Cast biographies

8 April 2014

In alphabetical order.

KEITH CARRADINE (Lou Solverson in Fargo)

Keith Carradine has starred in over 60 feature films and more than 30 cable and network television movies. He is an Academy Award®-winning songwriter with two albums and a hit single to his credit, and he is a star of the first magnitude on Broadway.

Carradine’s numerous feature film credits include a quartet directed by close friend Alan Rudolph -

Welcome to L.A., Choose Me, Trouble in Mind and The Moderns. During production on The Moderns another of Carradine’s talents was unveiled when he painted several canvases for the movie including one that became the film's poster. In addition to starring in the film Nashville, Carradine also wrote several original compositions including “I'm Easy” which won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe® Award. His single recording of “I'm Easy” made the Top Ten on the Billboard national charts. Carradine also released two LP albums: “I'm Easy” and “Lost and Found.”

His other notable films include The Duellists, A Thousand Acres, and Cowboys and Aliens where he starred alongside Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Additionally, he starred in the independent feature Ain’t Them Bodies Saints which was celebrated at the Sundance Film Festival and selected for the Critics’ Sidebar at Cannes. Carradine recently completed principal photography on the indie feature Bereave.

In television, Carradine has starred in several series and TV movies including Dexter, Deadwood, Dead Man’s Walk and Chiefs for which he received an Emmy® nomination. He also starred in Falcons, an independent Icelandic film for which he composed and recorded the end title song “Northern Light.”

In theatre, Carradine performed as “Claude” in the Broadway production of the musical Hair. For his performance in Foxfire as the couple's prodigal son, Carradine received an Outer Critics Circle Award. He went on to create the role of “Will Rogers” on Broadway in six-time Tony Award®-winning smash hit musical The Will Rogers Follies, earning a Tony Award nomination and leading the national touring company across America as it performed in 28 cities. Carradine’s additional theatre performances include the smash Broadway musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and the revival of A Lie of the Mind for which he received a Lortel Award nomination. He received his second Tony Award nomination for this performance in the original Broadway musical Hands on a Hardbody.

Keith Carradine has three children: actress Martha Plimpton, actor/ writer/ musician Cade Carradine, and actress Sorel Carradine. He lives in Hawaii and Los Angeles with his wife, actress Hayley DuMond.

 

MARTIN FREEMAN (Lester Nygaard in Fargo)

Martin Freeman has most recently starred in the third series of the hugely celebrated BBC drama

Sherlock, which also aired in the U.S. on PBS, in which Freeman plays the role of “Dr. John Watson” opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. He was also recently seen reprising his role as “Bilbo Baggins” in Peter Jackson’s hugely celebrated The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The first film in the Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opened to rave reviews and the second film continued the success by breaking previous box office records in both the U.K. and U.S. Freeman will return later this year in the third and final film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

For his role in Sherlock, Freeman earned an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting

Actor, won the 2011 BAFTA® Award for Best Supporting Actor and garnered another nomination the following year. One of Freeman’s most notable television credits remains his role of “Tim Canterbury” in the hugely successful BBC series The Office, for which he received BAFTA nominations in 2002 and once again in 2004.

Freeman’s numerous film credits include the 2003 box office success Love Actually, the spoof horror comedy Shaun of the Dead, and he reunited with writing duo Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright on the cult hit Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. He starred in the 2007 mockumentary-style film Confetti, which follows three couples as they battle it out to win the coveted title of “Most Original Wedding of the Year.” One of Freeman’s most well-known film roles is “Arthur Dent” in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. His additional film credits include Nativity!, and Aardman Animation’s The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

On stage, Freeman’s credits include the hugely successful production of Clybourne Park at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by Dominic Cooke; Kathy Burke’s Kosher Harry at the Royal Court; and Blue Eyes and Heels by Toby Whithouse at Soho Theatre for director Jonathan Lloyd.

 

ADAM GOLDBERG (Mr. Numbers in Fargo)

Actor, filmmaker, photographer, and musician Adam Goldberg has appeared in the films 2 Days in Paris, Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, A Beautiful Mind and Zodiac. He has also written and directed two features - the black and white "neo-noir" Scotch and Milk and the thriller I Love Your Work - as well as directing and starring in an absurdist travel documentary for IFC, Running With the Bulls. He has just completed writing, producing, directing, and staring in his third feature, No Way Jose, a comedy.

