Nick Offerman, who plays taciturn government worker Ron Swanson on soon-to-end “Parks and Recreation,” will play “a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab” in the upcoming season of FX’s anthology miniseries “Fargo.”
The Minooka native and University of Illinois grad has signed on as a guest star on the Noah Hawley drama, inspired by the Coen brothers’ film by the same name. The freshman season racked up 18 Emmy nods — the second highest total for any TV program — last year.
I’m no casting director, but Offerman seems like a perfect fit for a quirky, Midwest story like “Fargo.” I just wish he had a bigger role.
Offerman’s character is named Karl Weathers, a Korean War vet and fast-talking lawyer in the tiny town of Luverne, Minnesota, one of the settings in season two, which takes place in 1979.
Lou Solverson remains one of the few characters who will carry over from season one to two. This time, he’s a much younger Vietnam vet and state police officer investigating a local crime gang and Mob syndicate. FX announced Thursday that Solverson will be played by Patrick Wilson (“A Gifted Man,” “Girls”).
Solverson gets help piecing clues together from his father-in-law, Sheriff Hank Larsson. That role, FX also revealed, has gone to former “Cheers” star and current “CSI” actor Ted Danson. Three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) will play Joe Bulo, the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate.
Another multiple Emmy winner, Jean Smart (“Frasier”), has been added to the lineup as the matriarch of a crime family. Smart recently has guested on the Chicago-filmed sitcom “Sirens” on USA Network.
The basic cable network had previously announced Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons would also star in this next chapter that tackles another “true crime” over the course of 10 episodes.
Production is slated to start in Calgary later this month. The show is scheduled to return in the fall.
