Yellowjackets Star Simone Kessell Crashes Into Another Plane Disaster Series

Simone Kessell, the 50-year-old actress known for her role in the Showtime series Yellowjackets, has found herself repeatedly drawn to TV shows involving plane crashes in Canada. In a recent interview, Kessell joked about the coincidence, saying, "Originally I was like, 'What is it with Canada?' Plus the plane crash and the wilderness."

Despite the similarities, Kessell insists her new role in the Apple TV+ series The Last Frontier is quite different from her part in Yellowjackets. While the latter series follows a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the Canadian wilderness and driven to cannibalism, The Last Frontier is more of an "action thriller."

In The Last Frontier, Kessell plays Sarah, a nurse and the wife of U.S. Marshal Frank, portrayed by Jason Clarke. Unlike the "worried wife at home" trope, Sarah is a complex character dealing with her own family trauma. As Kessell explains, "Something horrific has happened to her as their family unit." The actress was determined to portray Sarah realistically, avoiding the "phony relationships" often seen on television.

Kessell's commitment to authenticity extends to her on-screen chemistry with co-star Jason Clarke. The two friends are able to "bicker" and "get pissed off with each other" in a way that feels genuine, adding to the realism of their marriage. This dynamic serves as a "quiet and calm before the storm" as the show's action-packed plot unfolds.