Shows about law enforcement are nothing new. From procedurals like NCIS and the Law & Order franchise to gritty miniseries and anthologies like Mare of Easttown and True Detective, crime dramas are one of the most popular genres around, blending a mix of thrilling action and compelling mystery. The spouses in these shows, however, rarely get much to do, with little screentime and thin characterization. Luckily, The Last Frontier breaks that trend with its depiction of Sarah Remnick, played by Simone Kessell. Sure, she’s Frank (Jason Clarke), the protagonist’s wife, but she’s so much more — a nurse and certified badass in her own right who holds her own after a plane of dangerous inmates crashes in her Alaskan town, threatening her family and community.
The strong writing deserves credit, but Kessell also deserves props for her excellent performance, bringing depth to the role. Though perhaps best known for her role as the adult version of Lottie Matthews on Yellowjackets, she’s recently appeared in hit shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Our Flag Means Death as well. Kessell has also been seen on the big screen in films like San Andreas and Outlaws, for which she was nominated for an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award.
Collider got the chance to talk to Kessell about her performance in The Last Frontier. During the conversation, she discussed how she worked to combat tropes with her character, her long-time friendship with onscreen husband Jason Clarke, Sarah’s interesting dynamic with Sidney, simultaneously filming Yellowjackets, and more.
Simone Kessell on How She Avoided Clichés With Her ‘The Last Frontier’ Character
“I wanted her to look very real.”
COLLIDER: I feel like the “wife of a cop” role can really quickly fall into tropey or cliché territory, but you make Sarah feel so real and layered.
KESSELL: Okay, you are now my favorite of all time. Today, you’re my favorite. I’m done. Thank you so much.
Thank you! This has been great.
KESSELL: That’s a lovely thing to say, and I absolutely agree, because you do get that cliché, “Oh, honey — don’t go out there with your big gun. Be careful out there.” It was so well-written, though, right? It’s well-written, so I was just kind of rolling with what was on the page, obviously. But he didn’t make her clichés. If anything, she’s the complete opposite. She calls Frank on his shit, and she calls herself on it, too. She’s a real woman. I feel like she really is somebody whom we all know in a way. I just made her stronger and more realistic and authentic. Especially on screen, I wanted her to look very real. So yeah, thank you for saying that.
Yes, absolutely. I was curious if there was anything specific that you talked to [creators] Jon and Richard about bringing to the role, because I’ve heard that they are very collaborative. Were there elements that you were like, “Maybe we should have her do this or say this”?
KESSELL: He is incredibly collaborative. There were some times I thought maybe I pushed her a bit too far — I felt I moved into a bit of Simone territory. Like when Sarah had the shits with Frank in the car, and she’s like, “You’re not telling me something,” and he’s like, “You’re not telling me something — I feel that’s kind of how I argue a bit, so maybe I made her a little bit too Simone.
But that said, every time I went to Jon and Richard with a question, they were like, “Absolutely. Bring it.” And that was so great. You never felt trapped. We had freedom, as actors, to bring something to the table, and they were like, “Yeah, let’s try it,” which is so refreshing. I’ve been on a lot of shows where that is not a thing. So, first of all, the team was supportive. Knowing Jason as well as I do, we got to really trust each other in those scenes, which means you can really go there, and everybody was supportive of that. How lucky am I?
I love that Sarah is so scrappy, and she can really hold her own. I’m curious what some of the stunt work was like. I mean, you’re fighting people on stairs, you’re running people over with cars.
KESSELL: Oh my god, the running over! Okay, I didn’t do that stunt, and I didn’t realize until I saw it how she just totally takes out Clifton. [Laughs] She just drives over him, and then goes to a bar, and then just starts dancing, right? I’m like, “She’s gangster.” I think that’s the fun part of the show — the fact that she gets to throw things down. I love the fighting stuff with Dominic. That was a great day. That was so much fun. Yeah, I got to lean into that. I like doing the action stuff, so I’m hoping there’s more. It was fun.
Simone Kessell Breaks Down Sarah’s Complex Dynamics With Frank and Sidney
“I think Sarah’s the only one who actually does see her for what she is.”
I feel like Sarah frequently gets on Frank about being too invested in his work, but we do see Sarah displaying some similar traits, like how she wants to go back to work without the counselor signing off. Do you think they’re more similar in that regard than Sarah would like to admit?
