Q&A: Ronnie Rowe Jr. talks new USA Network series 'Anna Pigeon'

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USA Network is bringing Nevada Barr’s New York Times best-selling book series to life, with Tracy Spiridakos (“Chicago P.D.,” “Revolution”) starring in “Anna Pigeon.” The adventerous, 10-episode weekly series debuts at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.

In the show, hardscrabble Pigeon, seeking refuge from a tragic personal loss, channels her laser-focused, later-in-life crime-fighting skills into protecting Glacier National Park. Not always a team player, Pigeon puts justice ahead of politics as she works to drive out threats – both internal and external.

She is joined by a team of dedicated rangers, as well as top FBI agent and frenemy Frederick Stanton (“Star Trek: Discovery” star Ronnie Rowe Jr.).

The cast includes Paulina Alexis as Zoey Bear Child and Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz as Manny López, plus sci-fi legends Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”) as Molly Pigeon, and Melanie Scrofano (“Wynonna Earp”) as Bethany Lopez.

“Back to the Future,” “Jane Doe,” “Caroline in the City” and “Switched at Birth” star Lea Thompson serves as director and executive director.

Rowe revealed more in this edited Q&A.  The Toronto actor has had a stellar career to date, most notably with a five-season run “Discovery,” but also working in comedy (“Kim’s Convenience”), action (“Reacher”) and even Hallmark (“Christmas with a Kiss,” “Jingle Bell Bride”).

Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Frederick Stanton in “Anna Pigeon.” (Photo credit: Michelle Faye/USA Network ©Versant Media 2025)

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BTS: Ronnie, the (PR) team has a great job of promoting this show. I'm excited to see it. Tell me what appealed to you in the story, and in the character.

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: It's based off of a best-selling book or a novel, and so, just knowing that it had such a great foundation – and just who was attached to it: Lea Thompson. I’m a huge fan of “Back to the Future,” and I was able to meet her, and she told me what they were hoping to do with Frederick, and the character, and what they wanted for him. I was pumped – I was pumped at the opportunity to just kind of have an opportunity to go out for it. It worked out well.

There's so much. I just feel like the story, and the arc of the story, is just so well balanced. It kind of hits every aspect of life: grief, mystery, excitement, sex. It's got a little bit everything.

BTS: Lea Thompson, obviously, has had quite an established career. She comes from a family of people who direct and do other things. They're all very involved in the production process. What is she like as a director?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: She's an artist’s director. She gives you freedom to play. She knows what she wants, but she gives you an opportunity to kind of bring what you bring. So, it's a real collaborative experience. She trusts you. She works with people that she trusts and, because of that, she gives you freedom to do what you've done – to trust your backstory and your preparation, and she allows you to play. I would always ask her, like, “Permission to play,” and she’s like, “Yeah; permission granted.”

Lea Thompson, director of “Anna Pigeon” on USA Network. (Photo credit: Michelle Faye/USA Network ©Versant Media 2025)

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BTS: How helpful is it to have someone with a well-established career, and a beloved actress; such an acclaimed actress. Like you said, she gives you the freedom to play. How beneficial is it to have someone who’s been doing what you're doing directing you in these episodes?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: Exactly – because of what you said. She has so much experience, and she's been through it, and she knows what it feels like to be exactly where you are. So, it's great. You have a trust. I have such a trust in Lea and what she sees – and if she gives me a direction, I'm not even really second guessing it because I trust her vision and her talent and her experience.

It's easy to work with someone that's accomplished what she's done and is as talented.

Tracy Spiridakos as Anna Pigeon in “Anna Pigeon” on USA Network. (Photo credit: Sally Montana/USA Network ©Versant Media 2025)

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BTS: Tell me about working with Tracy. You've got such a great cast from top to bottom. But Tracy, in particular, I just was so impressed by what she brought to “Chicago P.D.” … a series that was that well established – to have somebody come in and just become such an integral part of the storyline. I just credit that to her acting and to what she brings to the roles that she takes on.

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: It was a great experience. Tracy is so prepared. She's so prepared and dedicated to the craft, but also to her character development.

It's so interesting watching her navigate playing Anna, and then with the experience that she had on “Chicago P.D.”: Because she was so tactically sound, sometimes she had to tone it down because she couldn't be too versed in what she was doing. So, to see that dance was really awesome.

She's such a generous artist, and just a really good person. I think when you work with good people – good, grounded people – it makes the work and the interaction so good.

She's nothing but a pleasure to work with.

