Peter Berg may have started as an actor, but he has turned into a showbiz quadruple threat with top credits as director, writer and producer as well. His latest is the Netflix limited series American Primeval, a historically inspired, brutally realistic and authentic western set around the 1857 Utah war and a mother and son’s trek into the violent American West, creating a found family along the way. It stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan and a cast of Native American actors and is written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Twisters), blending some fictional elements with actual incidents including clashes with the LDS Church and local culture as well as other real-life characters such as Mormon leader Brigham Young and events such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Berg (and his dog Eso) join me for this new edition of my Deadline video series Behind The Lens to talk not only about this show but also the fact that westerns themselves seem to making something of a comeback, at least on television of late. As a director, Berg made an initial splash in 1998 with Very Bad Things, followed by such films as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, Hancock, Battleship, Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, Patriots Day, Mile 22, Spenser Confidential and more including several documentaries, and films as a producer including the critically acclaimed Wind River and Hell or High Water. His behind-the-scenes success on television includes the hit series version of Friday Night Lights, which ran from 2006-11 and might be coming back again in a new form, which Berg tells me about,

His credits as an actor include several years as Dr. Billy Kronk in Chicago Hope along with Lions for Lambs, Alias, A Midnight Clear and many more. He tells me that every now and again he casts himself and isn’t averse to more acting work, but it is as a director where he is really finding satisfaction these days. Berg has a number of critically acclaimed films under his belt, as well as dipping into the limited series format which also included 2023’s riveting Painkiller starring Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba, also for Netflix.

To watch our conversation and to go “behind the lens'” with Peter Berg — and Eso. who joined me in the interview chair — just click the link above.

Join me every Monday and Friday during Emmy season for another episode of Behind the Lens.