![]() They’re angry, they’re dangerous, psychotic, crazy, for example, and we don’t really explore why, so fortunately for me and for the viewers of “Ozark,” Roy is humanized. They’re very by the book, they’re very eager for a fight. ![]() Harner: We don’t know what’s going on yet, and listen, a lot of times, and I’ve played some of them, you’re given characters that are very two-dimensional. TrunkSpace: So as a viewer we’re presented with him, but we don’t yet learn what makes him tick? They gave me the benefit of a backstory that would unfold much later in the series, and they told me what that story was early on. That was profound to witness and then make manifest. (You’ll see why in Episodes 9 and 10.) But, for now, his primary motivation comes from so many other places, and shame is just not one of them. And he may ultimately unlock some levels of regret that could lead to capital letter shame after this first season is over. Listen, I’m not an idiot, he’s definitely shutdown, particularly emotionally, in certain areas rooted in guilt and pain. It surprised me how it exactly evolved as I got more information about him, and of course how I got to reveal more of him. It’s a non-entity and that is incredible. And, perhaps most importantly, he has ZERO shame about being a gay man, and particularly a gay man in this typically homogeneous, predominantly straight male profession. He’s not interested in the protocol within an agency that is mired in bureaucracy. He is unapologetic about his laser sharp intent to bring down the cartel, no matter how. Okay, he may have a dash of it, but it doesn’t control him. Within Petty’s drive and his expertise as this focused, seasoned FBI agent (albeit complete with some dangerous, unpredictable blinders) is the fact that he has no shame. With Roy… his name is Roy Petty, which that tells you something… but with Roy, he has a very hard edge. That’s a testament to what Bill Dubuque created and certainly what Chris Mundy and our staff of writers kept alive throughout the 10 episodes. Every character in the series is human and conflicted in surprising ways. Harner: That’s such a good question actually because I’ve seen and certainly played a lot of Feds. What did Roy offer in terms of interesting character elements that felt different from what we’ve seen before from other representations of FBI agents on screen? TrunkSpace: In “Ozark” you’re playing rogue FBI agent Roy Petty. We recently sat down with Harner to discuss the complexities of his “Ozark” character, the comfort (and discomfort) of lying in a pool of blood, and the best stages he has ever performed on. He is an actor who can say more with a look than a full page of a dialogue, a skill he has put to use in “Ray Donovan,” “Homeland,” and most recently, Netflix’s “Ozark” opposite Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. His natural on-screen magnetism draws you in and never lets go. Jason Butler Harner has managed to achieve this career potency, seemingly without trying. What’s more difficult to achieve is a great career with a body of work that not only improves upon itself with each new role, but that collectively elevates the projects contained within it. Great performances happen all of the time, especially in this day and age when so much quality content is just a click away.
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