It seems that Martin Freeman has become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Not only does he portray the young Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit movies, the modern day Dr. John Watson in Sherlock, “O-Man” Chamberlain in Edgar Wright’s The World’s End, but he’s also won a leading role in FX’s Fargo TV series.
Freeman will be playing a character named Lester Nygaard, based off the character of Jerry Lundegaard in the original Coen brothers’ 1996 Best Picture nominee. In that film, William H. Macy got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance. The character of Nygaard is an insurance salesman living in Minnesota whose life will be changed when a mysterious stranger arrives in the town. That mysterious stranger is named Lorne Malvo, and he will be portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton.
While being based on the original film, the new Fargo TV series is envisioned as a 10-episode limited series promising a new “true crime” case to match the new characters. Noah Hawley of My Generation will be both writing the show and executive producing, alongside Joel and Ethan Cohen, Warren Littlefield and Geyer Konsinski. Emmy Winner Adam Bernstein has been hired to direct the show’s premiere.
As a devoted fan of the original Fargo, I really don’t understand the need to create a new Fargo TV series based around a similar idea. On the surface, it seems like a cheap opportunity to milk money from the original idea. It may not end up being that way, but they’ll have to convince me otherwise when I see it. Despite that, I think Martin Freeman is a great choice for the character, and he should do as well as he always does.
What do you think about this latest casting choice? Do you think that Freeman is a good choice for the role? Why don’t you just tell us what you think in the comments below?
Source: THR
