The Actor That Channels Trump On Set

Following two addictive, award-winning seasons starring Martin Freeman and Kirsten Dunst, Minnesota murder-mystery Fargo returns to Channel 4 on Wednesday after a two-year hiatus with brand new characters, fresh crimes and Ewan McGregor taking on not one, but two lead roles.

With the action set in 2010, the 10-episode run sees the Trainspotting star play warring brothers, Emmit and Ray Stussy, alongside a new-look cast including Harry Potter actor David Thewlis and The Leftovers’ Carrie Coon. Emmit is a successful real-estate magnate, while Ray is an eternally down-on-his-luck parole officer, who resents his older brother for convincing him to swap the items they inherited from their father, leaving Emmit with a valuable stamp collection and Ray with a now-rusty red Corvette.

But when Ray asks his brother for money to buy his parolee girlfriend, Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an engagement ring, Emmit’s refusal triggers Ray to concoct a simple plan to steal a stamp – a scheme which goes drastically awry and sparks a trail of bloodshed across the wintry Midwest.

How different is Emmit to Ray?

“Emmit is colder and not as heartfelt as Ray. His whole life has been about making money, and in this time of conservatism and the Donald Trump era, it’s been interesting to play someone like that. Sometimes I feel I’m channelling Trump. As the series progresses and Emmit’s life starts to fall apart, he’s quick to blame others, just like Trump does. He’s thin-skinned, too, but it’s fascinating to play Emmit for those reasons.”