Hollywood icon Lea Thompson has wanted to bring Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon book series to the screen for more than a decade. However, the director/EP initially wanted to play the titular character herself. After years of false starts, Thompson finally found the right partner in showrunner Morwyn Brebnber (Rookie Blue, Saving Hope). “I met with a ton of different writers over the years, but Morwyn stood out,” explained Thompson. “She had this incredible sensibility about nature being a character in the show.” Once Thompson and Brebner aligned on their vision for the series, they needed to find the right actress to bring Barr’s beloved heroine.

A former Broadway stage manager turned law enforcement park ranger after the murder of her husband, Anna Pigeon is a complex and tricky character to portray. Thompson and Brebner honed in on Tracy Spiridakos (Chicago P.D.) early in the process. “Tracy was our number one and only pick for Anna Pigeon,” said Thompson simply. While Spiridakos herself wasn’t familiar with Barr’s novels, she immediately “fell in love” with the titular character. “She’s complicated, but she’s also grieving.” Spiridakos also loved how “curious” Pigeon was about the nature around her.

Thompson fought to get the series made in the great outdoors and not on a sound stage somewhere. “We found this incredible place in Canada with just the woods, the river, and a few cabins,” remembered Thompson. “The crew chopped down trees and skinned them and made our ranger station.” This craftsmanship and care are part of the reason the show “feels so authentic,” according to Thompson. Being in the wilderness also helped Spiridakos find her character. “Getting to be there in the woods and near the water…it just locked everything in for me.”

Thompson and Spiridakos visited the Decider studio to discuss the series, share what it was like working together, and reveal the work that went into styling Pigeon’s signature braid.

DECIDER: Lea, I know you optioned Nevada Barr’s book series more than 10 years ago, initially for yourself to play the role. After all the false starts, how surreal is it to see Anna Pigeon on the screen?

LEA THOMPSON: It’s so exciting. I had a vision when I first read the series of what Anna Pigeon could be, which is why I optioned the books. I kept having to ask Nevada Barr for another year—year after year [laughs]. It feels so good that I finally got her books to the screen. It’s even better than I could have imagined. We had to change a lot of things that were in the books because of the constraints of shooting a show, but I think we really did the character proud, especially because of this one here [gestures to Tracy].

How did you know Morwyn Brebner was the right showrunner to help you see this dream through?

LT: I had met with a ton of different writers over the years, but Morwyn stood out. She had this incredible sensibility about nature being a character in the show. Plus, she had experience with procedurals, which I didn’t have. She just really understood Anna and did a beautiful job fleshing out the other characters too. It was an extraordinary experience working hand-in-hand with her. We agreed right away on Tracy, who was our number one and only pick for Anna Pigeon.

Tracy, it’s clear that you were fated to play Anna Pigeon, but what first drew you to the role?

TRACY SPIRADAKOS: I wasn’t familiar with the books when this project first came my way. However, once I read the pilot script, I fell In love with Anna. She’s really complicated, but she’s also grieving and super curious about the natural world around her.

I met Lea and Morwyn over Zoom and fell in love with them. Once I logged out of the meeting, I called my manager and I was like, “I want it.” They were so welcoming and really wanted to work together as a team. They created a really lovely environment that I was keen to be part of.

Lea, how pleased were you when Tracy said “yes” to the role?

LT: Very! Tracy’s such a great number one on the call sheet. She inspired all the actors to bring their A-game. She inspired the creative team to keep writing and doing her character proud. She would stick up for things that were really important to her in a fair and loving way. She’s just an amazing leader.

Well, you’ve had the opportunity to mentor many women in this industry, both in front of and behind the camera. What makes Tracy so special?

LT: I’ve been a director for 20 years. One thing I really love is that I can share some of the things that I’ve learned through a zillion years in this business with young women. I try to hold them up and make them feel safe and protected. That’s a really beautiful feeling for me because if you’re not giving back—if you’re not teaching by my age—you’re just bitter. I have no interest in being bitter.

