Statewide Blog

How to talk ‘Fargo’ (this subject did not flee the interview)

Fargo_CL_1437_1
Allison Tolman as Molly Solverson, Bob Odenkirk as Bill Oswalt. (Chris Large/FX)

"Why don't you talk like 'Fargo?'"

It's a question many Minnesotans have probably been asked during their out-of-state travels. Blame the Coen brothers' 1996 film "Fargo," in which the Minnesota accent played a starring role. The film helped shape modern perceptions of the state's people.

There's a new "Fargo" in town — a TV series based on the film debuts tonight on FX.

Tony Alcantar helped the cast get the accent right. Alcantar, a dialect coach, worked with actors on set in Calgary, Alberta, including British actor Martin Freeman and Texan Allison Tolman.

Listen to the interview to hear what sounds Alcantar thinks define the Minnesotan way of speaking.

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