If the dictionary ever needed a picture next to the word “moxie,” the picture of Juno Temple would suffice. The London-born star of this season's “Fargo” has worked as an actress since her first audition at age 17 (2006's “Notes on a Scandal”), and went on to appear in films such as “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012). . and television series such as “Dirty John” (2018). She rose to fame as model-turned-PR maven Keeley in “Ted Lasso” in 2020 and stole scenes in 2022’s “The Offer.”
None of them prepare you for the Temple of Juno you see in season 5 of FX's “Fargo.” As Dorothy “Dot” Lyon, she is a pancake-making housewife with a hidden history and a powerful right hook.
Temple spoke to The Envelope on her way home to Los Angeles (no, she wasn't driving, she doesn't have a license) about being engaged, lobster pantyhose, and running faster than Tom Cruise.
Fans of 80s music surely know your father, Temple of JulianHe directed videos for Janet Jackson and David Bowie, and films such as 1988's “Earth Girls.” TOre Easy” and “Absolute Beginners” from 1986.
He's the reason I do what I do, you know? I grew up with a mind like yours. I can't help but find a ray of light even in the bleakest concrete. I have always said that he is a musician, but his instrument is a camera.
Are you also a big music fan?
I love music very much. Enhance all your emotions. It may be the reason you remember things. It is an extraordinary place to take advantage of and listen to music. And I make soundtracks for my characters. Music can take you places you can't reach on your own.
Juno Temple may be small, but she gets a lot of physical exercise in “Fargo.”
(Michelle Faye/FX)
Did you always plan to pursue acting?
I got a scholarship to the London College of Fashion because I wanted to design surreal lingerie. I love the surrealists and the art they make. I wanted to make melted corsets and lobster-colored pantyhose. But then I got my first job as an actor. [“Scandal”] and ended up postponing.
With “Ted Lasso”,“The Offer” and now “Fargo,” are getting some pretty dynamic parts. Your characters are fighters, inventive, creative and self-confident. How much of that is you or are you aspirational?
I wish I could say more about what it was me. I think about their ability to love and be present: they feel very alive in the moment. That is a magnificent trait. I can be guilty of panicking, thinking about the future, and ruining the moment I'm in. So when I have a character that is more present in the moment, I try to take it home.
How difficult was it to capture Dot's very specific Minnesota accent in “Fargo”?
My dialect coach, Liz Himelstein, did the original “Fargo” movie and has done every season since. I started working with her while she was filming “Ted Lasso,” which was interesting for my fiancé. [actor Michal Szymanski]. He said: “There are a lot of people in this apartment right now: Keely, Juno and Dot.” I have two younger brothers who are two of my best friends, they came over for dinner and I did my best. [accent], and they both looked at me like, “How long will it be until you stop?” It's fun, a really complex accent, and when it fits, oh my God. I started doing it everywhere. When we were filming, I kept the accent the entire time. Not in character, but in accent.
Dot was also a very physical role and you are a very small woman. Do you notice that you are sometimes underestimated in Hollywood because of your shorter height?
That people underestimate you can be an advantage. It's good to surprise people. I had to do a sequence in “Fargo” and Mitch [Dubin], our heavenly camera operator, told me he ran faster than Tom Cruise. So being able to surprise people with secret athleticism is something that actually surprised me. I guess if I'm being chased by something really scary or getting paid, I can run really fast!
Is there anything you don't want or can't do on a set?
I can't work with spiders. I am truly arachnophobic. There was an incident during “Ted Lasso” where he was going downstairs to get some fresh air and he was in Keeley's miniskirt, big platform heels, everything. I'm good at high heels; I can run through airports with them. But there was a spider the size of a tarantula on the stairs and I fell down three flights of stairs. I landed at Jason's house [Sudeikis] feet. I kind of rebounded.
