeHaan (Oppenheimer) Preston Mota (Asteroid City), Shawnee Pourier (Dark Winds), Shea Whigham (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), Lucas Neff (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), Kyle Davis (American Horror Story), Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy), Tokala Black Elk (Yellowstone), Nick Hargrove (Charmed), Irene Bedard (Alaska Daily), Nanabah Grace, Alex Breaux (Joe Pickett), Dominic Bogart (Just Mercy), Alex Fine (1883), Kip Weeks (The Strangers), and Jeremiah Bitsui (Better Call Saul).
On preparing for her role, Saura says, “We had a month of cowboy camp which was very needed for me, I came from Europe and even just the cultural shock of it all, it was really important to get on a horse and learn how to be with animals.”
Derek shares, “For me, it was just being real and raw about the situation and relaying the truth on what really happened. I’m a reservation kid, so I know my tradition and my culture and original ways. It was just taking that and adding my craft and skill set into it.”
Watch the full conversation with Saura and Derek below.
American Primeval is streaming on Netflix.
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