ActorsTaylor KitschandBetty Gilpinare no strangers to longer-form limited series, bringing in-depth, dimensional character work to acclaimed limited series as the horrifying cult leader David Koresh inWacoand the A.I. battling nun, Sister Simone, inMrs. Davis.Now, they bring their respective passionate approach to the frozen frontier in Netflix’s new Western epic,American Primeval,opposite one another as Isaac and Sara Rowell.
Directed byPeter Berg(Friday Night Lights) and written byMark L. Smith(The Revenant),American Primevalfollows the gritty, expansive, and bloody birth of the American West. Cults, religion, Natives, and pioneers collide violently as a wide cast of characters fight for control of the new world. The series also co-starsDane DeHaan(Oppenheimer),Derek Hinkey(Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter One),Saura Lightfoot-Leon(The Agency), andKim Coates(Sons of Anarchy) as Brigham Young.
Collider’s ownSteve Weintraubhad the absolute pleasure of chatting with Gilpin and Kitsch to talk about all thingsAmerican Primeval. Together, they discussed working in freezing temperatures at extremely high altitudes, the admiration and curiosity each has for one another’s innate acting skills, and Berg’s off-the-hip, wildly intense style of direction.
“For Me, It Was Hell”: Taylor Kitsch Broke His Foot on Set
“We cut a bone out of the foot.”
COLLIDER: I really want to start, for both of you, with congratulations. I watched the whole series. You guys did great work.
BETTY GILPIN: Thank you.
TAYLOR KITSCH: Appreciate it.
So I know how TV and movies are made, and this looked like a backbreaking shoot. Would you both say this is the toughest thing you’ve been involved in?
GILPIN: I have to say, when I first read the scripts, I was like, “Oh God, this is going to be rough.” It’s a lot of night shoots in the snow, and a child actor, and Taylor Kitsch.
KITSCH: Ugh.
GILPIN: It was just a lot of elements of, “This is going to be tough.” But, honestly, even though it was awildexperience, and it certainly was freezing cold, burning hot,it was still so much better than being stuck on a soundstage all the time, working a 16-hour day. It was full-on, but it was what theshowdeserved. It did 80% of the work for you because it felt real. We were really out there with each other and the elements were kind of the main character of the show in a way that felt really right.
KITSCH: For me, it was hell. [Laughs] No, I broke my foot early on, man, in the show. Then they told me it wasn’t broken, and then it really was, and then I was in a boot for six weeks. Then I got out of the boot. I was told the foot was supposed to be good, and then literally the same day I got out of the boot, I was in surgery, and we cut a boneout ofthe foot. Then, I was in the boot again for six weeks. So that was fun. That wassofun. Riding a horse with a boot on is just easy.
GILPIN: It brought me joy.
KITSCH: [Laughs] Yeah. Then you’re playing this guy who will fight to the death at a moment’s notice to go to see his family, and you’re trying to get off the horse, and there’re two guys helping you get off the horse, and you’re like, “I feel strong.“It was a tough shoot, but I hope youfeelthat energy.The sets were incredible — Fort Bridger. I mean, when you’re shooting out in the mountains in the snow, and you have the whole crew with you behind you, you’re at 11,000 feet in Santa Fe, and that kind of stuff, like Betty said, is no acting required, man. You’re just genuinely cold, and you wanna feel it and use it. She said it: it put you in the moment.
For me, you guys filming on location adds so much to this material. I don’t know if the general audience, who don’t pay attention to how things are made, are gonna realize what they’re seeing, but I think subconsciously they will.
Betty Gilpin Praises Taylor Kitsch’s Passion and Raw Talent
“You never know what kind of actor you’re going to be paired with.”
I love learning about the behind-the-scenes of making stuff. When you saw the shooting schedule in front of you, was there one day circled in terms of, “I cannot wait to film this,” and was there anything circled in terms of “How the F are we gonna film this?”
GILPIN: It became clear to me immediately, beause you never know what kind of actor you’re going to be paired with. It’s sort of a crapshoot of, “Is this person passionate about acting and scene work? Do they enjoy being at work? Have theymemorizedtheir lines and worked on their character? Do they want to be here, or am I gonna work with someone who can’t wait to get back in their trailer?” And the first minute of the first scene I had with Taylor, it was very clear the combination of his raw talent, his passion, and his commitment to making this real and 1,000 miles deep as possible.
Looking into his eyes, I was catapulted into, “Oh, this is really happening.“I had the same curiosity about him as an actor that Sara has about Isaac, so I couldn’t wait to get to thosescene-scenes. There’s so much action, and we’re on horses. Isaac is a very silent, hard-to-get-in-there character. Then there are these payoff scenes where we get to see them really connecting or trying to connect. Those felt like these littleHansel and Gretelmorsels of, “Okay, there’s gonna be a week of freezing your ass off and screaming and punching and galloping, but then you get this scene with Taylor on Thursday and then again on Tuesday,” that kept me going, because it was such a gift as an actor, honestly, to work with him. I would say those were the scenes that I felt most excited about.
KITSCH: That is thesweetestthing I’ve ever been told. Thank you.
GILPIN: No problem. I just want to make you cry because I enjoy seeing your tears.
KITSCH: Very sweet.
Betty Gilpin Has an Energy Taylor Kitsch “Better F***ing Match”
“I was very grateful for that.”
KITSCH: I can also echo that. With Pete [Berg]’s process, she’s incredibly instinctual and very… Man, sheswings. It’s a very infectious energy. We shot this scene, we just kept rolling after this one really intense physical scene, and it turned into a heavy dialogue, heavy moment scene between these two characters that we were supposed to shoottomorrow. Pete was just like, “Let’s just keep rolling the cameras,” tight on both of us, “Let’s go. Just keep going.” And that’s in the show.
It’s a credit to, obviously, your prep and everything,but there’s an energy when you’re working with her that you better fucking match.I love that. I love the “you’re coming with me, whether you’re ready or not” kind of energy. For me, I just love that challenge. I think you always want to beuncomfortable, but incredibly comfortable, so you may be uncomfortable with each other. I was very grateful for that.
Why Pete Berg Wanted Taylor Kitsch Beside Him for His ‘American Primeval’ Creative Journey
Kitsch will be starring alongside Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Shea Wigham, and Jai Courtney in the limited series.
GILPIN: That scene, that’s the Episode 2 scene after the big fight at Runty’s shack where Taylor kills a bunch of people. There’s the scene afterward where he says, “Who are you?” and I give him the money. That scene we were supposed to shoot the next day. I never bring my phone to set when I have an actual scene, but I was like, “Oh, we’re doing that tomorrow. I’m gonna be on my phone.” I’m eating a protein bar. So, in that scene, my phone is in my pocket, and a protein bar is in the other one.
KITSCH: No way!
GILPIN: Because Pete was like, “Gilpin!” I was “Oh my God!” and ran in.
KITSCH: Really?
GILPIN: Yes! Yeah. I don’t even think my phone was silenced. [Laughs]
KITSCH: Period.
American Primevalis available to stream on Netflix.
American Primeval
It follows the gritty and adventurous exploration of the birth of the American West, the violent collisions of cults, religion, and men and women fighting for control of the new world.
