Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Elmore Leonard Was 'Amazed' by 'Justified': 'A lot better than Some tips i Can have Written'


In many ways FX's Justified can be a television series created with uncommon respect with the source material. Actually, Elmore Leonard, who died on Tuesday, was a really guiding force in case you worked tirelessly on the series which the very notion they are able to produce something Leonard would disapprove of drove the crooks to create -- and sustain -- the very best dramas on tv.


I immediately thought of series creator Graham Yost after hearing about Leonard's death. Yost had given employees little blue rubber wrist bands that had WWED to them. "What Would Elmore Do?" It was, in times of doubt, their guiding principle. Possess seen Yost for a few events long since he handed them out and joked he forgot something -- simply have him slide up his shirt sleeve to reveal this rock band.



It is not everyday, in the medium like television that is absolutely a writer's medium, in which you find such abiding passion for the one who wrote the cause material. I do believe that's partly what has produced Justified, which has been based on a Leonard short story called "Fire From the Hole," this type of fully-formed, fully-realized depiction of character. Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens is superb and Leonard so loved what Yost and his writers created that he kept giving his unabashed stamp of approval. (And beyond that, the show spurred Leonard to write another book -- Raylan -- based on how much Justified had ignited the smoothness; Olyphant's image, as Raylan, adorned the duvet).

Obviously we have seen all of which will continue being an abundance of appreciation pieces to the talent that Leonard possessed. A lot of films have been made form his work -- instead of these people around his standards or perhaps the expectations of his ardent book fans. But Justified was a true exception.

In January of 2012, FX was presenting a Justified panel in the Television Critics Association press tour, and joining Yost plus the cast on stage was Leonard (who had graciously signed copies of his book together them sitting in front of critics). What exited that memorable panel was Leonard's very real and also touching appreciation for that series and people behind it. When he spoke of how great the show was you bet astonished he was at what Yost and also the writers did to expand the Raylan character's Weltanschauung, he wasn't blowing smoke.

STORY: Elmore Leonard's ten best Hollywood Quotes

Here are a couple telling snippets even as we recall not merely the man, but wait , how deeply he felt about a project of his that may be apt to be long and ongoing at FX:

Leonard on Justified: "It’s an excellent show. I love all of the writing, i’m amazed sometimes that they can’ve got the characters better than I use them paper. They certainly a good job, a real good job... Well, they’re pros, to commence
 with. They do know the things they’re doing. Good
writing. I do believe, the writing, I will’t accept is as true
sometimes. My God, it’s a lot better than what I
 might have printed in the scene, you already know."