Was there anything about this character that you added to the role that wasnt already really scripted for you?
Billy Bob Thornton:A weird haircut [Laughs], which was actually a mistake.
I could be the bass player of the Buffalo Springfield.
Or, Ken Burns, the dark side of Ken Burns.
But Malvo would look at their sweater and say, why are you wearing that sweater?
I mean, you work in a clothing store.
Look at all those nice sweaters over there.
You look like a bag person.
And so, its just a very odd thing.
Its sort of in keeping with the tone of the Coen Brothers to have a character like that.
But Noah managed to walk a tightrope with this thing and he does a great job.
I just thought it was so clearly drawn that I just had to kind of be there.
I looked at Malvo as a guy who is a member of the animal kingdom, you know?
And yet theyre one of the meanest, most ruthless predators on earth.
So, Malvo probably doesnt think of himself that way.
He just thinks of the moment and how do I get the job done?
Well, thats a good question.
Well, a lot of that is [in the eyes].
Thats the big guy right there.
He said, Thats the guy you dont want to mess with.
I ultimately talked to the guy and I could tell that he meant what he said.
So, those are the people you want to watch out for.
So, those are the ones.
And I look at Malvo as a jot down of sort of snake charmer.
Once he looks at you youre under some sort of spell.
I just was wondering again how a series like this kind of fits into that reality.
And what we didnt realize was that it was going to be so short.
We thought it would last a couple of decades.
When I was coming up, television was a bad word.
Wait a minute, you’re able to sell heroin, but you cant smoke?
I dont understand that.
But theyre going for a certain demographic or whatever it is and trying to sell it everywhere.
On TV, you have even more creative freedom now.
Thats when we all started thinking, hey, wait a minute.
This is the place to be; shows likeThe Wireand things like that.
But its the exception rather than the rule now.
Im wondering, were starting to see these more contained single season limited run TV series likeTrue Detective.
What is the feeling about that format to you as an actor?
I know Noah Hawley described the show as like a 10-hour movie in a way.
Well, thats true and thats what it felt like making it.
It felt like doing a 10-hour independent film.
But also, this doesnt mean that Im giving up doing movies.
Its a way to do both.
If you came up as a film actor, you dont have to give it up.
Im not saying I wouldnt, but that wasnt really what I was looking for.
When I was offered this, it seemed perfect to me.
So, theres a great appeal in it, and I think youll see more and more of it.
Im even thinking that way now.
Its like, Are you kidding me?
You cant sell bubble gum and toys with that!
IfFargohad come out in 1986 and then this came up in 1996, I would have been more worried.
Were you wary of whether it could be pulled off, though?
No, I had read the pilot script.
I was offered it and read the pilot script immediately.
I thought, well, you know what, this guy has done it.
He really has pulled this off.
So, I didnt worry, simply because I had read the pilot and it was so good.
And I didnt feel like it was a rip-off.
What do you think that Malvos problem is?
What I think his problem is is very different than what he thinks his problem is.
I dont think he has a problem.
Do you know what I mean?
Do you think hes a psychopath?
…He exists in the animal kingdom more than anything else.
In terms of working on the character, I mean Noah had drawn it so clearly.
They were all terrific, but they have different energies.
I really put myself in his hands.
I think we all did.
Would you be interested in writing and directing your own limited series down the road?
Probably, immediately more as an actor.
But down the road, I definitely have my eye on at least writing something.
Theyre not ones that the distributors are clamoring for.
Its the only place that exists like that in the country.
I think thats why were so interested in those people in movies.
The Coen Brothers have really opened up a vein there.
Its a great kind of character to explore.
Since weve started, Ive talked to Ethan a couple of times.
And Ethan, when asked about the pilot he said, Yeah, its good.
And for Ethan saying yeah, its good is like him saying, This is fucking amazing.
But then I have talked to Ethan since.
Oh, it definitely does.
Theres no question about it.
I mean, its just there.
And it also kind of keeps you up for it all day.
It was really just bone chillingly cold.
And it just so happened that every time I was off Calgary got good weather and it warmed up.
It was almost like the weather was Malvo to me.
It would just mess with me.
And for some reason, every time I was working, it would just get miserable.
So, I think the Great Spirit was messing with me a little bit on it.
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