Now thatYellowstonehas come to an end, networks and streaming services are looking to satiate people’s appetites for moreWesterncontent, be it something set in the present day, or something from the historical record.Netflixis first up with its new limited seriesAmerican Primeval, which examines the fight to gain control of the American West and the sometimes violent clash between religion and culture. Don’t call it a Western though; according to starKim Coates,it’s so much more than that.
MovieWeb caught up with Coatesto discussAmerican Primeval, in which he plays Brigham Young, who was the second president of the LDS church following the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, and was appointed the first Governor of Utah Territory in 1851.American Primevalfast-forwards a few years to 1857, when Young is firmly established in his role, and for Coates, he doesn’t see the series as a Western, but rather a history lesson.
“You know, I gotta tell you. We had a big discussion — Peter and all the leads, about all this incredible press we’re getting. I did five hours of press about a month ago, and the word ‘Western’ – we know why people say it, but to me this isn’t really a Western. This is a history lesson, right?”
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“This is just before the Civil War,” Coates added. “I don’t know how anyone survived in 1857. From the Native Americans to the white man to the Mormons to everybody, they all wanted a chunk of property they wanted to call theirs. They wanted to survive […]There was a fear factor in 1857 like no other. Everyone was fighting for survival. That’s what this six-part limited series is about, and yes, it is in the West, and it’s in Utah, and it’s a true life happening.”
Kim Coates Dove Deep to Bring Governor Brigham Young to Life
As one of the great character actors of our time, Coates is no stranger to submerging himself into fantastic roles.He did so inSons of Anarchy, where he portrayed the complicated biker Tig Trager, and he did so here forAmerican Primeval. In order to capture the infamous real-life historical figure of Governor Young, Coates went into research mode to find out who he was, and what he was all about. The actor explained:
“When the call came in from Peter Berg saying he wanted me to play Brigham Young, I kinda did a half-step backwards. I went, ‘Holy crap, Brigham Young.’ Now, I didn’t know much about the Mormon religion at the time. I certainly had heard about the university, and I’d heard about Joseph Smith, who started the entire thing. I read three massive books, two biographies and then a novel. One was called The Pioneer Prophet, one was The Prophet and the Reformer, and the third book was The 27th Wife, written by the only wife to ever divorce Brigham Young. There was a lot to get into.”
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“I visited a Mormon family,” Coates continued. “I spent two hours with them and I said, ‘Before I ask any questions, if you don’t want to answer any, you don’t have to.’ There was only one they didn’t answer, and I can’t tell you what it was. But you don’t get offered a part like Brigham Young every day.”
In addition to Coates,American Primevalalso stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Jai Courtney, andthe always-phenomenal Shea Whighamas Jim Bridger, whose scenes with Coates really stand out.The six-part limited series premieres on Netflix on Aug 18, 2025;you can watch it here.
American Primeval
A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West.
