'Justified' revival actor Victor Williams says fashion was key to playing Detroit cop
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To the star-studded list of Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) of “Beverly Hills Cop,” Detective Louis Fitch (Michael Imperioli) of ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7” and Detectives Frank Agnew and Joe Geddes (Mark Strong and Lennie James) of AMC’s “Low Winter Sun,” you can add another Detroit policeman out to crack an onscreen case.
He’s Detective Wendell Robinson of “Justified: City Primeval,” the limited-series "Justified" revival that airs at 10 p.m. Tuesdays on FX.
Victor Williams, who plays Wendell (and is best known to TV viewers as Deacon Palmer, Doug Heffernan's best friend on the 1998-2007 sitcom “The King of Queens"), doesn’t have a personal connection to the Motor City.
So how did the Brooklyn-born actor portray a Detroit police detective convincingly without the benefit of Detroit credentials? For one thing, he turned to the D's reputation for being stylish.
Williams, who spoke to the Free Press before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike, says there were several aspects to his research process.
He immersed himself in YouTube videos of Ira Todd, a retired Detroit homicide detective who has consulted with film and television productions and starred in the Starz reality show "Wrong Man." He also studied friends from Detroit and some of his favorite Pistons basketball players,, “just sort of listening to them and their language and their vibe.”
One of the keys to portraying Wendell, however, was the wardrobe for the soon-to-be-retired veteran of the force. The "Justified: City Primeval" costumers elevated the character's look beyond the stereotypical rumpled suit and white shirt of many TV cops in order to reflect Detroit's passion for fashion.
“The thing that really sort of set me into playing Wendell was the costuming, the yellow shirt, the more colorful button-down shirt and the more colorful ties, to add a little bit of style to (the) black or blue suits,” says Williams. “I've played a lot of detectives and the question is always like, ‘Is his shirt white or is his light blue?’… (Here) it started with this purple button-down shirt."
Even Williams' facial hair was part of depiction. Williams said the instructions were: “Let’s make sure it’s really finely cut.”
Williams also studied the work of the late, great Detroit author Elmore Leonard, whose classic crime novels were the inspiration for both the “Justified” series and new series.
“The book itself, the ‘City Primeval’ (subtitled “High Noon in Detroit”) was tremendous in terms of me getting into the world,” he says. “I had not read Elmore Leonard until I booked this job. And yes, absolutely, it entirely impacted my take on Wendell Robinson. It took it to another level to be honest.”
Williams turned to successful film adaptations of Leonard’s books like “Jackie Brown” and “Out of Sight” to explore the author’s unique ability to weave humor throughout his writing without sacrificing the grit and honesty of his darker moments.
Williams also credits veterans of the original "Justified" who are part of the limited-series team, executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner and star Timothy Olyphant, who plays iconic Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, with sharing their expertise on Leonard’s unique universe.
“They know Elmore Leonard the way, when I went to school, there were people who just know Chekhov, and there are people who just know Shakespeare. ... They really understand how it works, why it works, if it's off track, what to do to get it back on track. So what I loved is truly leaning in on what they had to say.”
Williams says Wendell is someone who is eyeing the conclusion of his career without taking his eye off the ball.
“It's like, you're so close to the end, retirement, getting done. It's this fine balance between staying focused on getting to retirement while also knowing you cannot slip. You can't think too much about retirement because you might get killed. You still have to stay aware, ready. You have to do your job to the best of your ability, dot all the I's and cross the T's.”
Since his "King of Queens" days, Williams has been busy working in television, film and theater. He recently had a recurring role in Showtime's Peabody-winning series "The Good Lord Bird." His numerous TV credits include "The Affair," "The Sinner," "Bull," "Happy Together" and "The Righteous Gemstones," where he played a scandalous megachurch pastor.
Williams enjoyed acting opposite Olyphant, whose Raylan is definitely a Stetson-wearing fish out of water amidst Detroit’s law enforcers. “You're a funny guy,” says Williams, describing Wendell's attitude toward Raylan. “You're an interesting guy, this man in the hat, but I'm not going to invest too much in you. You're passing through town. I gotta get my job done.”
He admits to one miniscule disappointment with the project. Says Williams with a laugh: “My only regret was not insisting that my character say, 'What up, doe?'"
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
'Justified: City Primeval'
10 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 29
FX (also streaming on Hulu)
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Justified: City Primeval': Victor Williams on playing a Detroit cop
