The A&E drama series Longmire, based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, is a contemporary crime thriller set in Wyoming.  Walt Longmire (Australian actor Robert Taylor) is the charismatic, dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, who buries the pain of losing his wife behind a brave face and dry wit. With the help of Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackhoff), a female deputy new to the department, Longmire becomes reinvigorated about his job and committed to running for re-election, as he rebuilds his personal and professional life.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Cassidy Freeman – who plays Walt’s only daughter, Cady Longmire, an attorney with dreams of the big city – talked about auditioning for this role while she was still playing Tess Mercer on Smallville, how excited the cast was to hear the show premiered as the most-watched original series on A&E, how she can easily identify with her character, what it’s been like to work with Robert Taylor, and why she enjoys the shorter shooting schedule for cable TV.  She also talked about the band she has with her brother, called The Real D’Coy, getting stopped by fans for her roles on Smallville and The Vampire Diaries, playing strong characters, and her dream of playing an old movie star in the story of her life.  Check out what she had to say after the jump.

The A&E drama series Longmire, based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, is a contemporary crime thriller set in Big Sky country. Walt Longmire (Australian actor Robert Taylor) is the charismatic, dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, who buries the pain of losing his wife behind a brave face and dry wit. With the help of Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackhoff), a female deputy new to the department, Longmire becomes reinvigorated about his job and committed to running for re-election, as he rebuilds his personal and professional life.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actor Robert Taylor (Agent Jones in The Matrix) talked about how this series came about for him, what sets Longmire apart from other shows like it, what appealed to him about the character of Walt Longmire, balancing the procedural crime element of the show with the character development, and that this is a character he’d like to play and explore for a few years. Check out what he had to say after the jump: