Rotten Tomatoes recently had a phone interview with Mary while she was on the set in Calgary, Canada filming the third season of Fargo. Below are some highlights. The rest of the interview is with the rest of the cast, so if you’d like, hit the link above to read it in full.
On Nikki’s intro:
Nikki’s introduction on Fargo is straight out of Raising Arizona. We won’t spoil the moment here, but fans of the 1987 Coen Bros. film starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter will definitely know it when they see it.
“That was a reference that Noah had brought up,” Winstead confirmed. “That was sort of a Raising Arizona moment — which is one of my favorite movies.”
Hawley has also confirmed a Big Lebowski reference, which Winstead said they were just getting ready to film.
“I think there might be a couple, but there’s one we’re getting ready to shoot that is most definitely a very clear Big Lebowski moment,” Winstead continued. “It’s pretty clear when we’re shooting things that Oh, this is sort of a No Country for Old Men moment or this is a Miller’s Crossing moment.”
At first glance, Nikki may appear to fall into that classic crime-story tradition of the femme fatale who means nothing but trouble. Fargo gleefully defies genre, however, and Nikki may actually be the one who helps bail Ray out of trouble.
“I don’t feel so much like I’m playing a femme fatale,” Winstead said. “The relationship that she has with Ray is that they’re always trying to bring each other back to reality in one way or another. They have this really, as she calls it, ‘simpatico’ kind of relationship.
“So they’re always saying, ‘Now hon, look at my point of view,’” Winstead continued. It’s very sweet the way that they interact and try to always be a team and on the same page, even if they’re both in the wrong at times.”
On working with Ewan McGregor in his dual role (as the Stussy brothers):
“For some takes, I was standing with Ewan’s double and for some takes, I was standing with Ewan. Watching how the doubles interact with him and have to learn his way of walking and his posture and his way of standing was interesting. They make it feel very natural and grounded and real. They’re reading the lines and the scenes are existing as they would regularly, just swapping out the people. Which is somewhat strange, but it still doesn’t feel like you’re doing a trick of any sort.”
Mary on how the current season takes from seasons 1 and 2:
“There’s something about the fact that it takes place so close to our time frame that feels more like season 1. Also [it] has more of the intimacy I think season 1 has: fewer characters, a bit more quiet in moments. But it has the cinematic flash as well of the second season. It feels very, both intimate and large in scope at the same time, which, for me, makes it feel like something new, but also reminiscent of the first two.”
On how Mary kept herself warm during night shoots while wearing a mini skirt and fishnets:
“We’ve been recently doing a lot of outdoor night shoots so it’s really just been an extra challenge in terms of how to get eight layers underneath a fitted outfit and things like that. We have a team of people who specialize in those sorts of things. That helps quite a bit.”
On character deaths that will occur this season:
“All the deaths that have happened have been incredibly creative and strange, but also very fitting for Fargo. Oftentimes [they] are symbolic of something else or give you a deeper meaning into a character. So far there has been no real use of guns this season.”