STAPULSE: Q&A: How 'Justified' Star Timothy Olyphant Conquers TV
February 22nd, 2012
By: Brittany Frederick
If there's one film actor who came into television and blew the doors off the medium, it was Justified star Timothy Olyphant.
In three seasons as quick-witted, quick-drawing Kentucky marshal Raylan Givens, the Live Free or Die Hard actor hasn't given a bad performance. In fact, he hasn't given less than a great one. Whether it's his leveling stare or just the way he points his words, Olyphant carries himself with a natural intensity that makes Raylan the infamous character we've been told he is. Simply put, in someone else's hands, this role just wouldn't work.
Off-screen, he's incredibly sweet and pretty funny (even though he still intimidates me). Timothy recently took time out of his busy schedule (while on the road, no less!) to chat with me about what's happened so far in the show's third season and why he loves his job...
... Starpulse: Let's be honest: you might have the best job on television. I could go on about why I love this show, but what do you really love about Justified?
Timothy Olyphant: "There’s not an episode that doesn’t have something that just tickles me, that I couldn’t be more pleased with. You name an episode, I’ll tell you something great in it that I just couldn’t be more happy with or more proud of.
It’s always good for me to actually say that out loud because it’s really easy, no matter how great a job is, to wake up in the morning and say, “Fuck it, I’m not going.” And then you realize you know what, it’s a great fucking job. It’s just awesome.
I don’t know if there’s a real selling, point but I remember being an athlete as a kid. I was a swimmer, I loved it. I don’t remember a time where I didn’t love it. But I remember countless mornings at 5:45 where I said, “This is bullshit. I’m not going. I’m not jumping in that goddamn pool. It’s fucking cold out, I’m tired, no fucking way.” And then you jump in the pool and you start swimming and you’re like, “You know what, I love this sport. It’s just so much fun.”
As we get towards the end of the season you start thinking to yourself, “I just am not getting up tomorrow morning. I don’t know how to figure out one more of these things.” And then you go there and you dive in and you start working with Walt [Goggins] or you start working with Natalie [Zea] or Nick [Searcy] or you start working with the writers and trying to solve the, you know, the episode, the scene, and it becomes such a wonderful fulfilling experience. It’s child’s play but I get a great deal of joy out of it..."
Justified airs Tuesday at 10/9C on FX Networks.
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