Ep 10: DAVID RYSDAHL Talks FX's ALIEN: EARTH + FARGO Season 5, Playing Wayne Lyon, and of course some TV Topics

Guest DAVID RYSDAHL of 'FARGO' Season 5 grabs a seat on the TV Topics couch to talk with host Steven Prusakowski about his incredible work as Wayne Lyon, the husband of Juno Temple's Dot. The actor who starred in one of my favorite films NINE DAYS also answers some carefully selected TV TOPICS questions that explore him through his TV viewing past, present, and hypotheticals.

We also had to discuss those biscuits.

#Zazie Beetz #Fargo #AlienEarth #JunoTemple #NoahHawley

Photo courtesy of FX Networks. Photo credit: Michelle Faye/FX

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hey, where's the remote? It's time for TV topics where
those who love television discuss the series and
performances that should be on your radar.
Welcome back to TV TOPICS. I'm Your host, Stephen
Prasakowski. Hanging out today on the TV
Topics couch is an actor who made us look at the afterlife
with analog eyes in nine days. Kept us endlessly suspicious by

(00:27):
hitting the nail on the head as Lars in No Exit.
He played a pestering landlord with a sensitive nose in Black
Mirror. He put his chemistry major to
good use as he taught us some physics as chemist Dr. Hornick
in the explosive Oppenheimer. And he just wrapped up the
brilliant 5th season of FX's Fargo, where he stars as Juno

(00:47):
Temple's husband, the lovably meek and quite electrifying
Wayne. Here's today's guest, David
Risdal. Hello, I'm David Rizdo and today
I'm hanging out with Steven Prusikowski on TV Topics.
We'll jump into your work in Fargo in just a few minutes.
But first let's talk some TV topics.
Remember, there's no pressure. There are no right or wrong

(01:10):
answers. It's all just a bit of fun.
OK, so my first question for you, what has been your
relationship with television, you know, over the years?
Were you ATV, Junkie watches, everything.
You're very selective. Do you have your go to shows and
re watches? Well, I grew up, my parents had
like 4 channels growing up. They were those kind of parents.

(01:31):
You know, we had PBSTBS and thenwe had, we actually, we had some
of the Fox NBCABC, you know, so I grew up actually loving Bill
Nye, the Science Guy in the Magic School Bus.
And then and then at night we could watch The Cosby Show and
some of the sitcoms like Tim theTwo man Taylor.

(01:51):
My dad loved Texas Ranger on Saturday night, so we would, but
it was kind of an event, you know, we would, we would get
together, do do it together as afamily.
I come from a pretty big family.There's there's five kids and
two adults. So a lot of what we did, we
would talk about television afterwards, which is like kind
of the most fun to to digest an episode together as a family.

(02:14):
And that's, I think I'm similar now to how I watch me.
I love Succession. I love the Breaking Bads.
I love Mad Men. I love Atlanta that my wife is
on to got a shout out my wife you know and I can't but but but
I think I love shows that make that afterwards you want to go
talk about it and and for me thebest ones feel like there's

(02:36):
character arcs there's there's multi dimensions there's tones
that are that you're invited in it's like meeting as someone
who's really interesting as A and then you can see their whole
life play out. I I I I think this new form of
television really allows it's a great medium for writers to
really explore character over a much more time than you normally

(02:59):
get with the film and and that'swhy I'm drawn to projects like
Fargo and I'm happy I get to work with Mr. Hawley again on on
Alien because he's the he's the kind of writer that likes
complex characters and and and interesting tones and worlds.
That's great. I I was one of six.
So one of six. Yeah.

(03:20):
What? What number were you?
I was 3. Oh, right in the middle.
OK. That's probably why I'm doing
this now you know it's the need to be seen.
Make it in a pocket. That's funny, and also probably
why you're such a you're good interview works, you're a good
listener. I try.
I try my best. Yeah.
It's it's funny though that you know, when you have the big
family, the discussing what you're going to watch, deciding

(03:41):
on it. Like, you know, we had the shows
that it didn't matter who was inthe living room.
My dad was like that's it. Hill Street Blues time.
You know it's and and then you had your shows that you can kind
of choose over you know fight over a little bit with us with
your well, I mean your tool timeand just just about everything.
It was like, yeah, you put your stake in this isn't my show.

(04:03):
We're watching this. Exactly.
My dad was was the you know, whoever held the remote was in
charge. And my dad if he was in the
room, held the remote. My mom's not as much of ATV
person in general. She wasn't in the room as much.
But my siblings, we really oughtto to talk about it on Saturday
morning morning. Cartoons that was that was our
democratic process. You know, because the the the
dictator father was gone and we all now had to learn how to

(04:27):
negotiate it. All right.
So I get Rugrats if you get Ninja Turtles kind of thing, you
know, tit for tat. Did you fight over the the seats
and the, you know, the favorite seats and the pillows, blankets,
things like that? Yeah, well, we had a really cozy
room there and so we we all. But yeah, I love the Easy boy.
In my day, I was always in the easy boy if if he was gone and

(04:48):
somebody got to go for the easy boy.
And I was the oldest, so I oftengot to to go there.
But we had, my brothers and I would negotiate for sure for
that, for the throne. The equivalent of shotgun now
when you're in high school college age.
Yeah, that's exactly right. So you know during that time
what was the 1st prime time showthat you you really remember

(05:09):
loving like one that you still are.
You know, at least have a soft spot for.
When I was younger, I just was enamored by television in
general because I was, I was from a rural, small like town
place. These were these were different
cities you know a seen a city for the real for the first time
the first. But the first show that I got
into what was mine was the Office.

(05:29):
I love the Steve Carell and you know just like and and then
later I I still go back to that show and I have a huge soft spot
for how they created little likeso much specificity of every
character and as an actor like how do you how do you if you
have one line on this episode but how do you make that person

(05:50):
interesting. How do you I mean the timing the
vulnerability the the subconscious and the conscious
wants like the like how you do layers how Michael Scott does
layers or Steve Carell with thatcharacter.
I just and I think I sometimes I'll watch The Office just to
get inspired before an audition or inspired before a day on set.
Just to remind myself that humans are messy and we can be

(06:13):
funny and and you know and just like character should come first
you can do so much with a momentand yeah so that that that's a
show that I I still go back to often.
Well, it it might blend into this next question but you know
if you have another one, maybe something more current you can
add add that one or whatever youwant.

(06:33):
But do you have a show that makes you laugh most like
something that you go back to that, Like, you know, even if
it's on for a few seconds, you're like, I got to watch some
of this and makes you laugh, picks you up.
Besides the office, maybe? I mean, besides the office.
I mean I love AI love Veep to and I got to work.
Yeah that's. And I'm Larry David.
Larry David that's my airplane watch.

(06:55):
You know when I'm. When I'm.
You know when you're like what should I watch Like oh I I just
want to veg out and watch this neurotic lovely older man who
who has like similar to Michael Scott like it's a but actually
very different actually to Michael Scott but he's a crank
but underneath that there's thisheart and there's the fact we
don't get bored with that over. No.
Like you can watch that forever and I'm not bored.

(07:17):
It's like a. Simple character choice in a
weird way, But it's like, it just has so much depth and it's
fine to watch him do. And it's so simple, like the
simple things he does. So I go back to Larry David.
I feel like now he's like a surrogate, kind of old grumpy
grandpa figure for me. So he just feels.
It feels nice to be in his presence.
I feel warmed, warmed by his glow.

