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00:00if after something like this I get to do, I don't know, like a, you know, light-hearted comedy or
00:06something, that would have its own challenges. We need you in a rom-com after this, I think,
00:10just to put us all at ease. Hey Dane, how are you doing, mate? Good, how are you? Yeah, I'm well,
00:16thank you, I'm well. I've been watching American Primeval. Firstly, you know, as a TV fan or a
00:24film and TV fan, seeing the name Peter Berg, I'm in, right? As an actor, is it a bit like that as
00:31well? Yeah, I mean, look, I mean, for me, I want to work with great directors and all different
00:38kinds of directors, you know, and Pete is a great director and a unique person, you know,
00:47and I think he offers an experience that is going to be unique to any actor. So, yeah, I think,
00:55you know, when I saw Pete was doing it, it gives me confidence that it's gonna be great, and he,
01:01I didn't know what to expect, but he really does deliver a unique experience for any actor.
01:07We set out at first light, one step closer to the life I promised you.
01:11Westons, they've been around for a long time, but I think they're having a bit of a boom at the
01:15minute. I'm sure you've already heard the words Yellowstone during this promotional cycle. It's
01:20like one of the biggest shows in the world, but what, in your words, what do you think American
01:26Primeval offers the Western genre that is different to anything that is and has been out there?
01:32Obviously, Westerns are making a comeback, you know, Yellowstone's great. I watch Yellowstone, love it.
01:39I like to think of American Primeval as like, if you took Yellowstone and doused it in gasoline
01:45and set it on fire. I think that's a pretty good, a pretty good... I think that's like almost,
01:52almost underdoing it. Yeah, totally. Yeah, it's hard, it's hard to put into words like how intense
02:04this show really is, you know. I mean, it's one of those things where you think, you have an idea
02:09of what a show is going to be when you kind of read the synopsis or whatever, and then 10 minutes
02:13in, you're like, okay, this is, this is different. So I can't imagine what it was like reading the
02:17script, especially when your character goes through a bit of a journey quite instantaneously
02:22as an actor. Is it just fun playing roles where your characters are put through their paces
02:26in the way that Jacob is? Well, I wouldn't say it's just fun. You know, there was a lot that
02:32went into this. It was a really intense, very kind of like, you know, solitary journey. I was alone
02:39by myself a lot of the shoot. The way Pete works is in a very, like, free-flowing improvisational
02:45way. So, you know, I always, it's always important to me to show prepared, but on this set, I needed
02:52to be like fully prepared in the mindset of this guy. I love doing what I do. I love challenging
02:58myself in different ways. And, you know, every once in a while, it feels like I'm in the place
03:03that I can try to tackle something like this. But it wouldn't be healthy for me to do it every
03:09single time. You know, I like doing all different kinds of things. But, you know, the more of a
03:15challenge, the better. And challenges are different on every film set. But I think, you know, the
03:20challenges of this role were pretty obvious when you watch it. Civilization and civilized,
03:26two different words entirely. When you're younger, I guess, the world is your audience in many ways.
03:32And you're like, yeah, throw all the challenges at me. But the older you get, it's almost like
03:36self-preservation, I guess, where you're like, yeah, no, I can't just put myself through
03:40this over and over. Do you find that at this stage of your life, you find it easier to just kind of
03:45let maybe job opportunities go because you're like, I'm just not there right now to do that?
03:52Look, I would never shy away from an amazing opportunity. You know, I would never shy away
03:57from a challenge if I felt like it was worth it, giving the script and the director and the
04:02character. It would be really hard to do stuff like this all the time. And also, like I said,
04:10I want to challenge myself in different ways. But that's how my choices get made. It's about,
04:15you know, crafting a career and just trying to get better at acting. You know, like that's
04:20ultimately the goal. I love what I do. There's all different ways to do it. So if America,
04:26if after something like this, I get to do, I don't know, like a, you know, lighthearted comedy
04:32or something that would have its own challenges, you know, and I think the more I can keep people
04:38guessing as to what's next, the more longevity I'll have to my career anyway.
04:43We need you in a rom-com after this, I think, just to just to put us all at ease.
04:49Yeah, exactly.
04:54So how would you describe Jacob?
04:56Jacob is, you know, he's a Mormon man that's on his way to Utah in 1857. And he's traveling with
05:09a group of Mormons to make it to Utah to like what will become Salt Lake City.
05:16Um, and he's a very devout religious person. And I think he's found true love for the first
05:23time in his life. There's a horrible massacre on his people on the way to Utah in the first
05:30episode of the series. You know, he gets mostly scalped, but yeah, he does. And his journey
05:41becomes about avenging this massacre on his people and trying to find his wife who he's
05:49sure is alive. In his heart, he knows he's going through basically severe head trauma, psychosis,
05:58while doing all of this. And really, it's just his heart and faith that I think keeps him alive
06:05and through this journey on the show.
06:08You know, you've played people on the spectrum of villains, you've played people,
06:12you know, good people. And quite often, you've played people who have coalesced
06:16from one end of the spectrum to the other. What were the differences in this character
06:22to other characters you have played in the past? What was your, what do you think stands him out?
06:29Yeah, well, you know, I think reading the script, I was trying to figure out
06:34what is making this guy keep going? What is making him not give up? Why does he continue
06:40to survive? And I think for Jacob, certainly more than any character I've ever played,
06:46it's about faith. It's like he's a Mormon, he believes in God, he believes he can talk to God,
06:55God is on his side. He's fated to be in this place and he's fated to be with his wife.
07:02And I think that that's something I never brought into any character I've ever played.
07:08But I, you know, for me, like, Jacob's journey through this show, it's almost like this constant
07:16internal conversation that he's having with like a higher power. And that was really interesting
07:22to play on camera. Because, you know, my acting partner was, you know, way up in the sky and
07:30invisible most of the time. And it was really, once I thought about that, I thought it really
07:37unlocked a key to the character. And that's something I've never really messed with before
07:42on camera. Your purpose is your family. Your husband.