‘Neagley’ star Maria Sten on the ‘pressures’ of breaking barriers and stepping out of Jack Reacher’s shadow

Jack Reacher’s ‘female counterpart’ Frances Neagley steps into the spotlight in her first spin-off series, with Maria Sten returning as the fan-favourite character for a story of revenge, friendship and uncovering the truth.

Neagley, pronounced “Nee-lee”, is Reacher’s best friend and former colleague from the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit.

But this time, she’s on her own mission.

After learning that her beloved friend Tommy, played by Jhaleil Swaby, has been killed in what appears to be a suspicious accident, Neagley, of course, sets out to uncover what really happened.

Based on the novels by Lee Child, the eight-part series follows the breakout character Neagley, as she uses her investigative skills to track down those responsible, becoming convinced that a dangerous cult is connected to Tommy’s death.

'A dog with a bone'

Maria spoke to indy100 about Neagley's emotional side, how she learned to portray haphephobia - an intense fear of being touched - and the “pressures” alongside pride that comes with breaking barriers as a Black woman leading a major action TV series.Aaliyah Harris / Prime Video

Determined to get justice, she refuses to let anything stand in her way — pursuing the people she believes are responsible and, in Maria’s words, becomes “a dog with a bone”.

But while Neagley is famously comfortable with choosing to work alone, now she’s forced to make an unlikely exception joining forces with a quirky group of people who prove to be quite a formidable team.

Maria spoke to indy100 about Neagley's emotional side, how she learned to portray haphephobia - an intense fear of being touched - and the “pressures” alongside pride that comes with breaking barriers as a Black woman leading a major action TV series.

'I crave seeing people who look like me leading movies'

“I want more of it. I crave seeing people who look like me leading movies and occupying space not because it’s written that way but just as people existing in the world, interesting characters existing in the world and I do feel the pressure somehow because I feel like that is rare that, that happens and somehow it feels like ok if I win we all win and if I tank we all tank”, shares Maria.

“If the show doesn’t work or whatever it feels like a loss for all of us”, she adds.

The series also sees Alan Ritchson return as Jack Reacher, although his appearances are limited as the main plot keeps its focus firmly on Neagley.

Reacher is a 'silverback gorilla' and Neagley is a 'mountain lion'

This series is far from simply being 'Reacher with a woman at the forefront.Aaliyah Harris / Prime Video

When speaking on how Neagley differs, Maria described Reacher’s character as a “silverback gorilla” and hers a “mountain lion”, which sums up their personalities pretty well.

While Reacher fans will recognise the world Neagley comes from, this series is far from simply being 'Reacher with a woman at the forefront.

Instead, it digs deeper into Neagley herself, exploring her childhood, her relationship with her ex-cop father and the experiences that have shaped her — peeling back the layers of the character “like an onion”, as Maria puts it.

And there’s still plenty of action for fans of the franchise, from classic fight sequences and high-speed car chases to Neagley sprinting across the city.

But with its own central mystery, supporting characters and deeper exploration of her personal story, the spin-off allows Neagley to stand firmly on her own while revealing more about what made her the character fans know and love.

The eight-episode series follows Frances Neagley as a private investigator in Chicago, Illinois, and is now available to stream in full on Prime Video following its premiere on Wednesday, September 16.

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