Goldberg is also known for memorable television roles, including “Detective Eric Delahoy” on The Unusuals, Matthew Perry’s unstable roommate on Friends, and a movie producer’s spoiled son on Entourage. He currently recurs on the FX limited series FARGO and stars in the upcoming Gaffigan Show pilot.

Goldberg, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is also a working photographer whose work is often exhibited at The Impossible Project space in New York. He is also a musician who has released self-produced albums under the names LANDy and The Goldberg Sisters. He is currently mixing his third album, due out this year, while his latest endeavors on the movie app Vine have garnered international attention.

 

COLIN HANKS (Gus Grimly in Fargo)

Colin Hanks has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors. His natural talent and raw energy have secured him a place as one of Hollywood’s most sought after young leading men.

In film, Hanks was last seen in Parkland, a recounting of the chaotic events that occurred at Dallas'

Parkland Hospital on the day U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated where Colin plays “Dr. Malcolm Perry.” He recently finished shooting an independent feature, No Stranger Than Love, in which Hanks plays a football coach who disappears down an inter-dimensional hole. His additional feature film credits include the Oliver Stone biopic W, The Guilt Trip, the independent film Lucky, The House Bunny, the thriller Untraceable with Diane Lane, The Great Buck Howard with John Malkovich, King Kong, Orange County, Get Over It, Alone With Her, Standing Still, Rx, 11:14, Whatever It Takes and Steven Spielberg’s award-winning 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers for HBO.

On television, Hanks shocked audiences as “Travis Marshall,” the Doomsday Killer, on season six of the critically-acclaimed series, Dexter. His additional television credits include The Good Guys and his memorable role as a mysterious priest on the Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winning television series Mad Men. He was also seen in the hugely popular web series, Burning Love. On the stage, Hanks’ 2002 performance in Ken Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End was critically-acclaimed. He was also seen on Broadway in Moises Kaufman’s 33 Variations, alongside Jane Fonda.

 

RUSSELL HARVARD (Mr. Wrench in Fargo)

Russell Harvard is an American film and stage actor. He made his feature film debut in Paul Thomas

Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis as his adopted grown son, “H.W. Plainview.” In the 2010 biopic The Hammer, he portrayed deaf NCAA championship wrestler and UFC mixed martial arts fighter “Matt Hamill.”

Harvard also won acclaim off-Broadway in 2012 as “Billy,” the deaf son in an intellectual, though dysfunctional, hearing British family, in Tribes by Nina Raine. For his interpretation, he won a 2012 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance and nominations for Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor.

 

GLENN HOWERTON (Don Chumph in Fargo)

Glenn Howerton plays "Dennis Reynolds" on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He also serves as writer and executive producer for the critically-acclaimed series.

Howerton recently starred in the feature film Coffee Town. His other film work includes the acclaimed Will Ferrell film Everything Must Go, The Strangers (Rogue Pictures), Must Love Dogs (Warner Bros.), Crank and Crank 2 (Lionsgate), and Two Weeks (MGM).

The son of a decorated Air Force fighter pilot, Howerton was born in Japan and lived all over the world in places like England and Korea before settling with his family in Montgomery, Alabama. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School's acting program.

 

JOEY KING (Greta Grimly in Fargo)

Joey King started acting professionally at just four years old when she booked a national commercial for Life Cereal. However, it wasn’t until King booked her first film, Grace, that she knew she found her calling.

Her recent feature film credits include Wish I Was Here, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to incredible reviews, White House Down, The Dark Knight Rises, The Conjuring, Family Weekend and Oz The Great and Powerful with Mila Kunis, James Franco and Michelle Williams. Some of her additional film credits include Crazy, Stupid, Love; Battle Los Angeles and Ramona and Beezus playing the title character “Ramona” opposite Selena Gomez. She voiced the yellow furball “Katie” in Horton Hears a Who! and the role of “Beaver” in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. King will next be heard voicing the role of “Jessie” in The Boxcar Children, and will be starring opposite James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan and Jon Hamm in The Sound and the Fury.

In television, King was a series regular on NBC’s Bent where she starred as “Charlie,” Amanda Peet’s daughter. Her other television credits include The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Entourage, Medium, CSI, Ghost Whisperer and New Girl.

Additionally, King has performed in several theatre and live “improv” productions. She currently lives in Los Angeles with two parents, two older sisters, three dogs, and one potbelly pig named “JayJay,” who was a gift from Jay Leno.

