Leaving the drama on the screen! While the Bird family (and everyone in their orbit) never weakens in “The Ozarks,” the real-life actors are a little more relaxed, which makes turning into their characters awe-inspiring even for Jessica Frances Dukes‘ co-star.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a character on TV that was as reliably assembled as she assembled Ruth,” the actress says of the 28—year-old “Inventing Anna” star, who plays money laundering Ruth Langmore in the series. “And it was just nice to watch.”
Dukes calls Garner a “gentle, beautiful soul,” telling us that when you see an Emmy winner, “turn him on as an artist, as an actor, as a creator… it’s magical to watch.”
The New York native, who can’t help but admire every cast member of the series, has one special memory of Jason Bateman that reflects the camaraderie on set between the actors.
“My favorite Jason story is almost my first day. I had this huge script, and I had all these notes, and I did all the work, and I came in, and he was like, “Really?” laughs Dukes, who joined the show in 2020 for the third season, explaining that the whole process is more about collaborative collaboration. and not with individual work. “Because, in the end, it’s about us and what we create together. So he really taught me a lot.”
“A masterpiece. It’s impossible to even describe her,” says a graduate of the NCIS about the 58-year-old Golden Globe winner. “I’ve loved her work for so long. Watching her craft Wendy was a joy. We watched this amazing arch. She’s a masterpiece.”
Although the fan—favorite drama will soon come to an end – the second half of season 4, the last in the series, will be released on April 29 — Dukes is completely grateful for the experience that changed his life and career.
“Everyone was so wonderful, I learned so much,” she notes. “It happened at the perfect moment in my career. It was like Candyland, being on this show, and saying goodbye to it was almost like saying goodbye to the show, but also to that special chapter that the show closed for me and my career. And I’m just so grateful.”
