Actor Wyatt Russell’s (Falcon and the Winter Soldier) circled multiple incarnations of the adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book Under the Banner of Heaven. Detailing the brutal slaying of Brenda Lafferty and her young daughter, Heaven floated in several circles as a feature film adaptation. During that process, Russell met with creative teams to discuss a handful of roles within the pending projects, but the timing never seemed exactly right.
But sometimes things happen for a reason.
Russell finally boarded the project when writer/creator Dustin Lance Black and a producing team that included director Ron Howard landed at FX with a 7-episode limited series order. He would tackle the volcanic role of Dan Lafferty, one of two brothers caught in a haze of religious fervor that led to the heinous crime. Russell’s performance stands out among the extraordinarily talented ensemble cast thanks to his dedication in portraying Lafferty as a man of faith driven to extremes to become the true “One.”
Here, in an interview with Awards Daily, Wyatt Russell talks about his history with the project and his research in finding the true Dan Lafferty. He talks about his relationship with faith and fundamentalism and how that funneled into his interpretation of Lafferty. Additionally, he reveals what key scenes within the series infer about Lafferty’s journey within the series. Finally, he talks about fundamentalism and the parallels between the series and our current socio-political culture.
FX’s Under the Banner of Heaven streams on Hulu.