 

BOB ODENKIRK (Deputy Bill Oswalt in Fargo)

Bob Odenkirk is an Emmy® Award-winning comedy writer, producer, actor and New York Times bestselling author.

For his work on Saturday Night Live, Odenkirk earned an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program" in 1989 and garnered a nomination in the same category the following two years. In 1993, he earned another Emmy Award for writing on The Ben Stiller Show. Odenkirk earned three additional nominations in the "Outstanding Music and Lyrics" category and two nominations on Mr. Show with Bob and David, HBO's long-running sketch comedy show he also starred and co-created which critics described as "the American Monty Python."

In film and television, Odenkirk has brought many memorable characters to life, including agent "Stevie Grant" in The Larry Sanders Show, ex-porn star "Gil Bang" in Curb Your Enthusiasm, "Ross Grant" in the acclaimed feature Nebraska, and as sleazy lawyer "Saul Goodman" on AMC's hit drama Breaking Bad, a role Odenkirk will reprise in the spinoff Better Call Saul, set to premiere in November 2014.

Partnered with David Cross and Brian Posehn, Odenkirk co-wrote the New York Times bestseller "Hollywood Said No!," featuring a collection of their unproduced screenplays. In fall 2014, McSweeney's will publish a book of his comedy writings titled A Load of Hooey. Odenkirk is an executive producer, writer and performer on the IFC sketch comedy show The Birthday Boys, which premiered in October 2013.

 

OLIVER PLATT (Stavros Milos in Fargo)

Oliver Platt has enjoyed success in film, television and on stage. He was most recently seen in Showtime’s hit series, The Big C. His upcoming projects include Lucky Them, Kill the Messenger, Cutbank and Chef, which opens at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival where he will also serve as a juror. Platt’s many feature film credits include Ginger & Rosa; Funny Bones; the fifth installment of the blockbuster series X-Men: First Class; Love and Other Drugs; 2012; Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon opposite Frank Langella, Kevin Bacon and Sam Rockwell; and Please Give, which won critical acclaim at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.

Platt is a founding partner of Animal Kingdom, a media production, sales and financing company. Animal Kingdom’s first film, Destin Daniel Cretin's Short Term Twelve won both the Grand Jury and Audience prizes at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and will be released by Cinedigm this fall. Platt made his producing debut on the indie film Big Night, which was co-directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott. He would later re-team with Tucci in The Impostors.

In television, Platt earned a SAG® nomination for his performance as “George Steinbrenner” on the hit miniseries The Bronx is Burning. Other accolades include a Golden Globe® and back-to-back Emmy® nominations for his portrayal of “Russell Tupper” in Huff, as well as an Emmy nomination for his portrayal as White House Counsel “Oliver Babish” on the popular political drama The West Wing. He earned  another Emmy nomination for his recurring role as flamboyant TV producer “Freddy Prune” on Nip/Tuck.

After graduating from Tufts University with a degree in drama, Platt immediately began working in regional theatre, as well as off-Broadway. His many theatre credits include performances in the Lincoln Center production of Ubu and Jules Feiffer’s Elliot Loves and Twelfth Night for which Platt received rave reviews for his portrayal of “Sir Toby Belch.” Platt received a Tony® nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor for his work on Broadway in Conor McPherson’s Shining City, which was also nominated for Best Play.

The son of a career diplomat, Platt was born in Washington, D.C., and spent part of his childhood in Asia and the Middle East. Platt now resides in New York with his wife and three children.

 

BILLY BOB THORNTON (Lorne Malvo in Fargo)

Academy Award®-winning writer, actor, director and musician, Billy Bob Thornton has an extensive and impressive career in motion pictures, television and theatre. Charismatic and uniquely talented, Thornton has established himself as one of the most sought after actor/filmmakers of his generation. Currently celebrating a high water mark in his career, Thornton will next be seen in The Judge, Cut Bank, and London Fields.

In 2003, he garnered a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in the critically-acclaimed box-office hit Bad Santa, and in 2004 he received rave reviews for his portrayal of legendary frontiersman “Davy Crockett” in The Alamo.

