“Ozark” star Jessica Frances Dukes wasn’t about to let the New York subway system derail her audition for the role of FBI agent and forensic accountant Maya Miller.

In an exclusive interview with Page Six, the actress tells us how intensely she prepared for the no-nonsense role, which stars Jason Bateman (Marty Byrde) and Laura Linney (Wendy Byrde), whose characters are caught up in a complicated money – wash scheme that takes their family to the Ozarks.

“I was a fan of the show before I got the audition, so I probably watched seasons 1 and 2 more than once because I’m a huge Jason Bateman fan; I am a big fan of Laura Linney. So I was like, ‘I’m learning,'” Dukes, 43, recalls of the four-season Netflix drama series.

While she “watched the first season for fun,” Dukes tuned into season 2 to “study” and “absorb.”

The actress – who is set to star in the upcoming post-apocalyptic sci-fi series ‘Earth Abides’ – admits she couldn’t believe it “when the audition (‘Ozark’) happened”, telling us her reaction was resounding. “nahhh.”

But she thought to herself, “I’m going anyway. I’m going to this room. I’m going to kill this audition.”

Not only was Dukes “late for (her) audition because of the trains in New York,” but she was also not dressed for the part.

“I had to go in and I think I had on a hawk and some leather tights and, like, this jean trench coat — it didn’t look like Maya Miller at all. And I had to audition like that,” she recalls.

But Dukes – who got her start in live theater – was confident in her training and skills, telling us: “I did the work. I knew the show so well and I was like, “I know I’m talking to Jason Bateman in these scenes. I know who Marty is. I follow him so much. I got this.”

The actress says she “got the call like a month later.”

As if the news itself wasn’t enough to celebrate, Dukes was told that Agent Maya Miller has moved from a recurring role to a series regular, as she recalls the showrunners telling her: “We are ready to go on this journey with you. “

Dukes — who is currently filming Season 3 of the historical drama series “The Gilded Age” — says filming “Ozark” was “one of the best experiences of (her) life.”

It was also one of the funniest. Despite the “heavy” nature of the show, Dukes reveals that it was pure comedy behind the scenes.

“It was the funniest set ever,” she says with a laugh, calling Bateman, 55, “the king of comedy.”

“Just what you feel when you look at him is who he is. When you go on set, there is no ego. There is no “I’m better than”. He’s a family guy,” Dukes adds of Bateman, adding that “Laura is very funny.”

According to Dukes, the banter and shared laughter would last “all the way to ‘Action!'”

While it wasn’t necessarily a funny memory, there was one particular scene with the “amazing,” “career goal” Linney, 60, that Dukes refers to as one of her “favorite moments as an actress.”

“It felt like every day with her was a masterclass,” marvels Dukes. “I had a scene. He just came in and says, “I’m going to do this a couple of different ways.” And she walks out of the room, and I’m like, “OK.”

“And we do the first take, and she does it like the sweetest person in the whole world. She leaves the room, (and) they shout, “Cut!” I say, “OK, great.” (They shout,) “Action! She turns and does it like the Wicked Witch of the West, and they yell, “Cut!” And she comes out. And then she comes back and I do it again, and she sells me cookies! And I said, ‘What happened?'”

Dukes explains that her background in theater allowed her to be “open and just react” to whatever way Linney decided to approach the stage.

“This is the best scene to watch when one is not planning or acting,” says Dukes, calling the experience “just wonderful.”