(07:39):
And you could pick up any episode and go in any minute on
that show. And as soon as he's on screen,
you're like, I'm all in. And even, like, the lines that
he's delivered 234 dozens of times make me crack up.
Pretty good. Same.
Same. I guess the music, I'm already
in a good mood. I'm like, all right, here we go,

(08:00):
here we go. So simple.
It's like, you know, it's kind of like the old days of the
Three Stooges and things like that, where like, but they're
effective. And the music was so simple, but
you hear it and you're like, OK,I'm in.
I'm in. Yeah, exactly.
Good choice there and are. Are you a crier?
And if so, what's the last show that made you cry or made you

(08:21):
cry most? Oh I am a crier.
And I mean I I I am. I get emotionally invested.
I don't. I don't cry.
But yeah and I love to be elevated to that space
emotionally. I I don't I don't cry very often
but I do. I definitely cry in shows And
actually not to boast, bring up my own show but the last show I

(08:42):
cried in was was the finale of Fargo.
I, I, I at Sam Spruill. I, you know being in that scene
with them and in Wayne's point of view is different than
David's point of view watching and you know and watching the
pain and the burden that that old monk had and also Sam

(09:02):
Spruill like carried for six months in a way and to to
release it And there's so much hope and I think that's what you
know going into 2024 in America like that message that that how
do we break the cycle of trauma how do we love our neighbor.
Well you got to sit with them break bread there's power in

(09:24):
that ritual and and when I read the script for that I was like I
was so impressed and also I was nervous I'm like this has we got
to do this right for it to land.But I at that message which I
think is in the original you know movie and and of of Fargo
like the humans there's this better natures and there's like
also there's a selfish and there's a self less and and the

(09:49):
one that you feed in a way it will win and and it is America
we need to we need to feed our better angels and there are
there is another way and and youvisit the table and listen to
somebody's story and just listening is powerful and and
and so they that's I teared up while watching that and and
really felt that that that's what this that's what we were

(10:10):
and we ended with. Well, we will definitely get
into that shortly. So I don't want to get too far
ahead, but I mean, I'm loving everything you're saying, but
I'm like, oh wait, I'm going to start stumbling later on and.
We're like, yeah, fair enough. What you said echoes a recent
guest, Phil Rosenthal, from the creator of Everybody Loves
Raymond and his show Somebody Feed Phil.

(10:32):
He said the same thing very likevery in tune with what you said
about you know instead of fighting instead of online let's
put a table in the middle put food in the middle and the the
the warring party should meet and share food because you don't
fight when you're having good food.
And it's like and I was like youshould give it a listen.
It was a really inspirational like I didn't expect it but he

(10:53):
he moved me, you know, in those words.
It's wonderful and he moved me as well.
It's it's great to hear. Yeah.
Well, I'll. Definitely Listen to that.
I I listened to the Rose Byrne Iloved.
I love her and I love that. Oh yeah, yeah, that was the
first one ever. And she was or no, she had to
pick up her kids or something. She was walking around the city
on her cell phone so the audio is not great, but her
everything, she said. Is and it was the first one, so
I wasn't the first one, but now I wanted.

(11:14):
But I like the content and the way you approached it.
Now I want to jump in and and hear listen to the rest of them.
Yeah, please do. Please do.
Is there any other show that made you cry?
I credit succession. I also like succession but to do
to make us wait care for these characters that are so
despicable. I, I and is a testament to the

(11:37):
writing to the acting to the directing.
I mean you you care for Kendall Roy you he's so lost and I think
that was tears of I mean I I mean I teared up tears of how
broken the people are that are sometimes in so much power.
And there's and you think about like that's some of the trauma

(11:57):
that Fargo talks about that these people who have so much
power in our world are as brokenand probably more broken than
the average person and and and and we need to figure out a way
for them to come back to the table and to to realize what's
important for your neighbor and what you don't need a billions
of dollars. You actually.
You know just have enough for yourself.
There's enough to go around and and but what what are the what

(12:21):
are the things inside of us thatsay no, I need more or no I
need. And it's like the things about
your wanting your your your dad's attention and love can
make you be an awful person in your real life.
And I think that's like a very profound notion of that show of
and just that concept makes me make.

(12:41):
Made me tear up. Yeah.
When you watch it, it's such a tragedy and it's not about the
deaths or death. It's not about, you know, who
wins or who loses. It's this is a family and these
people are are so disconnected from kind of humanity.
It's like all about. It's all it's like a it's a
pawns in a business plan, you know, in the in the big scheme,

(13:04):
but lacking the soul inside of them.
Or it's like at least closed off.
Yeah. And trying all these things to
fill that, that will never fill them, you know that fill that
hole. And and what you can relate to
in your own life, that's watching these billionaires who
are kind of despicable people, then you relate to them with
your own family is such a powerful piece of television to

(13:26):
do anyway. Yeah, yeah.
And when you, when you look at the world today too, it's it's
hard if you're on the other sideof things.
I think it's both ways to look at it and say, boy, I feel real
bad for that billionaire. But at the same time, they're
people too. And I'm sure there's things we
connect on. You've got to assume that they
don't see us as well. And the inability from both
sides is where the problem lies.But I don't.

(13:48):
I think there is that big disconnect again, Let's break
bread. Let's break bread and like,
like, see each other. That's what I love about New
York City is you have to get on the subway together, right?
You're not stuck in a car. And so there's so many different
types of people on that subway. And you and you're not breaking
bread, but you're you're in the midst of humanity.
And that's I love that city. I'm from a small town in

(14:09):
America, which I love, and in Minnesota, actually.
But when I got to New York, I was like, wow, this subway's
what makes this city so special.And I think because you're stuck
together and you have to, sometimes you're even smelling
each other, you know, But like you're, you're like you heard a
sense. Most times.
Yeah, most times, to be honest. But but I I just.

(14:31):
I think that's really special thing about New York and is why
people there's I I don't feel very much judgement in this
city. You know you can be whatever you
want to be and let me be who I who I am.
And and yeah. Yeah, it's funny when you bring
a guest in who has not, you know, been to the big city
before and they're, you know, they're like on a commercial

(14:52):
that auto insurance or that insurance commercial where like,
don't be your parents and like, did you see the blue hair?
Did you see this? I'm like, I don't see anything
anymore. Everybody's just being
themselves live and let live and, you know, do your thing.
Yeah, exactly. OK, So what TV show, if there,
if there is one, would surprise your fans?
Like is there a guilty pleasure or something you know?

(15:13):
Oh, will you ever see that show naked and afraid?
I have not seen it. That one I was like I was like
man we are crazy human beings and yeah so I I'm I like to camp
I like to go. I, I there's these things in the
in Minnesota called the BoundaryWaters which are these untouched

(15:34):
waters up in northern Minnesota.So I can I can go out in the
middle of nature but the idea ofgoing naked with one tool just
to just to see if you can do it or I guess to be on television.
You see the facade come off really quickly and I like, I
like that about shows when they for for me it's still guilty of
pleasure. But you get to like watch the

(15:54):
facade of like the hopeful person be like yeah, I got this.
You know I garden and you're like good luck the first day
you're going to be you know justsweltering heat and all the
bugs. So that show I think I I that's
mine and I and I'm also desperate.
My friend got me into Desperate Housewives over over the COVID

(16:15):
and I was and I was like, these are fascinating characters too.
And as an actor you're always trying to find interesting
people for your and and put it in your brain for something or
I'm a writer too. So like and and so I think I'm
always drawn to character now I always get weirded out if it
feels exploitative, which a lot of it does but but but I love a
good character and I love to seereal people be their messy

(16:38):
themselves. That's great.
Let's switch channels and and talk a little bit about Fargo.
And let me start by saying how much I loved it.
I mean, this last season, I really enjoyed it.
But then when that ending happened, I was like, wait, is
this over? It seemed like it was over.
And then I'm like, oh, there's 15 minutes left.
What the hell? And when it happens, I mean, I

(17:02):
was instantly pulled in thinkingone thing and it subverts all
expectations. And it becomes.
I mean that 15 minutes alone is spectacular, but it the what it
does and how it makes everythingproceeding even better was just
absolutely incredible. But before we talk about it.
OK, fair. I want to actually go back in
time a little bit further. I know you're a chemistry major

(17:25):
and I'm just curious like how how what was it?
What, you know, Minnesota chemistry and now you're a
Hollywood actor. What was it?
How did you get into it? Why?
You know, what's that story? I.
Grew up homeschooled until I was13.
And my my brothers so I have younger sisters but they were
not born yet so I just my brothers and I would do a lot of

(17:49):
theater with my mom. We just love making up plays and
and creating little stories. Shot a lot of those little indie
movies like shorts in my hometown.
My friends I I did all the I went to high school then and
real and you know we called it real school but but and I and I
was kind of a quiet kid you knowlike right away you're the weird

