‘American Primeval’ Stars Saura Lightfoot-Leon and Derek Hinkey Are Glad Abish and Red Feather Never Kissed: “There’s a Soul Connection There Between the Two”

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Netflix‘s gripping new western American Primeval follows a handful of “fortunate” survivors of the harrowing 1857 Mountain Meadows bloodbath. Whereas a lot of the motion follows east coast single mother Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin), no much less fascinating is the journey that younger Mormon bride Abish Pratt (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) undertakes alongside the defiant Shoshone warrior Pink Feather (Derek Hinkey).

**Spoilers for American Primeval, now streaming on Netflix**

After being given over to Paiute as a hostage, she finds herself on the verge of then being murdered by a warrior of a rival Indigenous tribe, the Shoshone. Whereas her fellow Mormon women sob and beg and plead for his or her lives earlier than having their throats slit, Abish coldly presents her neck to her would-be killer. It’s an act of bravery that catches the attention of Pink Feather. He spares Abish, abducting her (although not assaulting her), thereby altering the trajectory of her life endlessly.

Abish initially resists her new life with the Shoshone, trying to flee, till lastly arriving with the bigger camp, led by Pink Feather’s clever and sort mom, Winter Chook (Irene Bedard). As Abish begins to witness extra of the Shoshone’s life-style, contrasted with the one she got here from, she begins to develop higher loyalty to those native peoples than maybe her personal. When she lastly items collectively that it was her fellow Mormons themselves who annihilated the settlers on the Mountain Meadows bloodbath, she escapes to the Shoshone.

The ultimate episode of American Primeval options the eventual, bloody showdown between the Mormon Nauvoo Legion and Pink Feather’s tribe. Decider spoke to American Primeval stars Saura Lightfoot-Leon and Derek Hinkey about what made Pink Feather save Abish, what it was like for his or her characters to lastly talk by a translator, and why they’re joyful their characters’ intimacy by no means included a single kiss…

<img style="aspect-ratio:1.5;display:block" decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="885" height="590" alt="Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) in 'American Primeval'" class="wp-image-1867821 lazyload" srcset="https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300 300w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640 640w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1280 1280w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=885 885w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1284 1284w" data-sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 885px"/> Picture: Netflix

DECIDER: I'm obsessive about how your relationship develops over the six episodes of American Primeval. Derek, my first query for is why did Pink Feather save Abish? What about her struck him as price saving and why was he so keen on her?

DEREK HINKEY: Massive respect. I feel he’s seen that, in particularly on this time and in my warrior tradition, she was defiant. She was courageous, you recognize? He’s seen that, acknowledged that and was intrigued by it. However he actually, actually, actually revered that.

And, Saura, the place do you suppose that that bravery got here from in that second the place all the opposite ladies are crying and sobbing? Abish simply defiantly provides up and exposes her neck. The place do you suppose that got here from in her?

SAURA LIGHTFOOT-LEON: In all probability from the generations of girls she was rising up with, I’d say. I feel you’re both born with it or not. Generally the way in which you’re introduced up, it might probably affect you, however I feel for her, it was in all probability the ladies, the legacy.

<img style="aspect-ratio:1.5;display:block" decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="885" height="590" alt="Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) in Shoshone clothes in 'American Primeval'" class="wp-image-1869214 lazyload" srcset="https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish-leather.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300 300w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish-leather.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640 640w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish-leather.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1280 1280w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish-leather.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=885 885w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/american-primeval-abish-leather.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1284 1284w" data-sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 885px"/> Picture: Netflix

Some of the fascinating scenes between your two characters is once you lastly have a translator serving to you guys facilitate a dialog, a debate about what ought to come subsequent for each of your peoples. What was it prefer to form of lastly have that very attention-grabbing recreation of phone between the 2 characters?

LIGHTFOOT-LEON: Go for it, Derek.

HINKEY: Proper off the bat assembly Saura, there was a connection there, you recognize? A giant respect. So in actuality, it felt like we type of put a blanket on that [connection] till that time. Then when that time occurred, it was emotional for me. You understand, it’s prefer it was reacting to Saura. You understand, she’s only a phenomenal actress, and, for me, it was simply studying her and studying that vitality. It simply flowed.

LIGHTFOOT-LEON: That’s actually candy. Yeah, I might say that these characters, it doesn’t really feel like they’re not speaking earlier than the interview. As a result of I at all times say, like, it’s the little bit of the yin and yang. There’s a soul connection there between the 2 they usually dance round one another. Like, one exists due to the opposite they usually push and pull [each other].

So I feel this communication that you simply lastly get to expertise with them, it’s a buildup. It’s prefer it’s continually there. The vitality’s going [up and up]. But it surely’s additionally a gathering of two minds which have this connection. So it was it was a tremendous scene to shoot.

<img style="aspect-ratio:1.5;display:block" decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="885" height="590" alt="Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) and Red Feather (Derek Hinkey) riding through Utah in 'American Primeval'" class="wp-image-1869212 lazyload" srcset="https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/abish-red-feather-american-primeval.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300 300w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/abish-red-feather-american-primeval.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640 640w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/abish-red-feather-american-primeval.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1280 1280w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/abish-red-feather-american-primeval.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=885 885w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/abish-red-feather-american-primeval.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1284 1284w" data-sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 885px"/> Picture: Netflix

Talking of their like, “soul connection,” I used to be tremendously moved within the final episode, the scene the place Pink Feather provides the warpaint to Abish and calls her “Stone Girl,” they usually have that embrace. I could have been type of rooting for a kiss — I’m not going to lie — however the place did you guys see that relationship develop? Did you suppose that there would have been a romance had they survived?

LIGHTFOOT-LEON: We spoke about this, didn’t we, Derek? As a result of we undoubtedly spoke about it with [director and EP] Pete [Berg]. One of many issues I liked about this relationship is that nothing occurs. I imply, “nothing” in a romantic sense. Their intimacy doesn’t must exist in a romantic sense. It’s a deeper stage right here and I feel they each have enormous respect for one another and that’s what you see. And I liked it as a result of it doesn’t, you recognize, that’s what it's. You don’t must put extra to it.

HINKEY: Yeah, the identical precise factor. No phrases may very well be spoken. It was a silent devotion.

Earlier than I am going, I've to ask, what was it like working with the legendary Irene Bedard? As a result of I grew up idolizing her. What was it prefer to work together with her onscreen?

LIGHTFOOT-LEON: She’s wonderful. Once we met, she’s so beneficiant, like being there on set. After all, she’s a legend, but additionally, she’s an actual individual. And I feel that’s the perfect, once you get to fulfill individuals and also you see the individual there and the heat. Yeah. She’s a extremely humble, beneficiant individual.