Not only did John Hawkes land his first Emmy nomination this year, he actually earned two: a supporting actor nom for playing the corrupt cop Hank Prior in True Detective: Night Country and another for his song “No Use,” which he composed and performed in character on the HBO anthology series.
After Hawkes was cast, showrunner Issa López suggested that Hank might play music. At first, the actor “wasn’t sure that was a great idea,” but then realized he’s always been fascinated by people who do something out of character. “I began to wrap my head around it a little more, and Issa asked if I could write an instrumental score piece.” A “good-natured argument” ensued about whether the song should have lyrics.
The song plays in episode five while Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) are out searching for the ice cave and then the camera pans through a protest while cutting to Hank playing a guitar in his living room.
Writing through Hank’s mind was a “blessing,” notes Hawkes. “It narrowed the focus a little bit into the whole range of myself and what I might choose to say and put a finer point and a tighter focus on what the song would be. I suppose there’s his own personal grievances in the song, frustration with how his life had gone. But I think when you’re really specific, sometimes it becomes more universal.”
In terms of playing Hank, Hawkes says there was one particular challenge he faced: “A lot of the characters are struggling and in pain and living in a great deal of frustration, and you keep that in your body for six months. I don’t consider myself a Method actor, but I read the script every day [even] when I wasn’t working, and just pretending … those things in your mind get to you. You’re aware that you’re an actor, that you’re playing this part, your mind knows that, but your body takes on another angle and feels it more than you’d like. But it’s a small price to pay to be involved in such a wonderful story and piece of writing.”
