Photography: Alexandra Arnold.
As Simone Kessell sits down to chat with Woman’s Day, she’s in the middle of a whirlwind day in Sydney, dashing between TV studios and interviews.
“It’s been a bit crazy!” she laughs.
“Busy, busy, but good busy. I feel really lucky.”
She has every reason to. After more than three decades in the business, Simone’s career is soaring to new heights. Fresh from her role opposite fellow Kiwi star Melanie Lynskey in the cult TV series Yellowjackets, she’s now playing the role of an Alaskan nurse in Apple TV’s hit thriller The Last Frontier.
“For some reason, drama seems to be my wheelhouse – high stakes and strong women,” tells Simone.
“I keep getting drawn to those stories. I’ve played three queens in a row, so stepping into a nurse’s shoes felt refreshing. She’s a woman who’s had tragedy but keeps going. That appealed to me.”
Tenacity from the start
It’s that tenacity, both on screen and off, that defines Simone, who turned 50 this year. Born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, she’s been acting since her teens and spent 15 years carving out a career in Los Angeles. It wasn’t always glamorous.
“I lived in LA for years and couldn’t get arrested!” she jokes.
“I wasn’t Latina, which people often thought I was, but I wasn’t white either, so I sort of fell between the cracks.”
Pride in Māori roots
But Simone, who has Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāi Te Rangi heritage, never let the cracks swallow her.
“Being Māori and being from New Zealand gives me another layer,” she reflects.
“I come from a different upbringing and that brings something unique to the table. It’s part of why people respond to Kiwis. We bring this realness and humility.”
Kiwi connections abroad
That authenticity often helps Kiwi actors find their place in the world, adds Simone.
“Look at Melanie and also Keisha Castle-Hughes – we’re finding our footing now.”
Working alongside Melanie on Yellowjackets was both a professional and personal highlight.
“She’s such a dear friend,” Simone shares.
“We Kiwis are magnets for each other overseas. When you find another one, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, what street are you from?’ It’s an instant connection.”
Friendships that translate on screen
She had something similar with her Last Frontier co-star Jason Clarke, 56, an Aussie actor she’s known since her early acting days. Their on-screen chemistry as husband and wife is a result of decades of friendship.
“Jason and I were both out-of-work actors back in the day,” she tells.
“We knew each other before Hollywood. He once said we’re like an old pair of jeans – we’re comfortable, familiar and never thrown away. That’s what makes the marriage on screen feel real.”
It’s those little touches of truth that Simone values most.
“I’m always hypercritical of actors playing couples,” she declares.
“I can tell when they’ve just met. I wanted our relationship to feel lived-in, like a real marriage that’s weathered life’s storms.”
Family keeps her grounded
It’s Simone’s real-life family who keep her grounded. She and husband Gregor Jordan, 58, an Australian director, have two sons, Jack, 20, and Beau, 12, who aren’t exactly impressed by her fame.
She grins, “My youngest is like, ‘Mum, why don’t you ever do funny?’ And I’m like, ‘Good question! Maybe people don’t see me as funny.’”
Meanwhile, Simone’s eldest is at film school.
“He’s off making his own films,” she reveals.
“I’ll ask, ‘Jack, have you watched my show?’ And he’s like, ‘I’ll get to it!’ But I like that. They keep me humble.”
Pride in a friend’s success
When asked about her most surreal Hollywood moment, Simone doesn’t talk about red carpets or celebrity parties. It’s watching her friends’ careers take off that strikes her most.
“Seeing people like Jessica Chastain or Joel Edgerton, who I knew back when we were all out of work, suddenly become these huge stars is surreal,” she admits. “It’s wild, but it makes me so proud.”
If there’s a secret to Simone’s longevity in a fickle industry, it’s her resilience.
“I must have rhino skin,” she laughs.
“One year, I auditioned 15 or 20 times and didn’t get a single job, but I just kept going. It’s such a privilege to do what I love. I still get that high when I lose myself in a scene. When I’ve done the work and nailed the accent, there’s no better feeling. “That’s why I tell young girls back home, ‘Just keep going. Don’t listen to the white noise. If you love it, do the work and own it.’”
What’s next for Simone
As for what’s next, Simone is filming with Chris Hemsworth on the Gold Coast and she’s crossing her fingers for a second season of The Last Frontier.
“I’m really happy with how it’s gone,” she says.
“It’s number one in the world – except in New Zealand, where we’re number two. But I have a feeling it’ll be number one soon enough!”
The Last Frontier is now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping weekly until 5 December.
