British actor Martin Freeman became a household name after his appearances in the sitcom The Office (UK) as well as his performance in the mystery series Sherlock. Freeman also appeared in many other shows and films such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, The Hobbit Trilogy, and Black Panther.
Freeman also starred in the first season of the anthology series Fargo. The dark comedy is based on a film of the same name by the Coen Brothers, which starred Frances McDormand. The Sherlock star mentioned that he had one condition to star in the series despite heavyweights like Billy Bob Thornton and Allison Tolman being in the cast.
Martin Freeman Had One Condition to Join the TV Series
Martin Freeman joined the cast of Fargo in its first season when it was still going to be made into a miniseries. The show already had legendary actor Billy Bob Thornton in the cast and the fact that it was based on the Coen Brothers classic was a huge draw for the Sherlock star, who had hit it big with the show and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.
In an interview with The Guardian, Freeman revealed his appeal for the show and how much he liked the Coen Brothers. He said,
“I am a fan of the Coen brothers. I’m not a fanatic. I’m a big admirer. They create unique worlds, and there is a real atmosphere to their films. Not everyone can get that. That’s a massive part of their appeal: you can recognize them. Like all the great directors or artists, you know it when you see it.”
However, despite being a fan of the film and the directors, who served as executive producers on the show, Martin Freeman mentioned that he had one qualm about the show before joining. He mentioned that creator Noah Hawley had tried to bring in the sensibility of the Coen Brothers in the show and had won their approval.
“I don’t know the Coen brothers, but people I know who do say that’s not easily won. But I had no interest in being in just a TV version of the film. As Billy Bob Thornton said: ‘If it was called Detroit, you’d still have to want to do it.’”
The show ended up winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries upon its release, with Martin Freeman also getting a nomination as Best Actor for his role as Lester Nygaard.
The Coen Brothers’ Influence On Fargo
The TV show Fargo is set in the same fictional universe as the film and takes place before and after the events of the film. Creator Noah Hawley, who is a fan of the Coen Brothers, reportedly included many references to the film as well as other films of the director duo in the TV show. The first season occurs in the same year as that of the film.
One of the common elements that is there in both the film and the TV show, apart from the setting, is the disclaimer that appears at the beginning. Fargo, the film had a disclaimer that read that the film was based on a true story that occurred and that the names of the characters had been changed in order to pay respect for the victims in the story.
The series follows the same format, although, in both instances, they are not really true stories. The Coen Brothers have reportedly changed their stance on the opening disclaimer over the years, and even the end of the film shows the standard fictional story disclaimer. When fans theorized which real event was the basis for the film, the director denied having any knowledge of those events.
