Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson and Jean Smart Join FX's FARGO

Golden Globe nominated actor Patrick Wilson (Angels in America, The Conjuring), multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ted Danson, and multiple Emmy winner Jean Smart have signed on to star in the second installment of FX's Emmy and AFI Award winning miniseries franchise Fargo, it was announced today by Eric Schrier, President, Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions and Steve Stark President, Television Production & Development of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

Wilson, Danson and Smart join previously announced leads Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons.

Patrick Wilson will star as "Lou Solverson," a clean cut Minnesota State Patrolman, four years back from Vietnam, where he served in the Navy. A humble and competent man, Lou is a devoted husband to his wife "Betsy" (yet to be cast), and father to four-year-old "Molly" (yet to be cast).

Ted Danson will play "Hank Larsson," the Sheriff of Rock County, Minnesota. An unflappable WWII vet who embodies a certain cowboy poetry, Hank is Lou's father-in-law.

Jean Smart will play "Floyd Gerhardt," the matriarch of the Gerhardt crime family. She's stood by her husband's side for 40 years, but now that he's out of the picture she thinks it's her turn to run things.

A critically acclaimed, award-winning theater and film actor, Patrick Wilson earned a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University and then went on to star in numerous Broadway productions as well as feature films. Wilson received Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations for his role in Angels in America, and received two consecutive Tony Award(R) nominations for Best Actor in a Musical, for his work in Oklahoma and The Full Monty, for which he also won a Drama League Award. His film credits include Promethus, Insidious, The Ledge, Watchmen and Little Children. He was recently nominated for a Critics Choice award nomination for his guest starring role in HBO's Girls.

Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Ted Danson is best known for his iconic role as "Sam Malone" on Cheers. He's also starred in the acclaimed series Damages, Bored to Death and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He currently stars on CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Jean Smart has won three Emmy Awards, including two for Frasier for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and one for Samantha Who? for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Smart was also nominated for an Emmy Award for 24 and was nominated for a Tony Award for The Man

Who Came to Dinner. Smart has appeared in numerous feature films, including Guinevere, for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and Garden State.

The all new "true crime" case of Fargo's new chapter travels back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, where a young State Police Officer "Lou Solverson" (Wilson), recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major Mob syndicate. Helping him piece things together is his father-in-law, "Sheriff Hank Larsson" (Danson). The investigation will lead them to a colorful cast of characters that includes "Karl Weathers" (Nick Offerman), the town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota. A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist. Three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett will play "Joe Bulo," the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate. The new face of corporate crime, Joe's bringing a Walmart mentality to small town America. His number two is "Mike Milligan" (Bokeem Woodbine). Part enforcer, part detective, Mike is always smiling - but the joke is usually on you. Bulo and his crew have their sights set on the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, currently led by matriarch "Floyd Gerhardt" (Smart). With her husband at death's door, Floyd takes over the family business, frustrating her eldest son, "Dodd Gerhardt" (Jeffrey Donovan). An impatient hothead with a cruel streak to match his ambitions, Dodd can't wait for both his parents to die so he can take over and expand their business from KINGDOM to empire. "Bear Gerhardt" (Angus Sampson) is the middle son, an intimidatingly large man who, although inarticulate, is the most decent of his clan. "Rye Gerhardt" (Kieran Culkin), the youngest of the Gerhardt clan, views himself as a big shot, but in reality he's just a small dog who barks big.

Production on FARGO will begin in Calgary on January 19 and the 10-episode anthology miniseries is slated to premiere next fall on FX.

Emmy Award winning Executive Producers Noah Hawley (showrunner/writer), Joel & Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and John Cameron all return for the second installment. FARGO is produced by MGM Television and FX Productions, with MGM Television serving as the lead studio.

Inspired by the classic Academy Award winning feature film of the same title, FX's first installment of Fargo, which garnered universal critical acclaim, received an astounding 18 Emmy nominations - the second highest total of any program on television this year - and won three awards, including Outstanding Miniseries; Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special (Colin Bucksey); and Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special (Rachel Tenner).

About FX - FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of FOX Networks Group. FX Networks is comprised of FX, FXM and FXX, its newest channel, which debuted on September 2, 2013. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 95 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, TYRANT and The Strain; the critically-acclaimed miniseries' AMERICAN HORROR STORY and FARGO and the upcoming miniseries American Crime Story; acclaimed hit comedy series including the award-winning Louie, Archer, Married and upcoming The Comedians, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll and Baskets. FX is the former home of the critically-acclaimed and award winning hit drama series' The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me and Damages. The network's library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, Anger Management, In Living Color and Mike & Molly.

About FX Productions - FX Productions (FXP) produces FX's newest acclaimed hit drama series The Strain; the comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Married and You're the Worst; and the upcoming comedies MAN SEEKING WOMAN (Jan. 2015) and The Untitled Tracy Morgan Project (TBD). FXP co-produces the drama series Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The American and Tyrant; the miniseries Fargo, which scored 18 Emmy(R) Award nominations and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding miniseries; and the upcoming comedy Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. In 2014, FXP shows combined to deliver 28 Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Miniseries, and Outstanding Animated Program.

About MGM Television - MGM Television is a leading producer and global distributor of content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalog of television episodes and feature film titles covering some of entertainment's premiere franchises including the James Bond franchise and "The Hobbit" trilogy. Current television projects include the hit series "Vikings," airing its third season February 19 on HISTORY; the Emmy(R) winning limited series "Fargo," a co-production with FX Productions and "Teen Wolf," which was just picked up for a fifth season on MTV. In addition, MGM Television serves as the syndicator for "Right This Minute" and "Let's Ask America." Through its finance and distribution entity, Orion TV Productions' courtroom series "Lauren Lake's Paternity Court" is currently airing its second season. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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