“The Lowdown’s Martha Plimpton Reveals What to Expect from Her Sheriff in Season 2

Editor’s note: The following contains some spoilers for The Lowdown Season 2, Episode 4

Summary

• In Season 2 of FX’s ‘The Lowdown’, Sheriff Vela Thorne’s first gold buckle puts her on Lee Raybon’s radar at a pig sale.

• She accepts being called a “galla,” a proud, carefree political sheriff who plays the game to win.

• Martha Plimpton loves to shoot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and filming was happy and collaborative under the direction of creator Sterlin Harjo.

In Episode 4 of Season 2 of the FX series The Depressiontitled “Raw Milk,” we’re introduced to Sheriff Vela Thorne (Martha Plimpton), a county politician linked to the Lee Raybon crime (Ethan Hawke) investigates. The two cross paths when Lee makes his way to a pig competition where the sheriff mingles with the community, and some raw milk leads to a memorable interaction that puts the journalist on her radar.

Collider recently had the opportunity to speak with Plimpton about joining the Tulsa, Oklahoma-set series and just what kind of sheriff her character is. During the interview, she discussed Vela’s very tight Wrangler jeans, how much fun she has playing such complicated women across different projects, her polite sheep co-star, what kind of sheriff she is, and the show’s collaborative environment. Sterling Harjo creating on set.

COLLIDER: I love this show. I also love a character with a memorable introduction, and there’s something fun about meeting your character while she’s putting on her cowboy boots with her gold jewelry and nails and jeans. And we see her just being charming with the locals. What did you find most interesting about Sheriff Vela Thorne? What have you been told about this woman and how she fits into this season?

MARTHA PLIMPTON: I read the script. I love (creator) Sterlin [Harjo] and, obviously, Ethan [Hawke] he is an old friend. I was working in Madrid or Lisbon at the time, I can’t remember which, and I just thought, “Hell, yeah, I want to go and do that. Yeah, I’ll be commuting between Madrid and Tulsa for a couple of months. Why not?” Look, I don’t recommend that trip. It’s a bit long. But I was very happy to do it. I love this world. I love Tulsa. I love Oklahoma. I have worked there before. In fact, I have been working in the same two small towns that we shot in. It felt like the easiest choice in the world.

The Sheriff of the Lowdown, Vela Thorne, is a woman who likes her Wrangler jeans very tight

“I wanted Sheriff Vela to be like a woman who ran for office and won.”

Did you get any input on her vision, or was that very clear on the page?

PLIMPTON: Yes, indeed. Since I was working on several things at the same time, I couldn’t change my perspective too much. I came forward The Depression relatively late in the season. They had already been shooting for a couple of months. I went to my fitting, and I put on these Wrangler jeans and I just wanted them to be tight, tight, tight. I wanted them to look painted with a large gold belt buckle. I wanted Sheriff Vela to look like a woman who has run for office and won.

After The Race, Task, East of Edenand now this character, do you just have the most fun digging into these interesting and complicated women who don’t fit into one box?

PLIMPTON: Yes, I am. Thanks for asking. Yeah, I totally am. I’m having a lot of fun, and it’s just wonderful. I’m having a blast. I guess, as in every story, every character is an archetype of something, but I think I’ve been very lucky to be able to work with these really good writers and these really good productions that are very singular in their voice, and they want to do something unusual. They want to do something a little weird and a little off and a little maybe even rebellious, and I like that. It’s awesome.

Is this the first time you’ve ever done a scene with a sheep or lamb?

PLIMPTON: No, I’ve worked with animals. Onward Building HopeI worked with a lot of animals. I have worked with enough animals. Actually, that sheep was polite. That sheep was a pro.

According to ‘The Lowdown’s Sheriff Vela, There’s nothing wrong with being a dude

“A lot of big women are called gals.”

I love your character’s reaction to being told that everyone is calling her when she says, “You know, I hope they call me a gal every day of my life.” Is that just something she has to live with, as a woman in a position of power in this town?

PLIMPTON: It’s probably a combination of things. She is also trying to talk to this girl and tell her, going into this competition, not to be afraid and not to care about what anyone says or thinks. She says, “Just keep your eyes on the prize and move on. Don’t forget who you are. Whether it’s true or not, stand tall and be proud of yourself.” There’s nothing wrong with being a gal. Many large women are called galla.

In addition to a good introduction to your character, we see the first meeting between the Sheriff and Lee Raybon in Episode 4. It is clear that his reputation precedes him, but how much does she know about him? What does she think of Lee Raybon when she meets him?

PLIMPTON: I don’t think she knows anything about it. I don’t think she knows who the hell he is. And she wouldn’t mind. She thinks he is just a crazy person. She has heard a little about what he does, but she doesn’t have time for that. She has bigger fish to fry, or so she thinks.

Sheriff Vela doesn’t seem all that concerned with the moral lines her clients might cross. What kind of sheriff is she?

PLIMPTON: She’s probably a very good one. She makes unusual choices. Being a sheriff is not like being a cop. It is a political work. You get drawn into politics a lot more than you would if you were in the FBI or something. Unlike today, which we obviously know is no longer true. Being sheriff is about showing up to agricultural fairs and shaking hands and winning votes and winning. It’s not just law enforcement.

The vibe of ‘The Lowdown’ set is fun and friendly rules

“Every day was just beautiful.”

I have spoken to many of the team The Depressionand they all talk about the environment that Sterlin Harjo creates and how collaborative it is. Because of that, were there any particularly memorable moments during filming?

PLIMPTON: Every day was just beautiful. Every day was just a joy to come into work, to work with friends, and to work with people who have been doing this for a long time and feel privileged and joyful about telling stories. They are proud of what they do and feel lucky enough to be able to continue doing it. Sterlin is there with his guitar and he’s all very confident. He is obviously very professional. We do it. But the most important thing is to have fun and be kind to each other. That’s the whole point of everything we do, to be kind and have a good time.

The Depression on FX and is available to stream on Hulu.