Emerging from the world of stand-up and with a long career as a comedian, Patton Oswalt has never missed a good opportunity to flex his muscles as a dramatic actor and that is why he could not resist participating in Manhunt with a small but key role. In the new Apple TV series that premieres this Friday the 15th and that portrays the days after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, Oswalt plays detective Lafayette Baker, who under the command of Minister of War Edward Stanton (Tobias Menzies), must find the whereabouts of the famous actor who committed the assassination, John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle).
What attracted you to the project?
How ambitious the series was and the fact that they took an event in history that people think they know, but here they show that it is much more complex than most thought. It shows us how close America came to everything going to hell. We were literally left facing the abyss and then they took us away from it. It is a good reminder that there have been times when we have been in much worse situations than the ones we are in now. In a very strange way, "Manhunt" makes you feel better about the times. Plus it's a massive tapestry of people and personalities. It's fascinating to look at her.
His character, Lafayatte Baker, would deserve his own movie. What did she discover about him?
Baker was a good cop, but she wasn't immune to the idea that she could make good money doing this, and she could advance her career with that, or that she could become famous with that. Let's say that he was not acting simply to help the country or to avenge Lincoln. There are people in history who have perhaps ended up doing good things, when in reality their motives were not the purest. I love history, I really like reading about that topic, and it seems to me that it is something very complex, where those who have triumphed were not always totally honest. That makes me question many other moments in humanity where the impression we get is that everyone was working together for the cause, when in reality everyone had their own agenda, and things just turned out well anyway. It is a topic that intrigues me.
Andrew Stanton, the character played by Tobias Menzies, had his suspicions about Baker but trusted him anyway. Why does he think he chose him to capture Booth?
I believe Stanton was following Lincoln's example. Those who have studied him know that Lincoln had a cabinet full of enemies, because he preferred people who might not totally agree with him but who had the talents he needed and that is why he chose to have them. I think Stanton chose to ignore certain aspects of Baker, and even knowing his inclinations he took into account that he was a wonderful bloodhound, capable of tracking down Booth and finding him. He knew that if he was interested in keeping the reward that was offered for his capture, he was going to work even harder, because he wanted to obtain some personal benefit. Sometimes you have to use those kinds of things to get what you want. Stanton was very intelligent when it came to taking advantage of people's ambition to achieve what he wanted. And I'm sure that's something he learned from Lincoln.
He has spent most of his career in the world of comedy. What did playing a dramatic role like this give you?
I'm always looking for interesting projects that force me to do things that are not in my comfort zone. After finishing this project I feel like I can work on longer dramatic roles, because I have more experience living lives that are very different from mine. In some ways it has expanded the canvas for me. I really enjoyed participating in this miniseries and seeing how it has transformed me as an actor. Of course, I have to clarify that I had done dramatic roles before, although never in period stories. The truth is that at this moment I no longer focus on genre, I simply want to do things that are interesting, new and different.
Do you think they hired you because you could bring a touch of mischief to the character?
Yes, of course, because that's how I think Baker operated. He was a very talented man when it came to manipulating those around him. That's why he was a character who needed a dose of charm, some humor, a touch of discretion so that those who interacted with him would have their guard down. Many police officers know how to use humor when questioning a suspect or witness, to get him to relax and say things he usually wouldn't say. It's part of the tools they use. So I think it was important that whoever played Baker was able to be funny and engaging when he needed to be.
What was it like working with Tobias?
It was a pleasure. He was a real tension spring. He had to play the character who must prevent the world from falling apart. He doesn't have the chance to lose his sanity and explode with anger, because everyone is watching him to know what they have to do. And in his performance, he represented that tension in a precise way. It was amazing to be able to do so many scenes with him. He has always been a great actor.
What did you learn about that time working on the series?
That there are things that never change. There has always been the same amount of extremism and stubbornness. Even back then, America was a big chaotic beast that was sometimes held together with Scotch tape and a little spit. But we're still here, and I find that amazing.
How familiar were you with Lincoln's assassination?
I knew the basics. That Booth had murdered him, and that a doctor named Munn had sewn up his leg. He also remembered that Booth had been shot in a stable, but I had no idea that there had been so many people involved in capturing him or that the conspiracy to kill Lincoln had been so large.
Booth, who was a well-known actor, never achieved the fame of his father or brother, and some say he killed Lincoln so that he would never be forgotten. As an actor, do you understand that way of thinking?
Yes, of course I understand wanting fame, but I never understood the desire to have fame and succeed at any cost. I still prefer to have an enjoyable life. Stephen King said: "Never let your life be in the service of your art, your art must be in the service of your life." What happens outside of your art has to be the most important thing, and I think Booth had nothing outside of his acting profession. He reached the maximum he could aspire to as an artist, and he believed that this way he would have massive fame. He was willing to destroy his life to get it, something I'm not willing to do. I like to work, but I enjoy my marriage, spending time with my daughter and sharing things with my friends.
Do you appreciate contemporary life more after playing this character?
Of course. I had to be with this huge beard all the time, and a very heavy uniform. We had to film in Savannah, Georgia, in the middle of summer: July and August, sweating profusely. Simply because of everything related to hygiene, I am very happy to live in this era and not in the years that followed the Civil War.
