The Last Frontier's Dominic Cooper wanted to homage Hollywood icon in new role – but producers said no
"I wanted a string vest and a radio, but I wasn't allowed," he revealed.
The Last Frontier star Dominic Cooper has revealed that he initially sought to homage an iconic Hollywood star with his latest performance – but the show's creator vetoed the idea.
The Apple TV+ thriller, which follows US Marshal Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) as he grapples with a group of convicts escaped from a downed jet, has been described as a throwback to the heightened premises of '90s blockbuster cinema.
Indeed, Cooper initially wanted to incorporate that idea directly into his performance, with an initial suggestion for his enigmatic intelligence agent Levi Hartman to bear some resemblance to Bruce Willis's beloved lead in the Die Hard films.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com as the series launches, Cooper confessed that he hadn't shared this with "anyone", but approached the show bosses with his John McClane-inspired pitch – and got a frank response.
"I was always thinking Bruce Willis [in Die Hard]," the former Marvel star revealed. "I mentioned this, and [The Last Frontier co-creator] Jon Bokenkamp just went 'no'."
Although perhaps a tad disappointing at first, Cooper went on to agree that such an interpretation would have been "completely incorrect" for this particular series, which takes a more serious approach than Willis's action franchise.
"This does have that [a genre premise] at the centre of it, which is very clever because it gets you hooked… a plane full of convicts that you're fascinated about, who are dangerous and really quite evil," explained Cooper.
"But the complexities of what's then discussed and who these people are, to play an operative who is ex-CIA, who's a Navy SEAL... is beyond anything I could comprehend, so I really had to try and find who on earth this person was."
Those interested in Cooper's take on John McClane can consider The Last Frontier a "held back version of that," with the actor joking that he was living his Die Hard fantasy "in the back of my mind".
"I wanted a string vest and a radio, but I wasn't allowed," he added.
In addition to Cooper and Clarke, who told RadioTimes.com that he wanted stunts to rival those of Chris Hemsworth, The Last Frontier cast also includes Haley Bennett (Till), Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage) and Simone Kessell (Yellowjackets).
The Last Frontier premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday 10th October 2025.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Add The Last Frontier to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