From left: Ryan Northcott as Geoff Miller, Tracy Spiridakos as Anna Pigeon, Paulina Alexis as Zoey Bear Child, Crystle Lightning as Frieda, Nikki Rae Hallow as Christina Clark, Shaun Smyth as Harlan Roberts and Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz as Manny López in “Anna Pigeon” on USA Network. (Photo credit: Michelle Faye/USA Network ©Versant Media 2025)

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BTS: As I mentioned, it's a really good cast all around. Tell me about your castmates and how the team all came together the way it did.

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: The show feels really special because there's this common love. Everybody is just a good person. You get lucky sometimes when you work on shows and movies to just kind of click with everyone, and everybody just kind of clicked. And everybody's so talented and really dug into their characters and the preparation for the characters.

But it was the moments off camera that really counted. Everybody just really enjoyed being around one another, and I think that that will translate on screen. I think that's part of the reason why there's such nice dynamics on screen is everybody just kind of really got along awesome.

BTS: Tell me about being in the national park. How much were you using production studios or green screens, and how much of it was you actually out in the elements and being out on site?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: Everything. We shot everything outside. That's why the show is so captivating.

Some beautiful scenery, and going to work every day was such a pleasure. Even the drive to set was just – it was epic. I would just be taking pictures. I was such a tourist on my way to work!

You can really just drop in because you don't have to pretend. You're right there in the elements. It's hot – the sun's beating. It's beautiful. So, you can use all of that – all the nature – as a character, and it was such a gift to be surrounded by that.

The majority of what we did was shot outdoors, in nature, and even the animals – down to the animals – they were real. Wolves and cougars, eagles – it was just epic.

BTS: I just started watching another series set in a similar location. There are so many things that you don't necessarily think about in nature and being out in the wild – animals, of course, terrains. It seems like it would be very challenging for the average person to go out there and navigate it, let alone who you're trying to portray and the experience your character has. As an actor, what did you have to learn? What did have to navigate? What was the challenge of working in this environment?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: I just embrace the truth of it. Being an FBI agent, I'm not necessarily in terrain and stuff like that. So, you know, walking and almost twisting my ankle and doing stuff like that – it's real. So, you just honor the moments of the truth of I'm experiencing this new terrain the same way that Frederick is, and kind of just leaning into that. And then just really consulting with a lot of people that were FBI agents or police officers, just to get their take on how they might go about things.

But with regards to the nature aspect, kind of just living it as I went, and experiencing it in the moment.

Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Frederick Stanton in “Anna Pigeon” on USA Network. (Photo credit: Sally Montana/USA Network ©Versant Media 2025)

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BTS: Like I said: A lot of really good anticipation for this series. I'm sure it's going to do very well when it debuts. Having been on a “Star Trek” series, and having had to deal with those fans, when it comes to expectations for a series – especially a series as highly touted as this one – is everything just sort of easy – I guess for lack of a better word – once you've done “Star Trek”?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: It's never easy, but you kind of just go with the flow. I kind in the industry for a while now, so I think I just kind of appreciate the moment of being able to just like create something and kind of just really try to stay in the present with it, and really just enjoy the ride. That's something that I did with “Trek.” The fans – they're awesome. It's such a great community. I think fans, in general, without them we have nothing. So, I just love that whole aspect about it, because they're such an integral part to the success of a show, and success of our careers.

I enjoy it. I go with the flow with it.

BTS: You've had such an interesting career – everything from “Star Trek” to now action; you've done Hallmark. I'm presuming “Star Trek” is probably the thing fans ask you about the most, but what other roles come up in conversations – and is there one that surprises you?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: I'll get the role I did on “Reacher” a lot. A lot of people recognize me from that. “Kim's Convenience,” I did a little thing. A lot of people are like, “You're funnier than I thought.” You get a little bit of everything. But I think the next thing is probably Hallmark. A lot of people recognize me for the Hallmark stuff.

BTS: No pun intended, but you're someone who's not pigeonholed, right? How nice is it to be able to go from genre to genre and to have such a diverse sort of portfolio, if you will?

Ronnie RoweJr.: I think that's the dream of an actor is you want to use the whole color palette. You want to use everything that you got and put that to the test.

It's such a gift. I'm so very blessed to have the opportunity to play so many different characters: serious, comedic, dramatic. It's what I would hope for. It's what I hoped for starting this whole acting career. I'm super thankful.

BTS: For fans who want to know more about you and the projects you're working on, where's the best place to keep up with all things Ronnie?

Ronnie Rowe Jr.: Instagram's probably the best thing. I take breaks here and there, but definitely @RonnieRoweJr on Instagram would be the best place to keep tabs on me. And if you message me, I'll definitely message back at some point. I love interacting with people, especially when they just like to keep track of the journey. I like to appreciate and acknowledge that.

•“Anna Pigeon” airs at 10 p.m. Fridays on the USA Network.