Tracy, what’s it been like to work with the amazing Lea?

TS: She’s so amazing. She was so supportive from the get-go. When I first got on board, Lea told me: “I’m on your side, I’m your team, I want you to feel supported in every way.” She really followed through with that. It wasn’t just empty words. With everything that we had to do—including sex scenes—she would make sure that I felt comfortable. Everything was always done with the utmost love and care. I feel very, very, very fortunate to be guided by the legend that is Lea Thompson.

One thing that the hair and makeup department had to get right is Anna Pigeon’s signature braid. Tracy, what was the process like for you?

TS: We had a whole thing around it [laughs]. We wanted to make sure the braid represented the character. We had to put a little hair extensions in there to give the braid some fullness until my own hair could grow out.

LT: Don’t cut that hair for Season 2 [laughs]!

TS: It was a little too short when we first started filming. By the end of the production, my hair found its way.

LT: Oddly enough, Tracy’s hair was one of the things that really drew me to her. I watched her on this big TV show, and I was like, “oh, that’s my kind of actress.” It was clear you weren’t obsessed with your hair or your lip gloss. You were just so beautifully natural. You felt like a real person who could work in the great outdoors. A lot of actresses aren’t like that.

There are no sound stages in this series. You filmed on location in Canada. Lea, was that one of your non-negotiables?

LT: Yes. This is not a big budget show. When we were initially talking about the production, they were initially saying we’d have to be on the sound stage for five days and outside two days. I was like, “How do we make this show?” So, we found this incredible place in Canada that was just the woods, the river, and a few cabins. The crew chopped down trees and skinned them and made our ranger station. They did the most beautiful job. That’s why our show feels so authentic.

Tracy, how important was getting out in nature in crafting Anna?

TS: Nature is almost its own character in the show. It’s something that really inspires Anna and helps her through her grieving process. Getting to be there in the woods and near the water…it just locked everything in for me. I don’t know how to explain it. I just don’t know what the show would be if it was on a sound stage. It all just came to life being outside. Anna has these moments written in the script where she takes a deep breath of fresh air. It all just felt so natural.

LT: Yeah, Tracy got to actually do all kinds of things—ride horseback, rock climb, come face to face with a cougar and an eagle. It’s nice to not have to act if you don’t have to [laughs]. We had the best wranglers ever.

One of the series’ grounding points will no doubt be Anna and her sister, Molly. Tracy, have you met Tricia Helfer in real life yet? What was it like building that bond?

TS: At the beginning, we didn’t get to meet because our scenes all took place over the phone. Midway through the season, we did some press together. I was like, “I can’t believe that we’ve been working on this show for how many episodes now and we haven’t got to meet each other!” She’s wonderful. She’s just one of the most stunning human beings inside and out.

LT: The crew loved her [laughs].

TS: She’s so beautiful, but she’s such a kind person. Without giving too much away, there’s an episode later on in the season where the sisters are in the same place at the same time. I won’t say where and what happens, but you do get to see them together. That was really fun to film as well. Tricia and I enjoyed playing off of each other. It was really interesting to see the dynamic between Anna and Molly. Anna took on the younger sister role in a way that surprised me, but I have to stop talking because I’m going to tell you too much [laughs].

Fair enough! It seems like the overarching big bad of the season will be Kim Coates’ Jeremiah Paulson. Can you tease how he and Anna continue to clash this season?

LT: You love to tease, so I’ll let you tease.

TS: I feel like I tease too much [laughs]. Anna is the thorn in Jeremiah’s side. He just can’t quite get rid of her. Anna is such a curious person that she needs to know the root of everything. So, you will see them intersect in ways that you don’t necessarily expect.

LT: He’s such a delicious actor. I just loved directing him. Kim’s not what I pictured when I first read the books. I pictured a cowboy who is a kind of bad guy, but Kim brings something that’s really surprising to the plate. He just makes crazy choices, and they’re so wonderful [laughs].

Anna Pigeon premieres on Friday, August 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network