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Elmore Leonard Website

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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Christina Radish

How much fun was it to be a part of Justified for its final season?

TUCKER: It was a little intimidating ‘cause it was such a legendary show. To have the opportunity to go on the last season for the last six episodes, and to play the foil for Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan, if the train was going 100 mph, I wanted to go 200 mph, but I also didn’t want to derail it. You want to play just enough, but not too much. I have a lot of respect for the writers and the creator, so it was a little intimidating, but I brought a lot to it. I just put it on the table to see what they thought about it, and they were very helpful in giving me the chance to have some fun and take some risks. Thankfully, it played out. I’m also at a place with my work where I have to be comfortable with failing. I did Hannibal and Parenthood, and that was great, but I was also fired from a job in between there because they didn’t like the choices. I have to be comfortable with turning on the TV and going, “That’s not quite right, Jonathan Tucker.” A diver can’t tumble with fear that they’re going to belly flop. They can’t jump off with that fear in their stomach. It’s the same with walking onto a set and having 150 people be like, “Who is this dude that I haven’t heard of? We’ve been doing this show for six years and this is our final season. You want rings on all of your fingers? That’s a little weird. You’re going to walk like that? You already straightened your hair before you got to set?” But, you have to defend your character. That’s your job, if they’re hiring you. That doesn’t mean you can’t collaborate, but you do have to make some big, bold choices. We do that in real life, too.