Haley Bennett stars in new Apple TV+ thriller ‘The Last Frontier’ in journey from Stow to Alaskan wilderness

who lives in Norton, recently visited her on the set of her next movie in Kentucky — and brought a cooler of walleye with him. “We had a fry-up. It was the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”

That easygoing Midwestern sensibility, Bennett says, has been a steadying force in an increasingly hectic life. We caught up with her while she was doing Zoom interviews to promote her new Apple TV+ series, “The Last Frontier.” Soon, Bennett — who studied modeling at Barbizon in Akron as a teenager — will be in Paris to shoot an ad. “As an actor, you’re constantly on the move,” she said. “You find things to keep you grounded. I probably learned that skill at a young age — to keep your center of gravity stable. I feel like I’ve gotten much better at that as I’ve matured.”

It’s a quality that came in handy on her latest project, where survival — both physical and emotional — is part of the story. Co-created by Jon Bokenkamp (“The Blacklist”) and premiering Friday, “The Last Frontier” follows a U.S. Marshal (played by Jason Clarke) in a remote Alaskan town whose life is thrown into chaos when a prison transport plane crashes nearby, unleashing dozens of dangerous convicts into the woods.

Bokenkamp describes the show as “‘Con Air’ meets ‘The Fugitive.’” Bennett calls it a love letter to the action movies of the 1990s.

“‘The Last Frontier’ is a story about survival, trust and truth in the most extreme conditions,” she said. “It’s gritty, character-driven and raw, but it’s elevated for today’s audiences.”

Bennett plays Sidney, a disgraced CIA agent looking to redeem herself by capturing one particularly dangerous fugitive named Havlock (Dominic Cooper) before a larger conspiracy comes to light.

“Sidney might be one of the most dynamic characters I’ve ever played,” the actress said. “She’s mysterious, intelligent and full of secrets that carry a lot of weight.”

Though the series is set in Alaska, filming took place in the rugged wilds of Canada in weather not unlike Northeast Ohio winters. The ensemble cast includes Simone Kessell, Dallas Goldtooth, Tait Blum and Alfre Woodard.

“We were shooting through freezing nights and supporting each other,” she recalled. “It was an intense nine months away from home. We all had to kind of support each other, so that really brought us closer together.”

The actress also found herself connecting to the show’s themes of loyalty and community — ideas she sees reflected in both Alaska and Ohio. “What I love about the Alaskan community, and it’s something that feels akin to Ohio, is this sense of people working together to take care of one another,” she said. “That’s something we’ve kind of lost in modern society, where it can feel like every man for himself. When Sidney arrives in Alaska, she’s reminded how important that sense of community is.”

But at its core, “The Last Frontier” is all about the action — a show designed to keep your pulse racing, not to make you overthink it. The first episode alone features a plane crash, a manhunt and several edge-of-your-seat standoffs. The high-octane energy comes courtesy of executive producer Sam Hargrave, the former stunt coordinator turned director who cut his teeth on Marvel films and Netflix’s “Extraction” alongside Cleveland’s own Russo Brothers.

“It’s the kind of action that makes you forget to breathe,” Bennett added. “But what I love about it is that it’s also deeply human. It’s a great combination of epic and intimate.”

“The Last Frontier” is a 10-episode limited series, and there’s no word yet on whether a second season is in the works. But Bennett still has plenty on her plate. She has three films on the way: “Night & Day,” a period romance based on the Virginia Woolf novel; “Synthetic,” a sci-fi drama opposite Charlie Cox; and “A Bobby Thing,” an indie feature that pairs her with Kyle Gallner.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter what genre it is,” she said. “It’s about character and great storytelling,” adding that she’d love to work with “great directors” such as Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”).

And while her next few projects may take her far from the Alaskan wilderness, Bennett still hopes “The Last Frontier” leaves a mark. To her, it’s more than an adrenaline rush — it’s a story about conviction and moral courage.

“I just want to encourage audiences through this character to always fight for what they believe in and to resist evil, whatever that is to each individual,” she said. “We’re living in incredibly precarious times, and we have to