Before Lamorne Morris became an actor, he worked, to quote him directly, “a million jobs” — including stocking the shelves at video stores, bussing tables at restaurants, etc. — that, on some days, left him thinking, “Damn, I need a drink.” However, some days he had while working on shows like Fargo also left him feeling that way. That is why he jumped at the opportunity to partner with Mike’s Hard Lemonade and host the company’s Jobstacle Course, which is a new interactive event that will allow participants to experience just how hard some “easy” jobs actually can be.
When speaking to Morris, who is best known for his comedic role in the New Girl cast, about the pop-up event, I asked him if there was ever a moment from his acting career that made him feel overworked in the same vein as the sort of gigs highlighted in Mike’s Jobstacle Course. This is what he had to say:
I’ll tell you, Fargo was heavy. The subject matter behind that was very, very heavy. It’s dealing with abuse and things like that and it’s triggering for a lot of folks. Especially, I knew how I grew up and I knew the environment that I grew up in and sometimes you just need to leave work at work and go have a drink, you know? You also have to stay mentally there because you’re still filming. You’re filming for six or seven months. You wanna make sure you’re not completely departing your character and trying to find him again in the space. So, you keep a little bit of that in there, but going to bed like that every night and waking up thinking about this negative stuff, every once in a while, you need a little break.
In the acclaimed fifth season of Fargo, FX’s anthology crime series, Morris stars as Witt Farr — a role that earned him a 2024 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. The North Dakota State Trooper becomes embroiled in a perplexing case involving a seemingly normal housewife (played by Juno Temple) struggling to outrun her dark past when they cross paths in the middle of a violent situation.
Given the season’s themes of toxic masculinity and violence against women, it is no wonder why the role would prove to be a psychologically taxing experience for anyone involved, including Morris. In fact, he would add that it was also a physically demanding experience shooting in -30 or -40-degree weather in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Those kinds of set conditions would certainly warrant a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, if you ask me.
I also jumped at the chance to mention Morris’ Instagram post from July 2024, in which he celebrated his Emmy nomination by thanking the Television Academy for recognizing his “hard work on New Girl.” While obviously a joke, I could not help but feel that Witt Farr and his hilarious New Girl character, Winston Bishop, were not so different, both being cops with a heart of gold. The actor agreed and even discussed how Winston’s caring demeanor resembles Witt’s selfish commitment to helping people in need.
With both shows, like with any job, I'm sure some days required time off to wind down and relax, and one way to do that is with a drink.
If you happen to see Morris at 477 Broadway, New York City, to debut Mike’s Jobstacle Course on August 20, 2024, from 2-8 p.m., maybe buy him a bottle on me. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for what else the talented actor has on the horizon, such as playing Robbie Robertson in the upcoming Spider-Man TV show, Spider-Noir.