Showing the versatility of his acting abilities, Thornton starred in the 2001 caper comedy Bandits, the noir The Man Who Wasn’t There for the Coen Brothers and the heart wrenching drama Monster’s Ball. Each of the three performances garnered Thornton unprecedented critical acclaim, and resulted in him being named Best Actor of 2001 by the National Board of Review, Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama for The Man Who Wasn’t There and Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Bandits, and an American Film Institute Award nomination for Best Actor for The Man Who Wasn’t There.

Most recently Thornton directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the Jayne Mansfield’s Car. He has also been featured in such films as Parkland, the re-make of The Bad News Bears, Friday Night Lights, Indecent Proposal, Tombstone, Levity, Intolerable Cruelty, the blockbuster action-adventure film Armageddon, U-Turn, Primary Colors, Pushing Tin, and Love Actually. Additionally, Thornton co-wrote The Gift.

Thornton’s 1996 release of the critically-acclaimed and phenomenally popular feature film Sling Blade, which he starred in and directed from an original script he wrote, firmly secured his status as a preeminent filmmaker. For his efforts, he was honored with both an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Prior to Sling Blade, Thornton already had an extensive motion picture credit list. He wrote and starred in the thrilling character drama One False Move, which brought him immediate critical praise. Thornton’s powerful script (co-written with Tom Epperson) was enhanced by his intense performance as a hunted criminal.

Thornton received an Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his celebrated work in the tightly woven drama A Simple Plan, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.

For his second and third directorial outings, Thornton chose the comedy Daddy And Them, which he again wrote and starred in, and the best-selling Cormac McCarthy novel, the epic All The Pretty Horses. Thornton also directed The King of Luck, a documentary about country music legend and long-time friend Willie Nelson.

 

ALLISON TOLMAN (Molly Solverson in Fargo)

Born in Sugarland, Texas, Allison Tolman earned a BFA in theatrical performance from Baylor University. After graduation, she moved to Dallas where she helped found and foster the independent ensemble based non-profit Second Thought Theatre while also learning that the whole being an adult thing is like, super hard. In 2009, she was accepted into Second City's Conservatory Training Program and later went on to write and perform sketch and satire with several groups throughout Chicago, most notably the monthly comedy podcast The City Life Supplement.

Throughout her career, Tolman has played a veterinary receptionist, personal assistant, children’s theatre teacher, vocal coach, phone sales associate, client services representative, and dog walker - never on film, but in her actual life in order to pay her rent and be able to afford more tank tops from Target than any human actually needs. On the small screen, Tolman was most recently seen starring in the LOGO series Sordid Lives: The Series.

Tolman currently lives in Chicago with her portly cat named Annie who enjoys staring at her blankly whenever there is a house centipede in the kitchen.

 

KATE WALSH (Gina Hess in Fargo)

Kate Walsh is widely known for her starring role as “Dr. Addison Montgomery” on the ABC drama Private Practice, a spin-off of the hit show Grey’s Anatomy. Up next, she will be seen in FX’s Fargo, premiering April 15. She is currently filming Bad Judge, a pilot in which she is the star and Executive Producer of for NBC.

On the big screen, Walsh will be seen next in Hello I Must Be Going, Dermaphobia, Any Day, and Staten Island Summer. During her two seasons on Grey’s Anatomy, the show received a SAG® Award for “Best Ensemble” in 2007, and received ensemble nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2006 and 2008, respectively. The series won the Golden Globe® Award for “Best Television Series Drama” in 2007 and was nominated again the following year. Grey’s

Anatomy also received Emmy® nominations for “Outstanding Drama Series” in 2006 as well as in 2007 and received three consecutive NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding Drama Series” in 2006-2008.

Her past film credits include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Under the Tuscan Sun, After the Sunset, The Family Man, Kicking and Screaming, Legion, and Angels Crest. Walsh’s television credits include DirecTV’s Full Circle, as well as series regular roles on The Mike O’Malley Show, Mind of a Married Man and The Drew Carey Show.

Walsh returned to her theatre roots in the summer of 2010 appearing in an off-Broadway production of Dusk Rings A Bell alongside Paul Sparks and directed by Sam Gold. The play opened to rave reviews at New York's Atlantic Stage 2 and ran for approximately six weeks.

Walsh began her acting career in Chicago where she studied at the renowned Piven Theatre Workshop before preforming in multiple theatre productions at the Shakespeare Repertory, including the critically-acclaimed Born Guilty, Moon Under Miami and Troilus and Cressida.

Walsh currently resides in Los Angeles, California.