Patrick Wilson’s first reaction to that wild ‘Fargo’ ending? ‘Perfect, let’s go with it’

Early on in Season 2 of the FX crime anthology series, “Fargo,� Patrick Wilson’s Minnesota State Trooper, Lou Solverson, shows up at a blood-spattered waffle house, there to investigate a strange triple homicide. Wilson doesn’t have much dialogue – some light chit-chat and a few thoughtful Minnesotan “yah, yahs� – but he manages to sell his character with sharp-eyed studiousness and an aura of no-nonsense professionalism. Soon we’ll discover that the hero of “Fargo� is a quiet man with some big concerns: a sick wife, a young daughter and a murderous tug of war between a rural crime family and a Kansas City-based syndicate. (He’s also playing the younger version of Keith Carradine’s character from Season 1.)

Throughout his 21-year career, Wilson, whose first success was in such Broadway musicals as “The Full Monty� and “Oklahoma!,� has starred in supernatural horror flicks (“The Conjuring series,� “Insidious�) and done his requisite share of unclothed love scenes (“Zipper,� “Stretch�). But with his square-jawed handsomeness and restrained reaction shots (Wilson has perfected the half-raised eyebrow), it turns out that a do-right protector like Lou might be the role he was born to play. Here, he spoke with The Envelope recently in Los Angeles.

How did Lou’s maroon State Trooper outfit and wide-brimmed Trooper hat inform your performance?

When you put the belt on and put your gun in, there was a real weight to it. I loved it. But I have two kids in elementary school, and, as a parent, I felt like, “This is probably why some people like uniforms. It’s just one less thing.� There’s a real stability about going into work every single day and knowing exactly what I was going to wear. The days that Lou was at home and in jeans, I was like, [mournful voice] “Where’s my burgundy puffy jacket?�

Jean Smart got to smoke a pipe. Part of Angus Sampson’s wardrobe was a filthy cast. What’s it like playing the normal one in a show overflowing with colorful psychos?

The way I saw it was like when the pitcher gets on the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Your strength becomes your stillness. [laughs] I like playing bad guys and wacky guys. But I’ve never played someone as steadfast and solid as Lou. I aspire to be Lou. I don’t know if it’s just a male thing, but he’s just not going to back down from anybody.

Describe filming in Calgary during the winter?

I’ll say one thing: Cold really helps you understand dialect. You speak in a way that’s a lot tighter. You don’t want to open your mouth too much because it’s freezing.

What was your reaction when you read the script in which your character is saved by a flying saucer?

I laughed. It got to the point that when the scripts would come out, I couldn’t wait to open them on my iPad. I’d scroll through them. I remember thinking “WHAT?� Then I thought, “Perfect. Let’s go with it.�

“Fargo� is a pretty naturalistic show. What’s your response when fans say, “What was that?�

I say, “It’s a UFO.� [laughs] Why not? I think Lou would have the same answer. He didn’t spend a lot of time talking about it. He said, “I know what I saw,� and that’s it.

You like listening to music before a scene. What was on Lou’s playlist?

It was pretty mellow. I listened to country all across the map. George Jones. There’s just a feeling that I get from country music. I wanted to keep Lou strong, focused. He’s got so much going on in his head.

Series creator Noah Hawley likes to introduce a new cast every year. Could Lou come back?

Trust me. I think I made some joke to [Noah], like, “Just make sure that I say a line like, ‘Oh, the massacre at Sioux Falls, that was nothing compared to the murder in Topeka in ’83,’ just to tee me up for another season. [laughs]

[email protected]