(18:11):
homeschooled kid And I did a a play and my mom's like, Dave we
should audition for the play andI was like mom, you know I don't
know. I don't, but I did it and only a
few guys like shut up for the audition.
So I got a lead role, you know, and I loved it.
I it was like one of the most spectacular feelings to to be on

(18:31):
stage. This connection you have with
other people through acting was kind of a spiritual experience
for me. And then but I'm from Rome,
Minnesota. Nobody I knew did this and and I
told one friend once and he justlaughed at me and he's like,
haha, you're going to be an actor.
And I was like, OK, I can't, youknow, let's bury that for a

(18:52):
while. And so I went to college and I,
I did chemistry and I, but I my end of my freshman year I was
like, let me just try out for this.
Let me go for this class, do an acting class.
And the love is was there. And I just started auditioning
for the plays and I just, I got into these plays in college.
And then my senior came around and I had a an internship at a

(19:16):
lab where I could go do an apprenticeship at Great River
Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN.
And I was like, well, let me do one summer of it, whatever.
And that summer was spectacular.I played Laertes and Hamlet as
an apprentice. And and I met all these adults
that were doing it. And I'm like, oh, these people
are having a great lives. And I and I slowly I was just

(19:36):
like, well, let me just try it. And this person, casting
director Tiffany Canfield, who is now big TV, she cast a lot of
television, was friends with theartistic director at this.
And afterwards she said, Dave, you should go to New York.
And I was like, yeah, I should. I was.
I was, I had just gotten in factory with Bob Dylan, who was

(19:58):
a Minnesotan that went to New York.
And I was like into all of his music.
And I was like, let me let me just go see.
I I I want to see what living ina city is like what New York's
life. I don't really know who I am.
And let me just go try this thing.
And I moved out to New York and it was really hard, you know, I
had to. I found somebody on Craigslist,
a roommate. He was a a Syrian man, a, a

(20:20):
devout Muslim. And I come from this like
Christian background. So it was really just like
suddenly we were talking about life and religion and and I got
a job at a tutoring kids with mychemistry major.
And then I was working at a hotel to and then suddenly I
moved out. You know, you move around like
10 times in New York, you you get like so many.

(20:40):
I lived with 10 roommates and inBushwick for a while and I just
did a million short films, 1,000,000 short films at
Columbia and NYU grad schools. As an actor, you got into one
and then everyone on there is like, oh, come to mine.
And I spent five years just doing short films, short
exercises and writing and just having these creative

(21:00):
collaborative community. And because you're doing short
films, you get to be a lead. You get to have an arc in those.
You're not just like coming in for one line on a show.
You get to like you're not getting paid anything, but you
get to have the experience of creating a character for and and
really carrying a movie, even though it's 8 minutes long.
And and that was really my school.
And I did. Of course I did a lot of.

(21:21):
I did. I did.
You know, that was my that plus classes and was my education in
New York and acting. And then you years later, or I
don't know how many years later,you did two of my favorite
recent films, 9 Days, which is an amazing film that everyone
needs to see. I love that you are shouting out
nine days. Favorite film I've done?

(21:41):
Yeah. It's it's absolutely
spectacular. Oh yeah.
If we didn't have so much to talk about, we could talk about
9 days, all day. Maybe next time.
The other one is Oppenheimer, another banger right there.
A banger? Who knows?
Who knows of that one? Now you're you're in Fargo, the
Fargo universe, which must have been an incredible opportunity.
And when that happened, were youa fan before?

(22:02):
Oh yeah. So I grew up knowing them.
I remember seeing the movie whenI was in high school and and
these guys are from Minnesota, the Cohens, and and then became
just obsessed with how they could create tone.
And as an actor they're one of the pinnacles because you get to
play like the canvas is so vast to play in that you can you can

(22:25):
give every color you can be. You're serious you're you're
it's like playing a it's like jazz There's like a funkiness to
it you know there's that that that you get to an elevation an
elevated state as an actor to play in.
So I was always Barton Fink The Big Lebowski No Country for Old
Men. Of course I'm.
I'm a huge Colin Brothers fan. And then and then when the show

(22:46):
came out, I was a little concerned right away.
I was like, oh, they're just going to they're going to ruin
the iconic movie, which I think a lot of us felt that way.
And then Billy Bob Thornton Martin Freeman, just and the
writing of that that that first pilot is so tight.
And I I remember being and I binged that whole first season
and then and then when the audition came through, you know,

(23:07):
I'd been a fan of the show sinceits inception.
And I was like, all right, what a cool chance I'm trying to
approach acting now just like, what a cool chance to put myself
on tape and say these fun words.You know, I ought to do the
scene. I did the scene.
I just, well, I just want to play floor hockey and watch Real
Housewives. You know, that that line.

(23:28):
And I got to do the scene where you want to take a tumble.
Those are the two scenes they gave me to do.
And they were just so fun to do with my my wife and I she's no,
she's an actor too. So we just we do.
Those did it together. And I was in.
I was in Spain my wife was doinga Black Mirror episode that I
have a small part into. But but we did we were in Europe
and and then and then I got a then you wait a month you get

(23:52):
some notes back and and they're like oh you're still in the
running for this. And I was like no way.
And and I'd met Noah once beforemy wife did a movie with him and
and I was like all right well just here's a note.
I did it again. And then you wait a few weeks
and then like, no one wants to have a zoom with you.
And and the zoom lasted 20 minutes.

(24:12):
I couldn't tell really if I got it.
I got off and then I got a call.We were still in Europe and I
got a call at 10:00 and they're like, you got it.
And then I we went out dancing the rest of the night.
It was kind of a very magical feeling.
And then and then I was like, Ohno, I got to really nail this
accent because I'm from Minnesota and I'll never hear
the end of it if I'd if I don't.So I record, I had a bunch of

(24:34):
friends from the middle and northern part of Minnesota
record themselves and listen to some local local Facebook pages.
Because where I'm from in the South to a little different
accent, I'm from a Germantown and that accent comes from the
Scandinavian roots. So I just had to double down, be
like, I really need to get this accent right.

(24:55):
We had some great coach to Liz Himmelstein.
But but yeah, that was kind of the process for Fargo.
And then going in, you always wonder right.
Well who's Wayne? So much of who Wayne is, is
who's who dot is right and who Lorraine is.
And so you meet then you meet Jude.
And I had a coffee before and and then at dinner before having

(25:15):
the first shot which which the first day of shooting was the
car sitting and me picking her up from the from the police
station. And and I remember meeting her
be like oh, this is going to be easy.
You know her energy feels right.And that changes Wayne a little
bit changes how I was approaching Wayne because I
didn't. I had never met her before.
I didn't know how she's going toplay dot either.

(25:36):
And then you meet my mom and you're like, OK, so this also
has very much shaped my personality.
And then you just go back to theyou know and and and cultivate
what you've already been workingon to shape with these new
creative forces. Did you create a back story for
him, For him? Is there something that you
wanted to bring to him, like? Oh yeah.

