‘Outer Range’ timeless challenge for all the actors

Prime Video’s “Outer Range” has all the trappings of a typical modern-day Western with rolling fields, loads of livestock and families who have become tough and very supportive because of the demanding way of life they have lived. That would be an easy story for any actor to play.

What complicates “Outer Range” is that there are elements of fantasy and metaphysical blended into the story. The Wyoming ranch where Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) and his family lives is the location for a mammoth hole in the ground that can take people to other time periods.

Season two launches May 16 on the streaming service where the mystery surrounding the enigmatic void on the west pasture continues to grow. Because the storylines have a fluidity to them, the actors are finding they are getting a lot of different elements to play.

The character of Autumn that Imogen Poots plays in the series was definitely a big mystery from the moment she showed up at the Abbott ranch. Playing an enigma was a bit of a challenge for the British actor.

“The fact the show is dealing with time and the question of potentially a parallel universe created many forks in the road,” Poots says. “There is the potential of endless possibilities per person.

“The way the past has gone and forms the present and the future made it very important for me to find some pylons along the way. Some landmarks where I could begin to emotionally connect her to other events and people.”

Poots has been in a wide assortment of films and TV shows, but they were not as complex as “Outer Range.” She weighs every word when discussing “Outer Range” out of fear of giving away some of the guarded secrets.

She didn’t have to worry as much with past projects such as “28 Weeks Later,” “The Art of Self-Defense,” “She’s Funny That Way” and “I Know This Much Is True.” The one thing all her past work shares with her current job is that Poots goes deep into research on her character.

She finds being able to create all the backstory for a role is a fun experience when given the time.

“Forming the backstory with Autumn was essential because so much of it is about the present and so much of the past is unknown,” Poots says.

The fact her current character has more twists than a pretzel factory was never a problem for Poots. She was happy to face each new reveal as it came and never felt compelled to press for information as to the true nature of the character of Autumn.

“I knew one of the main themes of the show was going to be time and the unknown,” Poots says. “It felt kind of counterproductive to say I needed to know everything with complete certainty.

“I was just open to ride it out. I found that a real draw.”

Noah Reid – who plays Billy Tillerson – and Shaun Sipos – who portrays Luke Tillerson – knew as soon as they were cast they needed to do extra preparation to play the elder sons of Wayne Tillerson (Will Patton), the ranch owner whose land is adjacent to the Abbott property.

Reid says, “With Billy there was a lot of room to maneuver. Also, the writing in season one had these characters so well drawn and so complex. They also provided a lot of source material for us to get into tone With.

“As soon as we got together as a group, we started to understand a little more of who we are.”

The fact “Outer Range” has so many different elements makes it difficult to describe in a few words. Sipos and many of the cast members have settled on first describing it as a neo-Western meaning it uses many of the Old West themes but in a contemporary setting.

Sipos adds that in the case of “Outer Range” there is a bit of “Twin Peaks” in the mix.

“The show meddles with time and space and wormholes,” Sipos says. “The interesting thing is that you don’t know where this hole came from. It is a chicken-or-the-egg sort of thing.

“Has this thing been there since the dawn of time or the creation of the Earth? So, you are left with that continual wondering and mystery. To quote Brian Watkins, this show is really about the wonder. Nearly everyone can grab onto that and remember what that was like as a child.”

Prime Video will make a big effort to grab the attention of viewers as all seven episodes of season two of “Outer Range” will premiere on the streaming service on May 16. The cast also includes Josh Brolin, Lili Taylor, Tamara Podemski, Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Isabel Arraiza, Olive Abercrombie and Will Patton.

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