When it came time for co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan to figure out who would star as the lead of their new ’70s crime thriller Duster, there was only one name from the beginning of the process. Watching Josh Holloway in the role of hotshot, smooth-talking getaway driver Jim Ellis, it’s a decision that makes all kinds of sense. While Jim has been a loyal member of Ezra Saxton’s (Keith David) crime family for several years now, a new arrival on the scene leads him to question everything he thought he knew about his boss.
Meanwhile, newly-minted FBI Agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson) has her own personal bone to pick with Sax, but the only way she can get close enough to take down his organization is by hooking herself a confidential informant — and that’s where Jim comes in. As the two reluctantly pair up, they’re both put into a position of being forced to trust each other, but they’re also individually questioning everything they thought they knew about one of the most notorious men in Arizona.
Ahead of the premiere of Duster, Collider had the opportunity to speak with Holloway and Hilson about teaming up for their new HBO Max series. Over the course of the interview, which you can watch above or read below, Holloway reveals the pitch that immediately convinced him to sign on, while Hilson elaborates on which traits instantly drew her to her character. They also discuss the show’s intensive stunt driving, why the characters Holloway plays are always handing out nicknames, the experience of working with Keith David, and more.
COLLIDER: I was struck by the fact that this is a show where it really feels like it’s the perfect marriage of actors and characters. Josh, for you specifically, it really feels like no one else could have played Jim Ellis. How far were J.J. [Abrams] and LaToya [Morgan] in the development process when they came to you and said they wanted you for this part?
JOSH HOLLOWAY: Not that far from what I understand. J.J. had an image in his mind for a while about this phone booth in the desert and hearing this rumble of an engine, and then someone slides up and steps out of the car and answers the phone, like, “Where are we going?” That was his image. Then he said, “Well, I think it’s Holloway that gets out of the car.” And that was that.
That’s when he called me. That’s all he kind of had. [Laughs] He was like, “That’s what I got! You work for the Mafia.” He just started rolling with all these ideas and making new ones up in the moment. It was amazing, the pitch he was giving me. I was like, “Yes, J.J., yes! You had me at hello.” It was a dream come true. It just fits like a good pair of jeans, you know? I am not a person who is very technological. I’m not addicted to my phone. I still listen to music from the ‘70s and drive trucks and V8s.
RACHEL HILSON: Too fast.
HOLLOWAY: Too fast. And do some fish tails, which you’re not supposed to. So, I fit right in.
Rachel Hilson Reveals What Drew Her to the Role of ‘Duster’s Nina Hayes

Image via Max

Rachel, I am such a fan of Nina’s determination and her doggedness. She is somebody who is not going to let a little bureaucratic red tape or discrimination or any of the obstacles that get thrown her way interfere with this mission of hers. Was that the character trait that really drew you to her when you were considering the show, or was there some other aspect of her personality that hooked you and made you think, “I want to play this character?”
HILSON: No. I do think a lot of it was that. My audition scene was actually the first scene of the show, and I had no context, actually. I was sent just that scene and maybe one other without understanding anything about this role, but I think that really gave me all of what I needed to know about this character, which was that she was determined. She’s witty, she’s smart. She is stubborn. I think all of those combined make for a really attractive person to play. So, it was definitely a combination of those things, but certainly her ability or her lack of ability to take no for an answer.

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The series premieres on May 15.

Josh, you’ve referenced the driving already, so I have to ask: the amount of time that you seem to spend behind the wheel on the show is really impressive. How many of the stunts did you try to do yourself? Did you have to go back and learn how to drive this more vintage car that you’re operating a lot more of in the show?
HOLLOWAY: Yeah. As soon as J.J. told me I’m a wheelman for the mafia, that next day I was on the internet finding a stunt driving school to send myself to. I found Rick Seaman’s Motion Picture Driving Clinic. It was Rick Seaman’s, who’s a famous old legend stunt driver. I set myself there right away and did an intensive with him. Then I did some more with a guy named Chris Peterson — “Smokey.” We did every trick in the book, and they taught me, really, how to maneuver, how to parallel park a car by sliding it in. I can swing the license plate right into camera. Things like that. Real precision driving. It was just like Disneyland. Are you kidding me? I was like, “Oh my god!” Everything they tell you that you’re not allowed to do on the road, you get to do, and so that was a lot of fun.
Then Troy Brown, our stunt coordinator, really had a lot of faith in me and encouraged me, and told me, “You can do these stunts, so let’s do them.” So, they really allowed me to do some pretty difficult stunts. And of course, they did a lot of the driving themselves, because I’m not allowed to launch cars or hit other cars. So, anything I was allowed to do, they allowed me to do, so that was a lot of fun. It added an element of adrenaline to my day, for certain.
Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson Deepened Their Connection On and Off-Screen in ‘Duster’

Image via Max

I love the reluctant partnership between your characters. Something that I think we see is they’re really forced into the situation that I don’t think either of them wants to be in with each other, but it really builds and evolves as the season goes on. Josh, it seems like your characters have a running tendency to give other characters nicknames. “Baltimore” feels like a natural evolution from “Freckles” [from Lost] in a lot of ways.
HOLLOWAY: It does. That’s funny, because I’ve always been that way. As a matter of fact, [Lost co-creator] Damon [Lindelof] started writing nicknames. We all went bowling, so I was getting everybody bowling nicknames. It’s just something I’ve always done. It’s part of my dialogue. I don’t know. It just comes up.
As that relationship is growing and developing, did the two of you find yourselves as actors really leaning into that stronger connection in those moments where we see Nina and Jim start to trust each other more?
HOLLOWAY: I did, because I didn’t know Rachel.
HILSON: I didn’t know you.
HOLLOWAY: And she didn’t know me, and we’re working together. So there is that element of professionals working together. “Do I trust you? Do you trust me?” We’re antagonists. Our relationship is antagonistic to start. You never know how another actor is going to bring that. Are they going to bring that to you personally, or are they going to bring that through their character? That was, I feel like, a discovery for me, working with you every day, like, “What’s our relationship? How is it developing?” So, it was parallel. It felt organic and parallel.
HILSON: Being in Albuquerque for the length of time we were in Albuquerque also lent itself to just getting close as a cast because we really only had each other. Then, the strike also put a wrench in things. But we had the whole year. We had so much time to develop a relationship off-screen to make the one on-screen work.
HOLLOWAY: Yes. And you were right: maybe they don’t want to be hanging out together and working together, but the fact that she lost her father and I lost my brother, possibly by the same man, really is the core of where their relationship starts and then grows from that vulnerability and that need to know.
Speaking of the man in question, this show has so many eclectic, madcap characters, but one person that both of you get to share the screen with is Keith David. I did want to ask about the experience of working with him and what you most enjoyed about getting to bounce off of him, because he’s so fabulous in this.
HILSON: He is. There’s nobody like Keith David. He’s got the best voice in Hollywood. He’s got just this insane presence, just this incredibly expressive face. When you’re in a scene with him, you just kind of want to look at him and just listen to him. It was really fun to work with him. He’s so good. It’s always nice to work with actors that you admire so much, and he’s so good in this role.
HOLLOWAY: He’s the anchor. He’s got such gravitas. He’s got such weight as a presence when he comes into any room. And that baritone voice. He’s always singing. I love it. He sings all day long on set, all these amazing, classic songs. Just being around Keith, he elevates you. He’s such an OG in the business. You’re like, “Wow!” I fanboy out on him. So, it was good. I enjoyed every scene we had together.
Duster premieres tonight, May 15, on HBO and Max.

Duster

Release Date

May 14, 2025

Network

Max

Directors

Steph Green