ABC’s “Alaska Daily” has cast “La Brea” actor Martin Sensmeier in a recurring guest role as Jindahaa, an Alaska Native PhD student and supportive boyfriend to Roz (Grace Dove), TheWrap has exclusively learned. He will first appear in Episode 6 of the Hilary Swank-starring journalist drama.
His character description is as follows: “Always willing to lend a sympathetic ear to Roz, he is happy to ditch his dissertation to help her with a story and attend a volunteer search for a missing local Indigenous woman.”
From creator Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”), “Alaska Daily” follows Eileen Fitzgerald (Swank), a fiercely talented and award-winning investigative journalist who leaves her high-profile New York life behind after a fall from grace to join a daily newspaper in Anchorage. The story follows her journey en route to personal and professional redemption.
The one-hour drama stars Jeff Perry as Stanley Cornik, Matt Malloy as Bob Young, Meredith Holzman as Claire Muncy, Pablo Castelblanco as Gabriel Tovar, Ami Park as Yuna Park and Craig Frank as Austin Teague.
McCarthy executive produces along with Swank, Melissa Wells, Bert Salke, Anchorage Daily News staff Kyle Hopkins and Ryan Binkley, as well as showrunner Peter Elkoff.
“Alaska Daily” marked ABC’s strongest drama debut in two years in both total viewership (8.7 million) and the 18-49 demographic (1.69 ratings score) since “Big Sky” in November 2020.
Sensmeier is currently recurring on NBC’s “La Brea.” His TV credits include Taylor Sheridan’s “1883” and “Yellowstone,” Peacock’s “Rutherford Falls,” Netflix’s “The Liberator” and HBO’s “Westworld.” On the film side, he’s appeared in the Lena Headey vehicle “9 Bullets,” Sheridan’s “Wind River” and “The Magnificent Seven” with Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Chris Pratt and Vincent D’Onofrio. He recently boarded the Quavo-led action-thriller “Takeover from Trioscope” and will be seen in the upcoming Western “The Last Manhunt,” opposite Jason Momoa. Sensmeier is repped by Buchwald and Justine Hunt of Hines and Hunt Entertainment.
Episode 5 of “Alaska Daily” airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC on Thursday.