(25:57):
Can you tell me a little bit? Yeah, of course.
So we're almost like all right so Wayne you know kill him with
kindness kind of guy right has has learned to deal with the
intense his tense mother and so but with questions like why do
the three of us talked about like what that wedding was like
you know how when I came home and said I'm I found my my my

(26:19):
wife and I'm going to marry her like there was I'm sure there
was tension and and for me that's talks to the strength of
Wayne even before he starts and strength their relationship But
we talked a lot about Juno and Ilike I felt like Juno gave me a
lot of confidence or doc gave meconfidence so.
So I grew up and was everything was was told I was dressed by my

(26:42):
mother everything was kind of given to my mom and then I was
having a crisis you know in my early 20s of who am I because of
the because of this intense mother I had growing up I
wanting to be my like to have myown journey but not knowing what
that what that was like. And then I'm I I took some night
courses to try to gain confidence this is this is the

(27:05):
back story we had to gain confidence about public speaking
and in that class was dot and weI sat next to her and she made
me we had so much fun together. She made me feel so good about
who I was and gave me the confidence to go start Wayne
Motors, you know, and like be a great salesman.
And so yeah, I I think, and it'sbeen 10 years of us building

(27:28):
each other up and then so that'sthe back story.
I, you know, I tried to create aback story that that amplified
all my feelings. Of of love.
And create higher stakes when she leaves.
So that for me, that's that's what we kind of came up with.
I absolutely love that. That's so great.
I mean, it's like when I was thinking about the character,

(27:49):
I'm like, oh, you know, I want to discuss with you a little bit
and and get into it. I was like, because when you're
first watching, I'm like, is, you know, is he a little doll?
Is he, You know, is this some kind of defense mechanism?
You know, what is this like? Because his wife in the family
home is one way part of this quiet, perfect little family.
But as soon as there's danger, she goes into attack mode and

(28:11):
defends the family. And Wayne's always kind of laid
back. But then I think, oh wait, that
relationship with his mother, that must be the key to some of
who this character is behind Hiswouldn't hurt a family exterior.
There are more layers and more depth to his story than it would
first appear. All part of making him the wane

(28:32):
we see. Yeah.
And when I started seeing him when as you start to get exposed
as you're saying you get exposedto this his world like oh wait
now I now I get him, which is really you know it's it's it
plays so well especially, you know as things get more tense
you're like. Yeah.
At first I was like, is he not seeing this or is he kind of

(28:53):
yeah. Can you can you give me a little
bit more about the dynamic between you and and Juno 'cause?
You know I. And and and dot and dot and
Wayne. Yeah, dot and Wayne I I think
there is a a passive aggressive or a a doesn't want controversy.
He's grow grew up with a very intense mother and knows that.

(29:15):
All right. I had to find it in my own way
to be strong, and I can't confront her.
But he grew up understanding howto be charming, how to be kind.
And that was a defense mechanismin a way.
It's also generally who he is. He's a kind of person.
But I think the arc of the season is he he this, that

(29:37):
defense mechanism fails him in away, you know and and and he
this thing that they built up. You know, Juno and I were
saying, even though I don't knowwhat happened to her, one, sure,
there were times we were being intimate and she, like, she
flinched or you know, like you know something about like,
there's probably been times thatI know that there's pain in her
past. I don't know what it is, but I

(29:57):
know that if what I have to do when she's in those moments that
are maybe she gets manic or something, I calm her down by
being normal. So that's what my that's what
Wayne's doing. The first he's like all right
I'm not going to this is a little weird you know.
But I know I if I need to just give make her feel safe and and

(30:19):
and we'll we'll go through this together like we have in the
past when things have come up that I didn't understand and
she's never told me right. There's you know you don't go
through that much trauma that she's and it doesn't show up in
her in her personality. I'm sure there are times that
but she can't talk about it and and that's why I think it's
beautiful about our arc that by the end by that last finale

(30:40):
scene we've talked about that stuff like that this last year
like we have been forced to actually talk about what's
happened to her and what's happened to all of us.
And then when he when holy moot comes.
I do think Wayne I mean I play it that's how I that all right
this guy's dangerous. I can tell her something's going

(31:00):
on here but and I can't I'm not going to fight him I'm going to
lose. But what can I do What's my my
my power is in. I'm the best salesman this side
of the Mississippi. I am a genuine person.
I'm going to charm you and our family is strong together.
We have faith in our family and you're in our home.

(31:22):
And for me, that's what that that scene's about is like, you
know, like Noah said, like don'tlet him, don't be in his scene.
Bring him into your scene. And I feel like we're like,
we're going to invite you in, Weare going to love on you and
that's our superpower. And then like, and for me that's
where if it was a little bit of a passive aggressiveness to a

(31:42):
little bit in the beginning of the season, by the end it's
like, no, it's powerful. I can be powerful by being kind.
And that's and that's for me thearc, because I finally know what
my wife's been through and we'vebeen real with each other.
And so it needs to feel there's power in that truth.
But I'm still this kind, lovely little hokey person.

(32:04):
But I at the end of there's there's strength to our family
unit. Wow, that's beautiful.
I I really love that, man. Oh, yeah, you're the protector.
Like she seems like the protector because she goes out
there and and but you're protecting her in your own way.
And I heard you, you do like improv or you have like an
improv background. How did that come into play with
with Wayne? Well, improv in general changed

(32:26):
how I acted. I did it for 10 years.
I mean, I was on a house team atthis place called The Pitt in
New York and before improv, I always felt like I had to be
perfect on the lines I had. I mean, I mean I still, you know
Noah's writing in April, all of the writers, you want to do that
writing justice because it's written so musically.

(32:48):
But the approach to it can be flexible I think.
And and and improv broke away. Those chains of having to be
always right. I could just listen so much of
listening and just being all right.
This is going to be different seeing every app every takes
going to feel very different andso that so improv in general is
very important for me also to before coming into the scene.

(33:11):
So like when for that last thingwith Old Monk before Dots coming
in Sam and I were just riffing about what was the conversation
like for him to come into the like how did he came I came to
the door he was there. He's like, I know your wife.
Like, what was the conversation from that point to where we're
sitting in silence as my wife comes home and that we we

(33:32):
improvise that for a while. And that helps you as an actor
come to the scene as if it's already a scene.
It's already happening. It's not the beginning.
Does that make sense? So, like, so improv is always a
part of my acting now because I'll try to improvise the moment
before of what? So it's not so.
So I know how I got to where I am, I'm at.
And then you improvise sometimesbetween it.
We didn't do that much in Fargo because I think it's written so

(33:54):
tightly. But the improvising moments that
we don't ever see, like Juno andI, like we improvised but just
for fun to what our what our first date was like what our
what our wedding was like. So then we we have that lived
history that we can call on in the in the the scenes that are
going to be filmed. That's why I love doing this.

(34:16):
That's why I love having these conversations.
Because I mean, I, I, you know, I mean, it's no hyperbole.
It's not. I'm just not just saying because
you're here. But I loved, I love this.
I love this series. I love this season, but I you've
just gave me a way to love it more, you know, I like, I
appreciate everything I've seen even more and I can't wait to
watch it again. So when you're shooting this or

(34:37):
like, at what point does it thatwhen you read the script or was
it what you're shooting? Like that scene, in particular
the the finale scene, the the last closing 15 minutes or so,
when did you know you had something special?
Can you see it on the paper? Yeah, yeah, I did see it on the
paper. And and then you also see what
your fellow actors are doing. You know and and I was they

(34:58):
elevated it and then and the writing's already so good and
and you're like oh this dot is acharacter worth watching the way
do you know it was bringing so much complexity to it you're
like oh they're going to root for her so hard and and then but
but it got better and better andthen you know they rewrite the

(35:19):
scripts so they give you new scripts at we had the first four
to start and then they you see they were all making the same
show because what you're feelingthey're writing.
And then the fact that that lastfinale I was like oh we're we're
all this is the show and we could all then talk we got the
finale about halfway through shooting and we're like and then

(35:41):
you're you're leading to that point but you know you're
leading to the point where the family is strong and we're
dealing with the past trauma with kindness.
I mean, like, like we're we're sitting down.
It's biblical in a way of sharing bread, you know, And
it's about faith. You know, I remember, I remember

(36:01):
thinking like, oh, they're praying.
That's so that's interesting to put in here you know juxtaposed
to all of what Jon Hamm does with his God.
Right. And I'm like but you know
America is faith. You know like we America is not
a real thing. You know it's it's just a thing
that we've all decided is real because and and it takes faith
to be a fellow citizen. It takes faith to be a father.

