The weirdest acting advice Timothy Olyphant ever received: “That was an actual note”
Timothy Olyphant is currently enjoying a very warm reception for his work in Alien: Earth, but long-time fans know that he’s always been this good. Across a myriad of movies and TV shows, the handsome thespian has always impressed in both leading and supporting roles. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Mandalorian, Justified, The Office, you name it, and ol’ Timmy has been great in it.
The project that really elevated Olyphant’s stock was the Western TV show Deadwood. Set in a real town in the Dakota territory, the series follows the fortunes of the settlement in an ever-changing American West. Olyphant is one of the main stars of the show as Seth Bullock, the town’s sheriff. His primary antagonist is Al Swearengen, the sinister local saloon owner played by the great Ian McShane. These two are flanked by a range of recurring and guest characters, all of whom worked to make the show one of the most acclaimed in TV history.
Deadwood show was created and largely written by David Milch, who was previously best known for the series NYPD Blue. He’s quite an interesting character, as evidenced by the story that he was kicked out of Yale Law School for allegedly shooting a police car’s siren with a shotgun. In an interview with Esquire, Olyphant revealed that he would often feel the brunt of Milch’s erratic behaviour, singling out one moment in particular.
“I was in a scene with Molly Parker, and he told me that there was something I should be aware of while she was talking to me,” he said. “You know how there’s a Good Goofy and a Bad Goofy on each shoulder? He’s like, ‘There’s a Good Goofy on your left talking to her, but Bad Goofy’s on your right shoulder and he’s talking to you too. So every now and then, I should look over to my right shoulder and listen to Bad Goofy.’ That was an actual note.”
I’m no actor, but something tells me the concepts of ‘Good Goofy’ and ‘Bad Goofy’ aren’t covered in Stanislavski’s system. To give Milch some credit, this sums up the major elements of Bullock’s character. He’s an honest man with a good heart who can often come across as overly sincere, but has a fiery temper that often gets him in trouble. That’s what makes him and Swearengen such a compelling pair; they’re so different in so many ways, but have just enough crossover that their goals often align.
Being the astute journalists that they are, Esquire asked the only relevant follow-up question – did Olyphant actually listen to Milch’s note? “Oh, yeah. It’s in there,” he revealed. “I was like, ‘You want it? Coming up, buddy!’ I mean, you have to translate it into an actable action, but I got what he was going for. That’s a wonderful note.” That’s why he earns the big bucks.
Creative people can often get ahead of themselves and struggle to convey what they really mean. Luckily, Olyphant is so in tune with his characters, that he could get a feel for what Milch wanted without coherent instructions. That’s just how good he is.
