Ewan McGregor on Playing Two Characters in Fargo

"FARGO."
>> YOU HEAR ME?
>> I'M DEAD?
YOU GOT SOME NERVE.
>> THIS IS YOUR SON.
>> TELL LASHES THE TAPE.
>> I'M OUT OF A JOB.
>> SHE LEFT ME.
>> OH, WELL.
YOU KNOW.
SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT WAS RIGHT
WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE.
BUT WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU SPIEL
BE SPONGING YOU OFF THE FLOOR.
>> YEAH, YOU'LL BE IN THE
POORHOUSE MAKING SOUP OUT OF
YOUR DIRTY SOCKS.
>> [ BLEEP ] YOU.
>> Jimmy: "FARGO" AIRS
WEDNESDAYS ON FX, PLEASE SAY
HELLO TO EWAN McGREGOR.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
♪
>> Jimmy: HOW ARE YOU?
IT'S KIND OF FUNNY.
SEEING YOU -- AND I LOVE THE
SHOW BY THE WAY.
IT'S FANTASTIC.
IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME YOU'RE
SAYING F-U TO YOURSELF.
>> I DO THAT A LITTLE MORE OFTEN
SOMETIMES MAYBE.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S PLAYING TWO
ROLES -- IS THAT TRICKY TO DO
THAT?
>> IN THIS CASE, THE CHALLENGE
IS TO TRY AND MAKE IT SO THE
AUDIENCE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT.
>> AND -- I'VE DONE ATE COUPLE
OF TIMES BEFORE.
AND I DID A FILM WITH MICHAEL
BAY CALLED "THE ISLAND" WHERE I
PLAYED SOME SCENES AGAINST
MYSELF.
AND THEN IN A FILM CALLED "LAST
DAYS IN THE DESERT," DIRECTED BY
RODRIGO GARCIA, I PLAYED THE
JESUS AND I PLAYED THE DEVIL AND
I HAD SCENES TOGETHER.
BUT IN THIS CASE I'M PLAYING TWO
BROTHERS.
AND I'VE GOT MORE TO DO WITH
MYSELF IN THIS SERIES THAN
EITHER OF THOSE TWO FILM.
I HAD TO DO IT SO THAT YOU
DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW?
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE EACH
PERSON COMPLETE, THEN, I GUESS.
YOU'VE GOT TO -- I DON'T WANT
PEOPLE THINKING, OH, WHAT ARE
THE SIMILARITIES.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT, THEY ARE
BROTHERS, SO THEY SHOULD BE
SOMEWHAT SIMILAR.
THEY LOOK A BIT LIKE ME.
>> Jimmy: DO YOU GET PAID
DOUBLE, PAID TWICE AS MUCH FOR
THAT?
>> NO.
>> Jimmy: YOU DO NOT?
>> NO.
AND IT'S THE WHITE -- IT SEEMS
SILLY TO SAY BUT IT'S TWICE THE
WORK.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY
ANOTHER GUY.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET A NEW AGENT IS
REALLY WHAT YOU NEED.
>> RIGHT?
I TELL YOU WHAT, THE ONLY THING
I WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID FOR MORE
IS THE LEARNING.
LIKE I -- I GO UP THERE TO
CALGARY THAT I LOVE AND ADORE
AND THE CREW IN CALGARY WERE
FANTASTIC.
I MISS THEM.
I FINISHED THIS ONLY ON
THURSDAY.
AND I MISS IT VERY MUCH.
>> Jimmy: JUST FINISHED?
>> JUST FINISHED.
WE GO UP THERE, WE'VE WORKED ON
THE LOOK AND THE MAKEUP FOR RAY
AND THE LOOK FOR EMMITT.
THEN I HAD TO THINK ABOUT HOW
THEY SOUNDED, THOUGHT ABOUT HOW
THEY WALK, HOW THEY MOVE.
I THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS.
WASN'T UNTIL WE STARTED SHOOTING
THAT I REALIZED I HAD TO LEARN
TWICE AS MANY LINES.
I HAD TO LEARN TWO LEADING
ROLES.