(36:23):
It takes faith, you know? And then and from then I got to
redo those beautiful scenes in Seven where I'm as a character,
Wayne is dealing with the fact that his wife is not who she
said she was, but the love was real and what they have is real.
And he's trying to figure out what was real and also why his
brain is literally coming back and he's up there staring at the

(36:49):
moon And he I think there's faith in that moment be like no
she is my wife. I I I was trying to like because
you never I want. I was like I kind of wanted to
see where we where judo and I talk or dot and I get to talk
but I'm like we don't need it because like there's it's their
relationship is real and I'm sure we're going to have that in
the year past. You know I'm sure we talked a

(37:09):
lot about what she went through but we need to see that scene or
is the faith of what he goes up and tells this story to his
daughter. It's also for him being like she
had to go into the darkness. Like I I don't know where she is
right now, but I have faith thatshe's doing what she has to do
and my job is to be here for you.
That is my job and that is what's keeping her strong as a

(37:30):
mother. Knowing that that her partner
Wayne is is there for her and and my daughter's here for me,
as you can see it was a cool like she would tell me she
needed something to. That's something beautifully
written by April and Noah is like in those scenes we need
each other and she's telling them, she's helping me be a good
father to her, but she also needs a father and and it's

(37:52):
you've seen the the, the, the, the strength of the family come
together, which are going to be strong.
Then when Holy Monk is in our house in the last we need to
feel that the the the family getting stronger so that in the
end we're like all right we are strong and and and you're you're

(38:12):
you've killed a lot of people but you haven't dealt with the
lions you know and in in this inthis very we're going to we're
going to love on you and that's going to be the most and we're
going to win you know and which I think is such a beautiful so
for I'm trying to say is when weread the finale it gave so much
more understanding what we were doing in other scenes to lead to
that finale. Yeah, yeah, I think.

(38:34):
I mean, I I put a a tweet out onX or whatever it's called now
and the reactions are incredible.
People really connected because it's it's amazing how complex it
is and the themes that are covered and like some are really
difficult to, you know, even think about or discuss And this
bigger themes and these, you know, and I mean some of the

(38:55):
issues this whole country is dealing with are all touched
upon in this one season of the show.
It's surprising how much it tackles and going back to the
dinner table where they're disarming this dangerous
situation. In addition to what Wayne and
dot are doing, your daughter also steps up to help protect
the family. And you can see her stepping in
and saying, yeah, I'm going to give my dad an assist here and

(39:17):
bringing up, you know, and like this family has this situation
covered. We're going to, you know, we're
going to, we're going to turn this, this boat around.
It's going the wrong direction. We're going to change this.
And I thought that was really wonderful, you know, because as
a dad I was like, you know, thatthat would be my girls stepping
in and, you know, lending a hand.
Yeah. The love for mood comes from

(39:37):
them building love for each other.
Like in those moments of and yeah and I love that we we see
the family bend. A lot of things happen to this
family but that's it ends. You know there's that metaphor
like a a a severed string gets closer with a knot.
You know you know like two things.

(39:57):
And I think there is that the severance of like the fact that
I remember Juno feeling this wayand I felt this way.
I'm like we spend the first few.Months shooting.
So all of our scenes are together and then suddenly I
don't see her on set for months because she's literally gone.
Right. And we're both.
And my scenes are with Scotty and and then so then you get to

(40:17):
come back and do the scene at the end.
It's like a homecoming for the actors too.
It was kind of it was sometimes it's meta, you know.
It's a feel and you feel that inthe scene.
Oh, I get to do a scene with my wife again that I've not done
since since for five months, because we last time we did it
was was the new year and now nowit's and then she's off on her
adventure since then. So life imitate or art imitates

(40:43):
life in that way, Yeah. That's a kind of a method way to
approach it, even if it wasn't intentional, but to have that
distance put between you and then to bring you back to to
close it all out. Yeah, the last thing we shot of
the the last episode, the last thing was the finale.
We we we spent two days on that finale, that that whole thing.
And it was for like 2 1/2 days. And it was really, we were like,

(41:08):
thank you, thank you, you know, the AD team and the producers
for putting it together that wayso that you, you know, you know
it's the worst when you're shooting a finale in the middle
of the. But but they're they're they're
they they know too much. They know that if they're going
to get the best out of us, if they can do it at the end
because you're always learning about the character because
everything you do, you learn about the character because

(41:28):
things happen that you don't even expect that comes out of
you And then and so I think doing it last, it gave a real
catharsis to us that we could like then.
And I think the whole crew that's been there the whole
time, this fantastic crew in Calgary and that also if you
know, I don't even know this butthey worked on every the Calgary

(41:49):
crew has worked on every season besides 4 when it was shot in
Chicago. Oh no, no.
Yeah, and so they These people are bent in the Fargo universe.
Yeah, a family. That's a family, yeah.
Yeah, it gives you, you know, but thing it's like in this two
closing out on this gives you that closure.
I'm sure it was a very emotionalday.
You know, when you say that's it, we're done and you have to
just let go of that. It was.

(42:10):
You kind of feel in a daze, you're exhausted, but you're
kind of like, like, wow, this isover.
This is the last time I'll get to say hey there.
Like in like a way. You know as an actor you always
there's people there's the people you miss you carry with
them. You know obviously the people
with that the actors and the people you get to see them again

(42:31):
and that's the best part about this industry.
Easy to like work with people again over and over and over
throughout the years. But there's these characters
that are parts of yourselves they're like all right Wayne was
was beautiful and and and like it's somebody that I've kind of
seen the the world threw it awayfor six months or eight months
and and now he's gone or he's not gone but yeah so it's it's

(42:52):
it's kind of it's it was emotional.
Say goodbye to the family. Say goodbye to the character.
Yeah. It's great though that you know,
not that you know this. You have to think that way.
So this is, you know, like it ornot has become part of you.
And you know who Wayne is, is a good person to.
I mean, I feel bad for like Jon Jon Hamm who's got to play the
devil and like to go into that mode and like you can't be

(43:15):
comfortable. You get to walk away and say,
yeah, Wayne is part of me, that's a good thing.
That's. Exactly right.
And and yeah, you playing for six months, but probably maybe a
better person. You know, as David, you know,
it's because that part of yourself you're feeding every
day. Yeah, that's that's interesting
to think about. A couple more Fargo questions
and we'll wrap up with some TV topics.

(43:35):
First of all, how are the biscuits?
They're actually really, they'rereally tasty.
They're they're yeah, they were good.
They gave us every they. They.
They gave you fresh picks every,every day.
You know that. They had, they had ones that
traded out, you know what I mean?
They're chili though was not very good.
I, I we really because we were constantly spicing and there was
a little fun thing you know withwhen you're working with a

(43:56):
younger actor and and Sienna's so fun you want to keep it fun
for her on set until we would play this game and she would
always come and just throw seasoning in between takes.
And I was fighting I was fighting it off you know and so
the by the end of it that chili it was just a mass of like spice
that we and then they had to give us a whole brand new one

(44:18):
for the when we actually ate it but but the biscuits were good.
Good question. Right.
And if you had to pair up with one of these three for a street
fight, Juno's dot, Jon Hamm's Roy Tillman or Sam's Mook, who
would you choose? I'm choosing my wife, Baby.
I'm choosing Juno, choosing the Tigers.

(44:40):
That's always our answer. Yeah.
And last Fargo related question,3 words to describe Wayne.
Optimist Family Floor Hockey. What?
What was that? I was that floor hockey.
Oh, floor hockey. Oh, I I misheard you.
All right. The the the playful nature of,

(45:02):
oh, I just want to play floor hockey.
I, I salesman's another one, I think.
Faith, that's 4th. I'm giving you now more but.
That's fine. Put A-IN there and that's all.
Family Faith Optimist and and play I think he's he likes I I
think he's he loves to have a good time loves to have a beer
he's the kind of guy you just want to have a beer with you

(45:23):
know. What?
I mean, Yeah, exactly. When he asked for a beer, I was
like, oh, I like him even more. I need, I need a Wayne in my
life. Yeah.
All right. Well, we'll close out with.
I mean, that was fantastic. I really, I mean, as I said,
it's great to hear. It's it like the finale.
I walk away leaving, appreciating the show even more
and your work even more. So thank you for that.

(45:45):
Before we get into more TV topics, I need to ask you about
Alien. You mentioned it earlier and I'm
just really curious about what you can tell me because I know
that there's a lot of it's underwraps.
Yeah, I don't want, I don't wantto give away any any spoilers.
But you know, I think it's interesting that Noah Hawley has
taken these iconic films and then boiled it down to its DNA,

(46:07):
you know, with Fargo and and done that so well.
And I think it's really a gift of his to to see what original
movie or an Aliens case movies are are saying about the world
about the kind of themes even the like the tone and the the
pacing and then do his own you know see like to boil that down

(46:30):
and to see what are we exploringand let's let's see if I can
expand on that universe and and so it's it's the playground that
I'm really excited to to play and I was actually a chemistry
major in college so I'm I'm playing I'm playing a scientist
I think I can say that. I think I think I can say that
and and so it's fun to go back to my to my roots.

