Fargo Season 5 Had A Nipple Expert On Set
There's a fair amount of special effects makeup required to make the FX series "Fargo" come to life, in large part because of the brutal violence that plays out every season. On season 5, however, there was a very different kind of prosthetic work required, and it had everything to do with Jon Hamm's character, a conservative Christian sheriff who's as corrupt as they come. Hamm plays North Dakota lawman Roy Tillman, who first served as sheriff of his county when he was only 25 years old, and it's led him to believe he can do whatever he wants, legal or not. Aided by his cadre of corrupt cops, Tillman shows that he's not afraid to play really dirty, especially when it comes to his frustrations with Minnesota housewife Dot (Juno Temple).
It might seem like he's not really the kind of guy who would have nipple piercings, but as showrunner Noah Hawley pointed out at the season 5 premiere and panel (via Variety), "We all live in 'Tiger King' America." Temple apparently had no idea that Hamm sported prosthetic nipples, and he gave her (and the audience) a full run-down on how the pretend piercings came to be.
Proper prosthetic piercings
In Fargo season 5 (read our review!), we are initially introduced to Hamm's Tillman as a terrifying force of nature who teaches lessons through violence. He's a rancher and a preacher, and seems like a pretty traditional guy until we see him soaking in an outdoor hot tub in the nude with his nipples pierced. Hamm explained the process behind his new look and revealed that they had a fairly unusual crew member on set:
"I had to have some very blue latex put on my nipples, and then they cast a resoundingly lifelike pair of nipples, which they then pierced and placed over my own nipples, and we shot said nipples. The crew doesn't get enough credit, but there was a dedicated nippleologist."
How does one get a job as a "dedicated nippleologist"? Inquiring minds would like to know. Apparently creating full fake nipples and piercing them, then attaching them over the actor's real nipples is sort of standard procedure, as Sebastian Stan had the same process done for "Pam & Tommy" in order to play rock drummer Tommy Lee. Usually prosthetic artists create wounds and alter people's facial structure, so working on something a bit naughtier has to be pretty fun.
New episodes of "Fargo" debut Wednesdays on FX and the next day on Hulu.