(Illustration by Mark Harris For The Times )
When Jon Hamm swapped Don Draper’s sleek suits for a 10-gallon hat to play a wife-beating cowboy in Season 5 of “Fargo,” he became the latest actor to enjoy a hard pivot thanks to the show’s perception-shattering casting practices.
“Fargo” executive producer Warren Littlefield explains writer-director Noah Hawley’s nonformulaic formula that keeps fans on their toes. “‘Fargo’ walks in the shoes of comedy, and also tragedy,” Littlefield says. “When they collide, that’s when you have great ‘Fargo.’”
Starting with its first season in 2014, “Fargo” — based on the Coen brothers’ 1996 movie — enabled actors known for their comedy chops to get serious. Nick Offerman came from “Parks and Recreation” to play it straight on “Fargo,” as did “Cheers”-famous Ted Danson, Brad Garrett of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and Dave Foley (“News Radio,” “Kids in the Hall”), who showed up this year as a smooth lawyer who never gets around to explaining why he wears an eye patch before being shot dead.
Littlefield credits casting director Rachel Tenner with a key role in assembling the show’s quirky ensembles. “Probably the only suggestion the Coen brothers gave Noah and myself was that Rachel did local casting when they made ‘Fargo,’ and ‘She really got us.’ We love Rachel’s sensibility.”
Here’s a look at the backstories behind five actors who have benefited from the “Fargo Effect,” thanks to their stereotype-defying performances.
Funnyman Martin Freeman lets out the monster inside him in Season 1 of “Fargo.”
(Chris Large / FX)