Brad Garrett – Fargo

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What was it about the role that drew you to “Fargo?”

A) He’s someone who’s humorous despite himself. Its great to play someone who doesn’t mean to be funny. The humor comes from character, not from jokes.  It’s real nuance. I find it great. There’s a fine line between comedy and drama. In drama, you can let each moment breathe and you can have that silence without waiting for a laugh.

Q) Talk about the difference between Joe and Mike’s approaches to situations.

A) Mike [Bookeem Woodbine] has many abilities and talents. This is their first time in the field together.  Joe is an old-school guy. Early on he figures out that this might be a guy that surpasses him. [Joe] has the upper hand, but down the line [Mike] will be making the calls. That’s an extra thing to play. It raises the stakes. Joe needs to get the job done to prove himself.

Q) Many people compare the show “Fargo” to “True Detective.” What differentiates the two?

A) When there are top shows involved, they are always comparing one to the other. These are two dramas that really raise the bar, even more so than network shows. I think that’s why there’s a lot of comparison. But they are very different shows. I think it’s kind of typical for viewers to compare one or the other.

Q) Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of levity interspersed amongst the grisly nature of “Fargo.” Talk about Noah Hawley’s gift for mixing the two.

A) When you’re in it, making it, I don’t think that that happens on the creative end. Noah just has an incredible gift for that. When people heard ‘Fargo’ was going to be a series, they wondered how it was going to be done. But Noah has an amazing eye when it comes to characters and especially dialogue. It’s gold when you get these scripts. It’s the way people actually talk and it’s a humor that comes from characters instead of jokes. He’s been able to pull it off two seasons in a row. He’s a gifted guy.

Q) You’ve been doing a bit more drama these days over comedy. What made you want to take a step back?

A) I’ve done a little bit of drama in the past, but it’s something I’ve really wanted to branch out to. It’s our job as actors to reinvent ourselves when we get the opportunity. My rep vigorously went after the chance to audition for the role.

Q) Were you a fan of Noah Hawley’s work before taking on “Fargo?”

A) I don’t watch a lot of TV. But I was a huge “True Detective” and “Fargo” fan, of course. It comes down to the stakes you see with the characters, what they have to go through, the conflict. It’s just all about cable right now with television. They are mini movies and that’s what “Fargo” has been able to create. There is a huge amount of trust that is handed over to the creatives in cable that just doesn’t happen in network.

Q) What did you discover about yourself through playing this character?

A) I’m not a very good runner. It’s a very a very physical show, obviously, and has a lot of wonderful character actors doing their own stunts. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t get a Jew to jump off a porch. So, when I had to do things that were a little more physical, it was really kind of interesting. I sometimes had to go back to my trailer and weep.