KESSELL: Perhaps! And I have not heard this, and this is the first time it’s been brought to my attention. So that said, smartypants, I think you might be right, because she does. That’s quite funny when she’s meant to be in therapy, and she’s like, “Come on — I don’t need this.” But clearly, she does. I do like the fact that she’s a workaholic. I think she’s got so much going on. She’s pragmatic, and she’s just like, “Let’s just get on with it. Why lament? I need to get on with it.” I liked that about her. And then, yeah, she goes in the car with her ex-boyfriend or something, and then off they go. Look, it’s so much fun, because there are the big dramatic moments, the heartbreaking moments — which we see later on in the season — but also, we’ve got the fun, like the driving over a character, and the crazy cinematic part of it.
I love that balance, and I really love Sarah and Sidney’s relationship, too. We don’t see a whole lot of it, but when we do, it’s so loaded and so powerful, like when Sidney’s questioning her after the kidnapping and they have that little moment outside the bar after the wake. How did you read that relationship and dynamic? Because I just thought it was so rich and so layered.
KESSELL: Especially because I’m smoking a joint outside the bar, right? I have just run over somebody, so, you know, she needs a little hit. Yeah, that was random. They don’t lean into it so much, but I do think Sarah sees her for what she is. I think Sarah’s the only one who actually goes, “I see you. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t really trust you, and you’re not one of us.” And I like that. Perhaps we could have leaned into it more, but I think Sarah’s the only one who actually does see her for what she is, but she’s got so much else going on in her life and on her plate that she just lets it go. But yeah, that’s a really interesting point. I like that.
I hope we get to see more of that. Not to spoil, but if we get a Season 2, I would love to see more of that. Family is obviously like the most important thing to Sarah, so I’m curious, what do you imagine her own family and childhood to have been like to get her there in adulthood?
KESSELL: I think she did it tough. I think she’s one of those women who just gets on with it, you know? With no spoilers, the most horrific thing has happened to her, but she’s one of those people who’s like, “Right, I need to get on with it, because if I don’t, I’m going to fall apart.” You know when we get like that in life? So that was really interesting. I think you could pop her, do you know what I mean? She’s that fragile, but instead, she holds her head higher. She’s got this mana — this real strength — to her, but if you pop her, she will just dissolve, and she knows that. And so wearing that and holding that, and I played her in the physicality of that. I think that works for that storyline, until she just gets up and leaves, as you would.
I also love how she really passes her strength and skills on to Luke, because you see him being so smart with the salt on the road and stuff. I think it’s so fun to see that that’s really been passed down.
KESSELL: The salt on the road. Look at you! You’ve really watched it.
I really watched it!
KESSELL: Well, I love that you’ve really watched it — they’re really smart questions. Yeah, he does. He stands his ground — that’s right. [Frank and Sarah] are in the middle of a fight, right? And then he’s like, “Wait, there’s salt on the road.” And I was like, “Oh.”
I think those little elements just make the writing so smart and make it so engaging.
Simone Kessell Discusses Filming ‘Yellowjackets’ and ‘The Last Frontier’ at the Same Time
“I’m getting a lot of Yellowjackets fans going, ‘Oh, don’t get on a plane with Simone.’”
I think it is very funny, because this is obviously a very different show from Yellowjackets, but there are some naturally hilarious parallels with the plane crash and the wilderness.
KESSELL: And Canada!
Yeah! What do you make of those similarities?
KESSELL: It’s weird. Like, of all the storylines, right? It’s so weird. I mean, thank goodness I don’t join a cult in this.
Not yet.
KESSELL: Not yet. Season 2. Yeah, that was very strange when I read it, and I’m getting a lot of Yellowjackets fans going, “Oh, don’t get on a plane with Simone” — that kind of thing. It’s funny. It’s great. Look, I love Canada, and I loved filming in Montreal. In fact, I was finishing Yellowjackets while I was filming The Last Frontier, so there was a bit of back and forth, which was crazy, going from a caftan to the nurse’s scrubs. It was weird. But that said, I think they’re vastly different shows, and I think, with The Last Frontier, it’s such escapist television. It’s fun, and it’s got twists and turns, and it’s for the smart viewer. You just don’t know what you’re gonna get. And for that, I had the time of my life on it. I watched the whole thing — I really binged it — and the turn at the end is fantastic. It’s great.
Absolutely. Well, thank you so much. It was such a pleasure talking to you, and I can’t wait for everyone to see the show and [hopefully] Season 2, we’re crossing our fingers!
KESSELL: Oh, you’re so sweet. Thank you so much. It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve got hair like Lottie. You’ve got the same hair!
Oh my god! Nicest thing ever.
New episodes of The Last Frontier drop every Friday on Apple TV.
- Release Date
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October 10, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV+
