Exclusive Interview
Katherine McNamara Dishes on ‘Montana Mavericks,’ Leading Her First Rom-Com & More
What To Know
- Katherine McNamara stars in The CW’s Montana Mavericks, which premieres November 16.
- The Shadowhunters alum discusses leading a rom-com for the first time with Swooon.
- McNamara reflects on Heather and Cliff’s bond, the appeal of cowboy romance, and more.
Katherine McNamara is no stranger to playing out a love story — just look at Shadowhunters — but Montana Mavericks marks her first time leading a rom-com. Excited as she was to rise to the occasion, the self-described hopeless romantic did feel a little bit of pressure.
“There’s always that thing, at least for me, about leading a rom-com, where you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to be the Julia Roberts. I’m not that. I’m just me,'” McNamara told Swooon. “But it’s fun to think about their work and go, ‘Well, what was it that made their work so special? And what was it that made these roles feel so unique yet so universal and relatable, and to try my hand to find a little taste of their magic somewhere.”
Montana Mavericks, which premieres on November 16, is the first of six Harlequin romance movies hitting The CW this year. It follows Heather, a New York City author who inherits a Montana ranch from her late mother. Determined to sell it and find inspiration for her next book at the same time, Heather also reconnects with her childhood friend, who also happens to be a charming cowboy. Despite their friendly beginnings, Heather and Cliff (Dennis Andres) don’t gel immediately.
David Brown / 2025 Centinel Media
“Heather is a far more dynamic character than I ever expected to find in such a light, joyous film,” McNamara said. “She’s torn in different directions and, like many of us at the quarter-life crisis age, she is struggling with the feeling she may never reach her full potential. On top of that, she is trying to balance the pressure of the momentum of her career and grieving her mother, all with a strong sense of tenacity and denial.”
When she meets Cliff, the actress said, he shakes her out of old patterns. Heather has the same effect on him, and in the process, they help each other reach their full potential. “What I found so interesting about Heather and Cliff’s love story is the ebb and flow of their connections and differences that give their relationship such balance and compatibility,” McNamara explained. “Sure, its city girl meets country boy, fast paced meets relaxed and stable, fashion meets flannel — but they are more similar than they realize.”
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was something the actress, who has a personal affinity for the romantasy genre, was eager to play out. “I love it when people can be so different and can have completely different interests or priorities or whatever it may be and end up butting heads, and yet somehow, they both grow as characters and then learn to be each other’s safe space in a world that may not always feel safe,” she said.
David Brown / 2025 Centinel Media
Unlike most romantasy stories, however, Montana Mavericks isn’t about “one person saving the other, big drama, or dire straits.” McNamara said that the movie’s quieter, more intimate moments are what stood out to her. “[Heather and Cliff] fill in the gaps and provide support for the other in places they didn’t even realize they needed,” McNamara reflected. “Sometimes love is just that simple. Sometimes it’s just two people who find the sun shines a little brighter when they’re together. I think that’s pretty beautiful.”
As deep as their connection is, the film offers just as much comedy as it does romance. It was a joy for McNamara, who recalled watching I Love Lucy growing up and wanted to “Lucille Ball” her way through a western. “[Dennis and I] had such a fun time crafting the comedy of this and really leaning in because that’s what’s great about this new chapter with CW is that we’re taking the Harlequin romance novels… but modernizing it with The CW rom-com format,” McNamara said, “and the comedy that that brings both in physical comedy and in sort of the sparring banter that we have really comes through.”
Of course, the western element appealed to the actress, too, who remembered the fun she had in bringing Walker: Independence‘s romantic moments to life. “I think a lot of it is the setting,” she said. “I mean, yes, do I love the outfits? Of course, I love a good pair of cowboy boots. Do I love line dancing? Yes, it’s one of my favorite things to go do. But there’s something about just being in such a beautiful place that kind of takes your breath away, and then also celebrating love in and amongst that.”
She continued, “There’s something about the sort of unruliness of the West and the unlimited possibility that it provides, whether it’s the West today or the West back in the days of Walker: Independence. But I think there’s something about a cowboy that’s just, it’s the loyalty and the heroism, but also, they’re a little bit wild, and they do everything with their heart. And that’s, I think, the biggest thing that I always find with cowboys that I fall in love with, is they put their heart and their whole heart and everything they do. And that’s really, really beautiful.”
Montana Mavericks, November 16, The CW
