America’s favorite show about midwest crime is back. FX’s anthology crime thriller will be returning to television on September 27 after a long delay due to the coronavirus. A show filled with twisted humor, Chris Rock (Grown Ups) portrays a conniving mob boss in the upcoming fourth season. He discussed the many challenges of playing a role unlike any he’s played before with The Hollywood Reporter.
Rock is one of comedy’s biggest stars, from stand up to SNL to blockbusters, he’s covered all the bases. In Fargo he plays Loy Cannon, a Godfather-like mob boss in 1950s Kansas City. Cutthroat and calculating, a role of this caliber is something he’s never done before. Rock told The Hollywood Reporter, “Doing a movie is like playing a game — doing a series is like playing a season. Even Michael Jordan, at 50-something, could probably kick some ass if you had him play one game right now. But a season? He’s not retired because he can’t play basketball, he’s retired because he can’t play a season.” The show’s fourth season is longer than previous ones with a total of eleven hour long episodes.
Rock was confident in taking on the role in Fargo due to the depiction of African American mobster Mike Milligan in season two. Portrayed by Bokeem Woodbine (Underground), Milligan was a mysterious and complicated killer. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Rock said, “ No matter how good somebody is, you don’t know how they’re going to handle Black…I knew that wasn’t going to happen here because that character was so Black, but not one ounce of it was stereotypical.”
The upcoming season chronicles the Jewish, Italian, Irish, and African American mob families fighting each other during 1950s America. All attempting to be number one in the city of Kansas, it eventually leads to war with bloodshed and murder in typical Fargo fashion. Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) will star as Italian mobster Josto Donatello, Timothy Olyphant (Justified) as a U.S Marshall and Jesse Buckley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things) as a Minnesota nurse, Oraetta Mayflower.
Fargo is created and written by Noah Hawley (Legion). A loose adaptation based upon the 1996 film of the same name, it won multiple Academy Awards and was directed by the Coen brothers (No Country for Old Men). Each season takes place in a different time and place throughout the midwest, chronicling violent murders and mystery amongst seemingly ordinary people. It explores themes of good versus evil, and ponders the difference between heroes and a villains.
Season four is arriving after months of fans anxiously awaiting its return. Originally slated to premiere in late April, production was halted before the final episodes could be filmed due to the coronavirus. The cast and crew were able to conclude shooting amidst the pandemic and Fargo will premiere Sunday, September 27 on FX.
Watch Rock pick fights and scowl in the trailer for the upcoming season below: