The November 11 episode of Big Sky is going to be a big one for Jerrie Kennedy, and Jesse James Keitel couldn’t be more excited. “Someone very unexpected comes back to Jerrie’s life who definitely shakes things up for her in a way no one expects,” Jesse told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “It’s going to be so good. I think it’s my favorite material I think ever on the show, and I think the writers did such a beautiful job with that episode.”
Jerrie recently became an official private investigator in season 2. Jesse has loved seeing Jerrie’s evolution since the first season. “She went from sex trafficking survivor to a PI working to take down her captor and working alongside the people who helped save her,” Jesse said. “It’s pretty amazing, and I feel very lucky that I’ve gotten to play her.”
There’s no denying that Jerrie and Lindor have incredible chemistry on Big Sky. HollywoodLife asked Jesse what she thinks of the connection between these two characters and where it’s going. “I think like a lot of great relationships, it’s complicated, and I think you’re going to get a nice little glimpse into just how complicated it really gets,” the Big Sky star revealed.
Jerrie’s captor, Ronald, is still not in custody. He was, but then he wasn’t. When it comes to seeing him behind bars for good, Jesse believes that Jerrie just wants to see it done. “I feel like Jerrie wants to see Ronald taken down no matter who gets to do it. But if she had to do it herself, that’s just some sweet poetic justice,” Jesse said.
Jesse is the first nonbinary series regular on a primetime drama on broadcast TV. Jesse opened up about what this history-making role has meant to her.
“It’s meant a lot of different things to me throughout this process,” the actor told HollywoodLife. “I think, at first, it was a little overwhelming just because I didn’t really know what it meant. And now, it’s the development that I find exciting. The fact that, sure, I was cast on the show, that doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. It’s what is being told. What is the story that’s being given to audiences? Because there can be certainly things that are really problematic and because I’m on the show, it doesn’t make it better. It does because visibility is important, but the quality of the storytelling and what is being told, I think is equally if not more impactful. Especially in this second season with Jerrie’s story, seeing her emotional arc that she’s going to have, that’s what’s groundbreaking, and that’s what I’m most excited for.” Big Sky airs Thursdays on ABC.