(46:53):
I have a I have a professor who I'm I'm kind of basing a lot of
my my character on similar you know how how Fargo I based some
of my on my father. I feel like if I can find
somebody in my real life to anchor that person for me and
then of course it'll change and develop.
But I try to find a base within myself and a base within maybe

(47:17):
somebody I know that I can that I can anchor him and then let it
grow from there. Noah has given a little bit.
He's let us peek behind the curtain and and somewhat in in
mentioned very AI heavy that is alien heavy.
You know, I'm not trying to get you in trouble, but.
No, no, no, I'm glad Noah said that.
You know that's that's well, I think it's really apartment to
where some of the conversations we're having today to be honest.

(47:40):
Pre production on this, like where the talks of this was like
2020. Yeah.
So when it began, I'm, I'm really curious and maybe I'll
get a chance to speak with him as well.
But I'm really curious how much this evolved because of where we
are. Yeah.
I mean, if you look back six months ago, maybe a year ago, we
weren't thinking the way we are now.
I know it was all that was science fiction, and now science

(48:00):
fiction. It's everyday on the news,
something that happens like, youknow, what's next?
Like where does this end? Do the robots take over?
It feels like that's the next step.
Yeah. What's wild about AI think is
that they just think so much faster than us.
So it's times they'll be faster than us.
You know our our our time is measured in seconds and and

(48:21):
there there the whatever you call them not not synapses but
like just the the rate of of of how fast the computer goes.
Yeah like the computations are so quick so then so like 10
minutes for them like how much thinking we can do in 10 minutes
like eons you know like in some ways So it's like so six months

(48:42):
to an AI kind of it. It's interesting to think about
how time and how the thinking process and how we're we're
using electrical synapses in ourhands and they and electrical
chemical and and they're just you know kind of at the speed of
quantum computer you know in a in a whole different so so
that's yeah how fast things change.

(49:04):
I'm reading that Ray Kurzweil book.
I don't know if you know that book the solidarity is near you
wrote that in 2005 but it yeah it's very I'm kind of to to kind
of prep for the not for the roleand and and it just exponential
growth right at the chart of howfast technology changes.

(49:27):
It just feels like every every, every.
We're living in a fascinating terrifying but fascinating time.
And I think all we can do is tryto to dive into our humanity and
and try to to love each other through it, because that's the
only way we're, I think we're going to survive in a way.
But the difference is we have emotion and we have

(49:48):
relationships and you know, is that I mean can be to our
detriment, but also it it's one of our biggest strengths, if not
our biggest strength. So it's like curious.
And as I know they're trying to program emotion, like maybe we
just stop, you know, pause for alittle bit, figure this out, You
know, make sure we're not already like, you know, like
going all the way back to the 80s, like war games where like,

(50:12):
we become the virus and like wiping ourselves out.
It's, I know, kind of scary stuff.
Well, you you heard that analogy, but the like the
staples or the the little littlepaper clips, like if an AI it's
whole. If you say AII want you to make
as many paper clips as possible,some of the AI will like do

(50:34):
everything and it can to to turneverything into a paper clip.
So it's like maximum intelligence to do these tasks,
but like like the emotion and wisdom to make paper clips.
It's just it's doing what it's supposed to do.
And so I can turn the whole Galaxy and universe into paper
clips, they but that's like its whole goal.

(50:55):
That's the goal. It was given by somebody so that
it's like funny now, like something that can be so
intelligent to like maybe span the spaces of time to put the
whole goal is to create more paper clips, right.
So it's not like a thinking thing.
I've I've just heard that thought experiment.
I think it's really fascinating to think about.
Well, it kind of makes me think of of Edgar Allan Poe's The

(51:18):
Monkey's Paw. Yeah, you know where it's like,
go do this for me. I want this wish and like, wait,
that's no, you forgot everything.
Like you forgot the important things, 'cause you don't
understand it, you know, get from A to B.
But it's not just data access. It's how you use that.
And right now, fortunately, it doesn't.
It just like regurgitates. So have you started shooting?

(51:43):
I'm not sure. I'm kind of lost on where this
stands. No, we were, we were in.
So this the the SAG strike, I was in Thailand for a couple
weeks in July and then I had onecamera test day.
Noah does these kind of elaborate camera tests which are
really great ways to everyone's in character.

(52:06):
Excuse me everyone. And it's kind of a few days just
to play around with no stakes because this stuff we're not
filming yet or the actual script.
We're just feeling out what whatthe relationships feel like.
What the camera is going to feellike.
What the the setting is going tofeel like and it and we had one

(52:28):
I had one of those days and thenthen it shut down for me anyway
and and and I but then just see which is nice just see had come
over there and we we got to justtravel Thailand for a bit so you
know made some lemonade I guess it was a really hard time for a
lot of people so I don't want tosay it was like a full lemonade

(52:50):
experience but but you got to you know you know Zee and I
spend so much time apart as actors so it's we try we try to
like when we're together really be together.
That's great, you know? Yeah.
Like I said, it's not, it's not the sweetest lemonade, but it's
you know, you're making the bestof the of that worst, you know,
experience. Yeah, exactly.

(53:10):
Yeah. It's it's so nice to be on the
other side of that. I mean it would that was as
somebody who, you know day in and day out, I'm watching,
consuming, discussing. I just love it.
You know, that's the thing I'm Ido this because I love the art.
I can. Tell you know I can really tell
you love this stuff and it's so nice to talk to somebody who I
also love it and it and it and is to see it from you know made

(53:32):
different sides of the the same thing that we're all that that
that's all of ours. They're all these stories that
are like our cultures and then and and you know and we have you
we united different perspectivesthan to come and talk about it.
So yeah, I can tell you of it. I think it's just fascinating
and you know and and again goingback to the humanity of things,
you can't replace that I was wondering with this, is that

(53:55):
Noah's approach, you know what you're seeing with the process
you're kind of going through before the strike with that kind
of feeling it out? Well he has these camera test
days that I guess he's been doing since season one of of
Fargo and I know with Fargo we would we had three days and you
and you spent a day with the lions like he like the camera
team. You know we had we had a day at

(54:16):
the ranch and a couple days at aranch and it just as an actor,
you know those first day jittersare real and you also don't
often get too much rehearsal. I mean maybe you and the other
actor will get together and you know Juno and I, I guess I'd be.
We had a dinner together. We talked through our back
stories. We definitely run scenes before

(54:39):
doing them just but before a shoot.
It's not like people are sometimes flying in and just
like a nice to have a landing pad of of where you get to put
the clothes on which always changes things.
As soon as you suddenly are in the clothes of your character
and you're out there with the with the crew that you're about
to make a a show with. You're having ideas come at you

(55:04):
you know and to have a few days where those ideas can can lodge
themselves in your brain and your subconscious and and you go
home. I go home off at night and I'll
journal about how that made me feel as as Wayne or you know if
I'm you know Fargo specific and and see what I've learned about
my relationships with my mom is the first time I got to sit with

(55:27):
in one of these. Actually I had to sit.
It's a funny story with JenniferJason Lee.
I hadn't I. Hadn't met her yet, and she was.
Having a full shoot. In her like car, like the the
Jaguar car that she was sitting in.
And I they're like, all right, David.
Come over here, we're. Going to do shots of you and you
and you and your mom. And I sat in and she was kind of

(55:48):
in character like and and and I was just seeing like how it was,
you know, I was just kind of testing out the relationship as
Wayne to Lorraine. And I said, mom, I got to get
you into a Kia. And she said, Hon, I wouldn't be
dropped. I wouldn't be found dead in a
Kia. It was like immediate improv

(56:10):
right back to and and I was like, oh, this is going to be.
I knew then that she was really down to play and it was going to
be really fun. She's funny and humorous.
So it's like those are the kind of things that you get on those
days where that you're not trying to shoot a scene, you're
just trying to live in the relationship.
And I think that's why those days are valuable and that's
why. And that's just from as an.

