For Josh Holloway, his new Max series “Duster” only looks like a cousin to the muscle car comedic hijinks that was “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Holloway, the “Lost” veteran, is Jim, a getaway driver in 1972 Arizona who finds himself pressured to become an FBI informant in order to solve his brother’s murder.
“He is a driver for the mafia, he loves his job, loves driving fast, hanging with girls and just being Jim,” Holloway, 55, acknowledged in a Zoom interview.
“Then he meets Nina (Rachel Hilson), the FBI Special Agent who reminds him he has these unanswered questions that maybe he doesn’t want to find the answers to but has to look at something he has suspicions about already.
“As he’s trying to be a better father, these things are going on in his internal life. But he’s happy with the way things are – and Nina forces him to grow.
“At first their relationship is very antagonistic. Then they’re cautious with each other. But never buddy-buddy. Their relationship has to develop with her sharing her vulnerable moment: Her father being killed by my mafia boss (Keith David).”
He credits series’ creators, JJ Abrams and LaToya Morgan, with being “there on set to help me develop the character, to keep him breezy. ‘Yes, these bad things are happening. But you work for the mafia. You grew up in this world. People die, things happen.’
“I had to keep reminding myself to keep that lightness to the show – that’s what makes this show different. There’s a fun likeability, although we’re dealing with real issues – racism, misogyny, murder, losing family members. These things are very dark. But the show has a movement that doesn’t leave you with an emotional hangover.”
Naturally, that car – there are actually four – is a leading character. “A real cool muscle car, a fantastic choice with that little Tasmanian devil on it. They only made it for about six years,” Holloway said.
“I went to stunt driving school and learned how to drive with exacting precision and do everything they tell you not to do in a car. So it was like Disneyland for people who like that.”
Looking back at his “Lost” era, how does Holloway see the industry now?
“It’s changed quite a bit, for the most part positively. There are more opportunities for every type of person now. I see a lot more diversity in terms of women and races.
“In ‘Lost,’ filming in the jungle, it was a little looser back then. Now you have to be conscious of who’s around you and be more respectful. It’s not a construction site like it used to be,” he laughed. “We have evolved.”
“Duster” streams its first episode on MAX May 15