AND THAT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE
AMOUNT OF LEARNING.
I WAS SHOOTING AS RAY, I WAS
SHOOTING AS EMMETT, I WAS IN THE
MAKEUP CHAIR, OR LEARNING LINES.
THAT WAS BASICALLY IT.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU -- FOR THE
EMMYS WILL YOU BE NOMINATED
TWICE?
>> WOULDN'T THAT BE GREAT?
>> Jimmy: YOU COULD BE RUNNING
AGAINST YOURSELF.
>> WHO ARE THEY GOING TO PICK?
>> Jimmy: NO, WHO ARE THEY?
>> WHY WOULD I BE NOMINATED FOR
ONE AND NOT THE OTHER?
>> Jimmy: I WONDER HOW THAT
WORKS.
>> I DON'T KNOW, I COULD DO THE
RED CARPET TWICE.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> Jimmy: IT WOULD BE GREAT.
I IMAGINE YOU SITTING IN THE
AUDIENCE AT THE EMMYS AND THEY
SAY EWAN McGREGOR FOR EMMITT.
THEN YOU'RE SITTING -- THEN YOU
GET UP AND RUSH OVER TO ANOTHER
SEAT.
THAT WOULD BE NICE, YEAH.
>> >> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE,
THAT'S INTERESTING, WHOLE DEAL.
THE SHOW IS FANTASTIC, ONE OF MY
FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOWS.
>> NOAH HOLLY IS THE CREATOR.
>> Jimmy: HE'S A BRILLIANT,
BRILLIANT GUY.
>> I'D NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
I STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT WITH
FX.
BECAUSE I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS
A SILLY IDEA, TO MAKE A TV
SERIES BASED ON A MOVIE WE ALL
KNOW AND LOVE.
>> Jimmy: I THINK EVERYONE
THOUGHT IT WAS A SILLY IDEA.
>> THEN I WATCHED IT, OH MY GOD,
HE MANAGED TO TAKE THE ESSENCE
OF THE COEN BROTHERS MOVIE
"FARGO."
DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND
DIFFERENT STORYLINES, MAKE IT
FEEL LIKE "FARGO."
HE'S VERY TALENTED.
>> AT THAT POINT HOW DOES IT
WORK, YOU CONTACT HIM OR JUST
AWARE OF THE SHOW AND THIS ALL
CAME TOGETHER?
>> I MET THE GUY SKIING, I MET
ONE OF THE PRODUCERS FROM
"FARGO" IN A RESTAURANT ON A SKI
SLOPE IN UTAH.
AND I WAS TALKING TO HIM,
INTRODUCED TO HIM, TALKING TO
HIM ABOUT A DIFFERENT TV IDEA
AND HE WENT, HAVE YOU SEEN
FARGO?
AND I WENT, PPT, NO.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I LOVE GALIFIANAKIS' SHOW
"BASKETS."
>> Jimmy: THAT IS A GREAT SHOW.
>> I LOVE FX SHOWS.
HE WENT, YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT
"FARGO," WE'RE LOOKING FOR
SOMEONE TO PLAY TWO BROTHERS.
THAT PIQUED MY INTEREST.
I LOVE ALEC GUINNESS AND ACTORS
WHO HAVE DONE THAT, TACKLED
DIFFERENT ROLES IN A FILM.
>> Jimmy: LINDSAY LOHAN?
LAUGH LIVE
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> BEAUTIFUL WORK.
ALEC GUINNESS, LINDSAY LOHAN.
NOT A SENTENCE YOU HEAR A LOT.
>> Jimmy: YOU HAVE YOUR ACTORS
AND WE HAVE OURS.
>> OKAY, YEAH, THAT'S FAIR
ENOUGH.
I THINK LINDSAY'S VERY GOOD.
>> Jimmy: SHE AS VERY GOOD
ACTRESS, WE'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT
THE ACTING PART OF HER LIFE,
STILL A GOOD ACTOR.
>> I FEEL LIKE IT'S A MARK OF
SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO PULL

Ewan McGregor on Playing Two Characters in Fargo

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