Patrick Wilson (“Angels in America,” The Conjuring), Ted Danson (“Cheers,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”), and Jean Smart (“Designing Women,” “Samantha Who?”) have signed on to star in the second installment of FX’s miniseries franchise “Fargo,” it was announced today by Eric Schrier, President, Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions and Steve Stark President, Television Production & Development of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.
Wilson, Danson and Smart join previously-announced leads Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons.
Patrick Wilson will star as Lou Solverson, a clean cut Minnesota State Patrolman, four years back from Vietnam, where he served in the Navy. A humble and competent man, Lou is a devoted husband to his wife Betsy (yet to be cast), and father to four-year-old Molly (yet to be cast).
Ted Danson will play Hank Larsson, the Sheriff of Rock County, Minnesota. An unflappable WWII vet who embodies a certain cowboy poetry, Hank is Lou’s father-in-law.
Jean Smart will play Floyd Gerhardt, the matriarch of the Gerhardt crime family. She’s stood by her husband’s side for 40 years, but now that he’s out of the picture she thinks it’s her turn to run things.
The all new “true crime” case of “Fargo’s” new chapter travels back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, where a young State Police Officer Lou Solverson (Wilson), recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major Mob syndicate. Helping him piece things together is his father-in-law, Sheriff Hank Larsson (Danson). The investigation will lead them to a colorful cast of characters that includes Karl Weathers (Nick Offerman), the town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota. A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist.
Brad Garrett will play Joe Bulo, the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate. The new face of corporate crime, Joe’s bringing a Walmart mentality to small town America. His number two is Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine). Part enforcer, part detective, Mike is always smiling – but the joke is usually on you. Bulo and his crew have their sights set on the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, currently led by matriarch Floyd Gerhardt (Smart). With her husband at death’s door, Floyd takes over the family business, frustrating her eldest son, Dodd Gerhardt (Jeffrey Donovan). An impatient hothead with a cruel streak to match his ambitions, Dodd can’t wait for both his parents to die so he can take over and expand their business from kingdom to empire. Bear Gerhardt (Angus Sampson) is the middle son, an intimidatingly large man who, although inarticulate, is the most decent of his clan. Rye Gerhardt (Kieran Culkin), the youngest of the Gerhardt clan, views himself as a big shot, but in reality he’s just a small dog who barks big.
Production on “Fargo” will begin in Calgary on January 19 and the 10-episode anthology miniseries is slated to premiere next fall on FX.
Emmy Award winning Executive Producers Noah Hawley (showrunner/writer), Joel & Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and John Cameron all return for the second installment. “Fargo” is produced by MGM Television and FX Productions, with MGM Television serving as the lead studio.
