MSUM grad stars in new FX miniseries, “Fargo”
Musgrave to appear at Fargo Theatre’s premiere party Tuesday
By Meghan Feir
Whether you enjoyed the exaggerated accents in the Coen Brothers’ 1996 movie “Fargo” or not, you can’t deny that the iconic film introduced Fargo to people around the globe. This Tuesday, April 15, the new 10-episode, TV spin-off of the same name will premiere at 9 p.m. on FX.
Tom Musgrave, a Valley City, N.D., native and 1998 MSUM Theatre Arts alum will star as Bo Munk, owner of Bo Munk’s Insurance Shop. Besides adding to the rich potpourri of the cast, which includes actors Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and Joey King, Musgrave has been a source of Midwestern knowledge for the cast and crew, adding words like “uffda” to the script.
“Martin kept coming back to me during the filming of it asking me ‘How would you pronounce this word?’ and ‘What is a hotdish?’” Musgrave said.
Musgrave, who began his college career as an accounting major at the University of North Dakota, switched routes when his father encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming an actor. “Can you imagine a dad saying, ‘Forget accounting. Be an actor’?”
He then transferred to MSUM, joined the theatre arts department and performed in productions directed by Bill Wilson and Craig Ellingson. “I had no idea what I was getting into. I had to have been the most green actor they’d ever seen,” Musgrave said. “I remember my first class with Wilson. At the end, he said, ‘All right. For the next class, bring a comic monologue, and we’ll see where we’re at.’ I remember slowly turning to the person next to me and asking ‘What’s a monologue?’”
After Musgrave learned the ropes, he was cast in plays and musicals, such as “Cabaret.”
“That was kind of the start into what my love of acting became. The confidence just built and built,” Musgrave said. The experiences and effort he and his classmates put into these productions made him understand what it takes “to get where you want to go. You have to believe that it can come true, and then you need to point yourself in the direction and just go and trust. That’s one of the things MSUM taught me and showed me.”
Upon graduating from MSUM, Musgrave moved to Minneapolis, followed by Los Angeles to immerse himself in the pursuance of various roles for commercials and plays. Musgrave has lived in LA, a city he describes as having a heartbeat of its own, for nearly 12 years, honing his craft in the diverse city, but he still considers himself “a North Dakotan with pride.”
While the rest of the cast and crew will be dressed to the nines at the MGM party in LA and the premiere in New York City, Musgrave will be enjoying the company of friends and family in a different location – the celebrated city itself – Fargo.
“I really wanted to be back home.”
“Fargo” premieres Tuesday, April 15, on FX at 9 p.m. Beginning at 8 p.m., the premiere party will be at the Fargo Theatre, with a Q and A following the show. For more event information, click here.