Timothy Olyphant Wasn’t Actually the First Actor to Play Justified’s Raylan Givens
The previous incarnation of Givens on the screen was far from Olyphant’s success.
Justified manages to tell a classic Wild West story in modern-day Kentucky as realistically as possible. It premiered in 2010, and the finale was shown in 2015, but the series is still worth watching eight years after it ended.
The main character charms women with a good sense of humor and charisma, annoys colleagues, and rarely listens to his superiors – in general, he asks for trouble in every possible way.
Raylan Givens was played by Timothy Olyphant, and this may have been the best role of his career. Serious and cunning at the same time, Timothy Olyphant is perfect as a troubled Deputy US Marshal, hiding his inner feelings behind sarcastic jokes, constantly ignoring orders and leaving mountains of dead villains in his wake.
Few people know that Olyphant was actually not the first actor to play Givens. And the first incarnation was far from success of the TV show.
In 1997, Pronto was released, starring Peter Falk as a lucky bookie Harry who had been robbing mob boss Jimmy Capotorto for 20 years. Harry has saved enough money to retire by moving to the Italian Riviera with his girlfriend.
But the FBI interferes with Harry's plans and decides to make him a witness for the prosecution against the Mafia. The FBI frames Harry, saying to Jimmy Capotorte himself that booker is pocketing the money of the Mafia. Instead of vacation, Harry is forced to save his life.
Pronto adapted Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name with James LeGros playing Raylan. LeGros' Givens tries to get Harry to testify in exchange for protection and is a key player throughout the trial.
The movie itself received positive reviews from audiences and critics, but if we compare LeGros' Raylan and Olyphant’s Raylan today, the conclusion is obvious – the latter managed to grasp the character incomparably better.
What’s interesting, LeGros also took part in the filming of Justified – he played the criminal Wade Messer in the second season. And this time it was not a miscast – LeGros hit the mark as Messer, unlike it was with Givens.