Timothy Olyphant is set to co-star with Anya Taylor-Joy in an Apple TV+ series, and his role is exactly the opposite of the type of character he's best known for playing. Through the years, Timothy Olyphant has cemented himself as a great actor by taking leading roles in some of the best TV shows ever made, like Deadwood. He's also played quite a few other famous roles, from his Justified character Raylan Givens to the iconic video game character Agent 47 in Hitman. One of Olyphant's roles, however, should be very different.

Timothy Olyphant ed the cast of Lucky, an Apple TV+ adaptation of a book of the same name that also stars Anya Taylor-Joy. He's set to play John Armstrong, the father of Taylor-Joy's titular character, Lucky. There are plenty of reasons to be excited for Lucky, from the excellent pairing of Taylor-Joy and Olyphant to the success of the novel it's based on and the talent of the creators putting it to film, but there's another reason fans of Olyphant will want to tune in. Olyphant's character in Lucky is the exact opposite of the type of role he's been playing for over two decades.

Timothy Olyphant Has A History Of Playing Lawman Roles

Olyphant Played Lawmen In Deadwood, Justified, The Mandalorian, Snowden, & More

For most of his career, Timothy Olyphant has been known for playing lawmen characters. The trend started with his role in 2004's Deadwood, where he played Seth Bullock, who quickly became the sheriff of the titular South Dakota town. Since then, some of Olyphant's best movies and shows have put him in similarly law-bringing roles. Olyphant played U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens in Justified, sheriff Cobb Vanth in The Mandalorian, CIA agent Geneva in Snowden, sheriff David in The Crazies, U.S. Marshall Dick 'Deafy' Wickware in Fargo season 4, and more. If there's one role Olyphant should feel comfortable playing, it's a lawman.

Timothy Olyphant has played so many lawmen over the course of his career that it's actually easier to list all of his villainous or criminal roles. Olyphant played the Ghostface killer in Scream 2, drug dealer Todd Gaines in 1999's Go, a professional assassin in Hitman, and he voiced villains in Terminator Zero and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Aside from those projects and some smaller roles - like a criminal in a single episode of 1996's Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Olyphant's characters rarely step on the wrong side of the law. That is, until he was cast in Lucky.

Timothy Olyphant Will Play A Con Artist In The Apple TV+ Show Lucky

Olyphant Was Cast As Taylor-Joy's Father, John Armstrong, A Known Con-Man

In spite of all the experience Timothy Olyphant has playing lawbringers, Lucky cast him against type. Olyphant's character in Lucky is John Armstrong, a known con-man and criminal, and the reason Anya Taylor-Joy's Lucky became a criminal in the first place. In the book Lucky is based on, Olyphant's character even begins the story in prison. Lucky will be one of the few times in Olyphant's entire career where he has played a criminal instead of the police officers hunting them down. It's an exciting opportunity for Olyphant to play a different type of character than he normally portrays, but it's also exciting for Lucky itself.

Timothy Olyphant Playing Against Type Makes Apple TV+'s Lucky Even More Intriguing

Lucky Is A Rare Chance To See Olyphant Use His Charm For Crime Instead Of Upholding The Law

The fact that Timothy Olyphant is set to play a criminal instead of a lawman in Lucky is yet another reason the Apple TV+ show is so intriguing. It'll be a rare opportunity for Olyphant to use some of his signature charm and screen presence in a more villainous role, which should be delightful to see. Lucky will also be the first time Timothy Olyphant and Anya Taylor-Joy have worked together since 2022's Amsterdam, which should give them a chance to better establish their chemistry. With two extremely talented actors in roles they're not accustomed to, Lucky could prove to be a tremendous series.

Lucky also likely had some reason for casting an actor like Olyphant, who is known for bringing the law instead of breaking it, which could indicate it will have some surprises in store.

Even though it's based on a best-selling novel, Apple TV+'s Lucky could have some shocking twists in store. There's no telling how much the show will change from the book, and how the creators will choose to adapt the novel to a serialized format. On top of that, Lucky also likely had some reason for casting an actor like Olyphant, who is known for bringing the law instead of breaking it, which could indicate it will have some surprises in store. At the very least, it's a sign that Lucky is already trying to undermine its audience's expectations.