ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT: Emmy Hopeful: Neal McDonough - 'Justified'
By JARETT WIESELMAN
June 27, 2012
Margo Martindale took home 2011's Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Emmy for her powerful performance as Justified's big bad, Mags Bennett. And now, coming off an equally tremendous third season, the FX drama is once again in the Supporting race thanks to Neal McDonough's terrifying portrayal of Robert Quarles -- a man who began the season as a perfectly composed businessman but went out in a wild blaze of inglorious bastard-dom.
It's a testament to McDonough's acting prowess that both halves of Quarles' coin, as well as every step of his devolution, were grounded in the kind of reality that's become a Justified signature. Now, with Emmy nominations looming, ETonline caught up with McDonough to find out how he came to this role, how he went about shaping Quarles and why it's been the toughest character to say goodbye to...
Tim Olyphant and Neal McDonough from Justified
... ETonline: When [showrunner Graham] Yost finally broke Quarles down for you, what did you think?
McDonough: "He actually kept Quarles very mysterious to me. All he said was, "You're from Detroit" and "You're an outsider coming in to this small town." After reading the first script, I went to wardrobe and suggested we use some really nice, very expensive suits I had from movies. I wanted this guy to look like money. I showed up to the set and Graham said it was exactly what he had in mind. Everyone thinks the gun was the most important part of the character, but I think it was the suits because it made me such a fish out of water. If I wore a suit without a tie, it wouldn't have worked. To be so buttoned up yet psychotic yet a family man, made him such a dream role. I've played a lot of great roles in my life, but I love acting and this was a piece that allowed me to do just that..."
Justified season four will premiere in 2013 on FX.
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