(56:32):
Actor I'm sure the. The crew is trying out moves
like lighting, like how this character gets lit and their the
costume and the makeup and wardrobe.
Everyone's kind of just like it's like it's a little bit of a
lap, you know, before you, before you, before you jump into
the real thing. What better than you know
instead of a turn around and go but getting to kind of ease your

(56:56):
way in and everyone and give me enough time for everybody.
You know some people I'm sure can snap their fingers and jump
into scene and jump into character but others kind of
need that and it's yeah it'd be ideal it'd be great to have for
pretty much every job but unfortunately that's not the
case and and I'm just curious isthis like have you done anything
like this before. I I don't know what you're
seeing on set. I'm not sure like what you know

(57:18):
what the surrounding environmentis, but it seems like you know
this is alien. So.
Yeah. Now it's it's wild to be on
those sets to be to be walking into kind of cinema history you
know and to so I definitely nerding out when I when I was
when I was first on those sets and and and I've played a

(57:43):
scientist before once actually when Oppenheimer I have you know
I have a smaller one OppenheimerI play a scientist but it's very
obviously extremely very different world Oppenheimer to
alien and and so so no I've never really I've never done
anything in the future I've never done anything really in
this kind of dystopian kind of alien world before so I'm very

(58:07):
excited to to to live in it. And what I'm seeing here that
the listeners cannot see, is this your what your character
looks like, You got a beard going and beers a little longer.
Well they're they yeah, we're going to go a little we we think
so. I mean they pretty much told me
just keep, let's just keep growing things and we'll make
some choices when we're on, whenwe're on the ground.

(58:29):
So I'm yeah, for listeners, I have a I have a grizzly beard
that's coming in and some shaggyhair that may or may not be the
look that we finalized, but it'sgood to have options.
That's my Halloween strategy. About two months before, I'm
like, OK, just let it all grow out.
And my kids like, why does your hair look so bad and why is your

(58:51):
beer so long? And I'm like, because on the
Halloween morning I might decideto be Wolverine.
I might be decide. I might shave it all off.
That's not bad. Typically that's what happens.
I'm like, I just shave it off. I'm tired of this hair, but I
shave it off once in a while. I pull out a winner.
What's your favorite Halloween that costing you Doug?
Probably Wolverine, because I actually put a little time into

(59:13):
it and I I I grew out the sideburns and I had everything.
Like, you know, I I worked on the hair a few times.
How? Amazing at the shop, yes.
Yeah, And the physique. You know what?
Does he think? Of course.
That was natural, though. All right, I kept on a jacket,
but I think Negan from The Walking Dead is another one.
That that one I just pulled together and I got a scarf.

(59:34):
I put a a Wiffle ball bat with barbed wire on it and everybody
when I was walking down the street because it just had
happened. The scenes that people were
like, traumatized by were very recent and people were pointing
out left and right. I was like, my gosh, it's
literally a a wiffle ball bat with a scarf.
But I I pulled it off. That's fun.
How about you? You know, I grew up.

(59:54):
My mom was really was really. She's a very, she's kind of an
artist in her own right. And she would always make our
costumes. And the weirdest one we did, she
we were once pumpkin people, 'cause she was always, like,
doing things that weren't. Kind of was in her own brain and
she she we all, I have two brothers and we all wore pumpkin

(01:00:15):
heads and he's crazy huge stuff to leave and remember it was
like really funny at the beginning and then we just
smelled like pumpkin for like days.
Oh, they're real pumpkins. Really put real pumpkins that I
have is carving with these pumpkin people.
Looking back like, what's a pumpkin person when you're like
7 or 8? You're like you don't like
question it, You're just like, all right, I'm a pumpkin person,

(01:00:36):
whatever that is. And yeah, that scene I tried to
do we we were we were just we did we did Rick and Morty the
and I. We just like fun things we did
Big Mouth Oh my gosh what's I'm blanking on the characters names
right now. I've had my coffee.

(01:00:58):
Yeah, I I know you're talking about.
I don't. I don't recall the names.
Yeah, yeah, we did. Names are not my thing.
We did the first on screen interracial kiss 1st from Star
Trek. That was one of our Chris, our
Halloween cost. Oh wow.
On my Pod other podcast, we've spoken about that quite a bit.
We're getting to Trek. Really.

(01:01:19):
Oh, you're getting to Trek? And then covering how it's, you
know, so much more than just a sci-fi show.
Oh, without a doubt. It's really ground breaking.
So ground breaking. Yeah.
But that that that was one of our that's a very fun we got to
kiss all night. But we're like, they're like
people are like what are you? And we're like, well, here we
go, we'll do the kiss. It was funny.
Did you pull out a Kirk imitation?

(01:01:41):
You know, I I I I I I was I. That I I was doing the more the
bravado I I looked like him and I was like doing the whole
thing. But I didn't.
I I have to work on my my my my impression vocally as I wasn't
doing, I was just doing the kiss.
I was more concerned with the kiss than I was with the with

(01:02:01):
the impression, I guess. Sounds good.
Well, I'm looking forward to seeing this series and and
hearing more. Do you have anything else you
can share or that you want to share about it?
Because sure, fans will eat it up.
Yeah, you know, I just don't, you know, I I don't want to get,
I don't want to ruin anyone's experience and I also don't want
to get in trouble, so so. No worries at all.

(01:02:23):
I don't. I don't like spoilers, so I.
Oh no, it's the worst. It's the worst.
It's the worst when you accidentally say one or two and
then and then you think about that for months being like.
Oh. Hope I didn't say too much, so
I'm going to stop it there. That works for me.
We'll close out with some TV topics, questions and get you on
your way. You get the opportunity to add
one more season to any show, your favorite show, or whatever

(01:02:44):
it is. It can be something in the
middle, it can be a prequel, it can be an additional episode at
the end, and all the all the actors are back no matter where
they are now in that form as youremember them.
What show do you choose and why?It's funny, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
talk this out with you because it's interesting.
I some of the shows I love the most ended the perfect way.

(01:03:07):
And so you're like the idea of bringing it.
You almost wanted a show that didn't end the way you wanted it
to end. Because honestly, I don't even
know what show I would choose. I have to go through the list.
Because it's funny, yeah. You know, I think about
selfishly. I want to be on succession, so I
was always like another. But that season ended so

(01:03:29):
perfectly with Tom getting the nod that what would you do with
it afterwards? Yeah, I'm taking this too soon.
It can be in the middle, though.It can be right in the middle of
any seasons you want. Oh, the middle.
Oh yeah, yeah. OK Or or it can be a prequel it?
Can be a prequel. OK that's a that's a good note.
You know, I, I, I, yeah, you know I honestly I'd watch a

(01:03:49):
succession to see how Roy became.
It's Roy right? The dad.
Oh no, that's the last name. His first name is Logan.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Roy.
It's funny because Roy Tillman, I was on like Roy Roy how did he
become where he like maybe his. I think what's cool about
succession is obviously you see like the trauma of generations
going through and a watch a pre a prequel about the father and

(01:04:14):
his family and how he became that would be interesting.
You know how he grew into you know or or even like two.
Kind of similar to how holy MOOC, his story started 500
years earlier and his trauma is tied with where we are today.
I feel like that's a, you know there's that biblical somewhere

(01:04:35):
in the Bible that says the sins of the fathers will be passed on
to the sons and and I think that's what also what Fargo's
about this season. But there's also that in family.
It's like what was the trauma that brought the Roy families
over and and how they become andthat that led to him, you know,

(01:04:56):
seeing the world that way. Yeah.
To Logan. To Logan Roy What What led to
Logan Roy? What were the ancestors maybe I
thought, I bet they were pretty you know, poor coming off and
and and and that's what's interesting about Fargo to bring
it back to the to Fargo again. You know there's all we all have
these immigrants family. You know my family was poor

(01:05:17):
immigrants from Norway and and Ireland and they come over and
they we did awful things. I mean like, like I'm not saying
my family they were good people,but they like we did.
This country's built on blood, right?
America's built on blood. That's the trauma that we're
dealing with. And them their trauma, what

(01:05:38):
happened to them when they were poor back in Europe, like they
brought that that trauma with them and now have have spread
that that trauma around, not that with it.
And how do you deal with it? You sit down and you eat a
biscuit with love Is is one way is there's other ways to deal
with it, but for me that would be interesting to watch the
succession. How did Logan Roy become Logan

(01:05:59):
Roy? Or maybe, or maybe how did Logan
Roy's dad become whoever? Whoever that guy was, I think
that'd be interesting. There had to be some effect, and
I'm sure you know you don't. You don't become Logan Roy
without some kind of messed up childhood.
Yeah, totally. You've also appeared on screen
multiple times with the great Zeci Bates.
In addition to screen time, you also shared some wedding vows.

