Actor Jack Huston tells us that the latest instalment of Fargo is the most relevant and ambitious of all as it is inclusive of our social and political realities. By Team Viva
What’s your character like?
I play a man named Odis Weff, who is a cop in the Kansas City Police Department. He is suffering and has suffered for the most of his life from a rather debilitating case of OCD, which was made worse from his time at war. This instalment takes place just post World War II. He was a bomb sweeper. There’s a bit of history with Odis and what he has gone through his entire life. He’s someone who is caught between a rock and a hard place. He’s trying to survive and find out what’s right — some sort of self-preservation, which can lead one down some very dark avenues. But once you start knocking down the dominoes, the other ones begin to fall too. So Odis is playing a dangerous game — one that’s making his life worse.
What was your biggest challenge while playing Odis?
Thank God, we have someone like Noah (Hawley, maker-writer). Noah directed the first couple of episodes and is obviously the brain behind everything. It was just phenomenal to work with him. With a talent like him, I know we’re working within this beautiful openness of what Fargo is and what’s come before. The great thing about Fargo is always the great characters. Noah gave us as the actors’ leeway to say, “How far can I go?” And it was Noah who was great at pushing everything and saying, “Reach further, go further!” I wasn’t just delivering the lines, I had to mutter to myself and do everything in fives, with my fingers. Odis has his own clock, a tick. He can’t walk out of a room without displaying some of his ticks. I was discovering Odis on my first day of filming and basically, every day, henceforth, because new things kept coming to me.
Initially, I felt a little lost because I was taking so much on playing a character with such severe OCD. I wasn’t just saying my lines. I was trying to dig incredibly deep and it was heartbreaking to watch my character go through so many physical and mental challenges but I was guided by the best possible writers, directors, and people behind and in front of the camera. You’re acting alongside some of the best actors and it’s the marriage of all these great actors coming together that leads to an amazing the series.
What appealed to you the most about Fargo and had you watched the seasons before joining the show? Or did you watch them later?
I’ve seen all of them. I’m not lying when I say it was my favourite show on TV. I adored it, and every season I’ve known somebody or have had conversations with somebody and, deep down, I always had a hope that I might get to be involved in one of these seasons. And it was a most welcomed conversation when Noah caught up and said, “Do we want to sit down and have a chat?” And when we did, he mentioned about the character Odis, and very lightly touched upon who he was. I just said, “I’m in. Are you kidding?” There are certain people with whom just the idea of working makes everything worthwhile. You know you’re going to be taken care of and Noah is one of those people. In a sense, you want to be as open as possible because this is where you really get to test your chops as an actor. You really get to go in there and dive deep into the character. It’s nice going in blind sometimes and just reading as everyone else did because it’s a constant surprise. It’s such a treat. I’ve never had more fun developing and like learning about a character and coming to terms with that. I think it was just wonderful.
How was it working with Noah on the sets? I understand that he gives very minimal notes, was that a good working style for you?
Noah can be rather disconcerting because he’s very quiet. He’s very astute. He’s always watching. If he does say something, there’s a real reason for it. They already shot the first episode and I came in on episode two. I was actually working on something else and they very kindly allowed me to come in a bit later. During the first big scene, it was lovely having Noah’s guidance because I didn’t know how far I could go. And it’s funny. As an actor, I think one was aware of going too much. The lovely thing about this is that Noah creates a unique world, which calls for the Coen-esque version of some of these people as a beautiful inspiration. Noah was very good at making me feel confident and comfortable so that I could push myself into the skin of my character. I could have always pulled it back but let’s see how far we can go.
Well, you can always pull it back but how far can you go? Noah said “go for it” and I did. I’ll tell you what came out of that, I got so involved in the character similar to when I played Richard Harrow in Boardwalk. I got so deep into Odis that a twitch in my face began to appear and I couldn’t stop it. I thought I might have this facial twist for the rest of my life. The role was very taxing, physically.
It felt like as Odis, you’re trying to prevent yourself from having a nervous breakdown the whole time. You’re trying to hide and it’s very hard when you’ve got a twitch. You’re trying to hide certain things because it feels like you’re just tensed up the whole time. It’s like you’re trying to stop yourself because you’re very aware visibly that you look like or act a certain way. Odis is in a constant battle with himself and it is exhausting. It made me just feel forlorn, sad and sympathetic to people who are afflicted quite so severely with something like OCD or things that they can’t prevent.
What about the other people in the cast? Had you worked with them before? Anybody on scene, on the set? What were they like to work with?
I can’t talk enough. I hadn’t worked with anyone in this cast before but I was lucky enough to be working with them. However, Jessie (Buckley) was the only person I didn’t have moments with.
I think usually, one of the most appealing things is when someone thinks outside the box. I remember while reading the script and coming across the cast and their respective characters, I was awestruck and felt that these are some brilliant people I am going to work with. I don’t know what they are going to bring to the role and finding that out was the best thing. It felt so cool and exciting because I knew I am going to be surprised. I worked the most with Timothy (Olyphant), who’s really a sweetheart, through and through. There’s no one quite like him and he commands such respect and is just brilliant. Everyone across the board, they made you laugh and made you cry. It was fantastic!
You had to shoot this in two parts because in the mid, the pandemic had set in. Did the mood and the environment change? What were the differences? Was everybody excited to come back on the sets or were they nervous?
We were very excited to be back on shoot because we were in the middle of shooting when we left. The first wave of people who were going back I am sure were a little nervous. One amazing thing that had happened was that Noah had sent us the first seven to eight episodes. Well, that made us all something to look at and it reignited the fires. The episodes were so great and were shot beautifully. It was very helpful. When we were on set, everyone was very careful. It was a very proactive work atmosphere. Everybody wasn’t there to mess around. Everyone was out to get it done. And, to be honest, the last day of shooting was very sad because I knew I was going to miss being here.
What do you think is the message of Fargo?
I think Fargo has a lot of hidden messages. It’s like an onion, which while you peel, you find layers after layers and with each one, you discover something new. I also think a lot of it is about people trying to find their place in a world which is like a magnifying glass. I think this season in particular is an incredibly poignant and a relevant one. We explore how history has already, in a sense, repeated itself. A lot of it also has to do with money and money corrupts. It’s about family and loyalty.
The most wonderful thing about Fargo is that the writers got everybody together in a very important moment in the world right now with equality and the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement — front and centre. The season is very timely with what we are seeing around us, politically and socially. It’s amazing how Noah and the writers were able to tap into something so relevant with this fourth instalment. And they are going to be talking about a lot of things in this season. It’s an incredible and a credible time for this!
What do you think will be the audience’s takeaway from Fargo?
It’s a ride, a wild, wild one. This instalment is like every season put together. It’s incredibly ambitious, large in scale and epic. This has most of the Fargo of all, in certain areas. You go on a journey with somebody and when you’re introduced to something else, you head on to that journey. By the end, you just can’t quite understand how they’ve managed to weave so much into just 11 episodes. It is mind-bending. It’s a fun, wild, and bloody ride with a lot of realism that has been addressed.
(Season 4 airs every Saturday at 10 pm on Colors Infinity.)
