Jason Clarke stars as U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick in The Last Frontier, the new Apple TV+ thriller he also executive produces. His character is a grounded U.S. Marshal thrown into an extraordinary situation after a prison plane crash unleashes chaos in his remote Alaskan town.
We at FandomWire sat down with Clarke to discuss the appeal of playing a vulnerable protagonist, the conflict between being a lawman and a lone wolf, and the classic films that inspired the series. Check it out below!
The Last Frontier Jason Clarke Interview
FandomWire: Frank is an “everyman” hero. In an era of so many superpowered characters, what is appealing about playing such a grounded and vulnerable protagonist?
Clarke: That was exactly what is appealing about it; that it’s human. You can throw all these extraordinary situations at him; it’s like an avalanche coming down with all these problems and crimes being thrown at Frank. I love being the center of the storm, making all the action real so that people can relate to this man and his journey. You feel in that action that he’s not a superhero.
He’s not the best fighter; he’s not pulling out any kung fu or jiu-jitsu moves. He’s copping just as many blows as he’s giving, and it hurts as you go through this. You feel the breathlessness on that big six-minute one-shot, getting on the helicopter; he’s just barely made it out. And then it just feels like, “You know what? I can ride with this man.” He’s someone I wouldn’t mind saddling up with.
FandomWire: In films like Zero Dark Thirty, you’re the man of action, while in Oppenheimer you’re the institutional man. Frank has to be both. What was more interesting for you to explore: the disciplined U.S. Marshal, or the part that has to become a lone wolf to survive?
Clarke: Good question. It’s the struggle to do that, isn’t it? I’ve met a lot of lawmen and military people, and when you’re placed in difficult and dangerous situations, there is a lot of moral confusion. And Frank’s a man who has done something questionable, and somebody else has paid the penalty for it. His wife has paid this price. And so he carries that with him. It makes him a less judgmental man.
He’s still a lawman, though. He’s still going to chase hard. But I love the way that that lies within him. He’s a man with faults. That’s a man who bleeds. That’s a man who hurts his knee. He’s going to earn your respect because you believe in him and you root for him.
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FandomWire: The show is a throwback to ’90s thrillers like The Fugitive. What made that era of filmmaking so effective, and what elements from it did you want to capture in The Last Frontier?
Clarke: I’d chuck in there that it’s a throwback to ’70s movies like The French Connection, with a more gritty, real feel and big characters. I watched a lot of Clint Eastwood movies as well, coming into this, not just for the quiet intensity, but for the characters that exist within the world. And then you have straight-up ’90s action movies, which were really about Stallone and Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, and Kurt Russell; it was just straight-up entertainment.
Which is, I guess, to answer your question, my job here is to take you on a wild ride and entertain you. And then I’d say the ’70s stuff because it was all shot in camera. The action is rough, it’s gritty, it’s real. It had a much grittier realism, with the big cinematic elements that you have now. You’re drawing on all these genres, and that’s what Mr. Bokenkamp did so well. There’s the element of horror and the monster story… It’s a love of cinema that he’s thrown at us to direct these ten little mini-movies.
Jason Clarke stars in The Last Frontier, which is now streaming on Apple TV+