(01:06:21):
Congratulations on that. Thank you so much.
When it comes to watching TV together, who is the keeper of
the remote? Going back to the old keeper of
the remote. Part of the discussion, yeah.
That's a great question. We love watching stuff together.
As as actors you're always, you know we're like oh, but we're
really good about if someone's excited about a show, we will

(01:06:42):
we'll we'll get put it on, let'sgive it a chance and then we'll
both look after the episode. We'll talk during it sometimes
and be like and if it feels fresh.
We're watching the curse right now and we're just obsessed with
the curse. But we don't.
We try. It's we do so much traveling for
work. So she's going to be gone next
week for a while and I'm like, well, so I can't watch the curse

(01:07:06):
without you. It's fun to get a show because
then you get to spent it's a kind of a what you what then you
talk you get to talk about your own life through and like it's
these great prisms to to view things views to view your life
through and but who's the keeper?
We're we're pretty good about sharing that we're pretty well
good sharing and if someone's not into it we'll we'll turn it

(01:07:28):
off but we have a pretty similartaste.
Also we we like similar things. We're drawn to similar creators
and similar stories. Did.
Can you name a few? So what's on your DVR?
DVR well recently we've been going is Essie's like we're in
movie land because Essie is on the Oscar she she's in the in
the Academy so we are we just watched Anatomy of the Fall have

(01:07:54):
you watch that. Watch that last No, I I mean,
yeah, I'm in a critics group, soI I watched them all.
Oh, OK And yeah, Anatomy of the Fall.
We're we're watching Zone of Interest tonight.
We love that actress Sandra Huler.
Is that correct? Huler.
Yes. Did you see Tony Erdman back in
the day? No, I've had that in my Must

(01:08:15):
Watch list for so long, and now that she's came back up again,
I've been reminded to do so. No, she's amazing.
So we love Force Majeure. We love everything that fella
does. We love largos, Lanthimos, poor
things. Was so fun to do.
I did a little play with Mark Ruffalo and he's so funny as an

(01:08:37):
actor and like I think to do that role, people maybe don't
know about how silly he is. He's a very silly person and he
committed to that so so well andand of course Emma Stone's a
national treasure man and and I'm going off to do Aliens.
We've been reading a lot of scripts together.
She's in and that's what's fun about dating or being married to

(01:09:00):
other actors like she's the one that we she's my acting coach
and I'm Hurst. You know we're always reading
each other's material, giving ideas, having some wine and
being like all right let's play it out.
Let's let's read the scene and just and just play around for a
while and and find it and and we're always we're always doing
that while also watching. You should record it.

(01:09:22):
People would pay to see that, I think, you know.
Oh yeah. We should record it.
Kind of an Actor's Studio from like Actor's Studio, you know
with your wife, have you ever said don't take this role like
she was excited or you were excited and like no, no, and you
don't have to say what if you did?
Oh yeah, Especially with her. It was interesting.
We dated. We started dating before either
of us had a career. Really.
We were doing all these short films.

(01:09:43):
It was 10 years ago. And then she gets on this show,
Atlanta, and that's and changes everything.
And, you know, for so long you were just trying to say yes
because you're in freelancer mode.
You're like, all right, yes, yeah, I want to try that
experience. And then you start to have to be
like, well, I need to start to change how I'm approaching this

(01:10:04):
industry because I can't say yesto everything.
And then you decide that you have a little crisis, that
you're like, well, what do I want to make?
What? What do I actually?
And then you've been developing that for years.
Your taste, what you like, what you wanted to do, what feels
good, what's what's something you want to put out in the
world. But then it really becomes real
because you have, you actually have choices.

(01:10:24):
So that that to go through that with her was really was was
really edifying. I learned a lot about myself and
her and what we wanted. We had a lot of conversations
about the art we like, the stories we like, and the the
little inner child that knows ifyou should take it or not.
That's what you have to that's what you have to cultivate and

(01:10:44):
what you really have to listen to because there's going to be
so many voices and and you try to surround this fellow people
who have you know the taste thatthat either it's your taste or
it's something that like can youlike they can know your taste
and you know they they can challenge you but you but you
really have to develop the innerchild the inner taste 1st and

(01:11:06):
and know what that is and watching and having zesty go
through that we could iron sharpens iron right We we we
could talk it out each other like and now I know now more
about what I like and what I want to follow and and what
stories are worth you know eightmonths of your time and and and

(01:11:28):
the creators that you want to support and the and the voices
you want to support You know that that's a that's a constant
conversation and one that we've gotten better at having.
It it sounds like you're actually in heaven.
It's yeah, it's you know you yougot a a wife and also somebody
who's watching your back and knows you and and knows your
your craft and well done. Sounds perfect.

(01:11:51):
So the last question. This is the genie question.
The genie says I, I, I, I'm going to give you a door.
This door will let you go live in one TV show.
You can pop in pop out whenever you want.
So you don't give up your real life, but you can go in and step
in and it can't be succession, because I know.
And also I wouldn't want. To live in succession, because
that's very the best. Place to live.

(01:12:13):
We've had several people say succession, so I'm taking it off
the list. Oh, really?
Oh, it's. Which would it which show would
it be in and why? I'd want to live in Cheers.
Oh, I like that. No one's ever said that one.
I came in Cheers late because I and Warren Litterfield who
anyway he he helped executive produce our show was was telling
about a book about Cheers And then I started watching it later

(01:12:34):
and I was like man, this is justa good time hang and yeah.
So what other place would you want to go live for a while.
You know I love The Last of Us but there's no way I'm going to
go live in that world because somebody I was thinking to bear
because I like, yeah I worked inrestaurants for a long time in
New York but so stressful you know Cheers.

(01:12:55):
You just go and have a beer laugh at the people around you
and have a kind of have a good time that that's that's where
I'd want to go live if things weren't going to the bar.
Yeah, we got cheers in the back.I love that every time you walk
in, everyone stops and yells out.
Dave, just like Norm, if that ever happens, make sure you
invite me over for a round or two.

(01:13:16):
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for
doing this. That was a great answer.
And and I loved hearing everything you had to say about
the series and and learning moreabout you through your
television. You know, thanks for being on
and and I look forward to seeingwhat you're doing next.
I I had a had a great time what great questions is a great
conversation and and that's the whole that's why we do all this

(01:13:38):
stuff right just to have it's like lovely to talk to people
about art about stories and you know so thank you for what your
all your work you do to to get these stories out in the world
and also to talk about them because they are they're like
it's like reading novel you wantto talk about it afterwards and
and and so anyway thank you. Thank you, David.

(01:14:01):
Thanks for listening everyone. It was a real treat having David
Risdal on as a guest on TV topics.
Be sure to watch David's work onFX's Fargo and in the now Oscar
nominated Oppenheimer and in thewonderful underseen gem 9 Days,
which also stars David's wife Zussi.
Hunt that film down. Trust me, you'll thank me for

(01:14:22):
it. And a shout out goes to Emily Au
for our funky theme song, which you're probably hearing right
now. And also our announcer Kari
Loya. You can inquire about his VO
work at kariloyavo.com. It's Kari with AK and it's in
our profile. And if you want to follow me,
I'm on letterboxed Instagram andTwitter at filmsnorg.

(01:14:45):
You can also go over to awardsradar.com where you can
find my interviews, including one with David Fargo, Co star
Juno Temple. I think you'll love it.
Thank you all for listening. Stay tuned for more TV topics.
TV Topics is an Awards Radar podcast produced by Steven
Brusakowski, ZAP.