Why Justified's Pilot Was Delayed For Months Because Of Timothy Olyphant

There is an old saying that claims patience is a virtue, and "Justified" showrunner Graham Yost can probably attest to it. Once upon a time, FX's hit neo-Western series was still a project in development, without an actor to play the trigger-happy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. Yost wanted "Deadwood" star Timothy Olyphant to portray the lawman, and he was willing to wait on the actor's schedule freeing up to land him — even though it derailed Yost's original plans for shooting the pilot episode.

"We had a hard time initially finding a Raylan. Tim was on the list, basically at the top of the list, but he was unavailable, and we wanted to go sooner rather than later," Yost recalled in an interview with Uproxx. "So we hunted around and couldn't really find anyone that would be anywhere near as good as Tim. Finally, I said, 'You know what, this is cable, we can wait, so let's wait.' So instead of shooting it in April, we shot it in June. That was a big plus for the series. We wouldn't be on the air without him."

The decision paid off, as "Justified" enjoyed six seasons on FX, and we have Olyphant's performance to thank for much of it. What's more, Olyphant reprises the role of Raylan Givens in the "Justified: City Primeval" sequel series, proving that the franchise has staying power. 

While speaking to The TV Addict, Olyphant revealed that he enjoys playing Raylan because it allows him to show off his humorous side, thanks to the lighter moments in "Justified." "The humor is the most fun," he said. "It's a blast being able to do comedy, and I always feel like we're kind of doing a comedy show. And it's just Elmore Leonard's cool, all his characters are cool. It's fun to pretend to be that cool."

The good news for fans is that Olyphant has said he would be happy to return to this universe if the opportunity presents itself — and there are stories left to tell. The "Justified: City Primeval" Season 1 finale (read a recap) dangles some plot threads that can be picked up at a later date, so a follow-up series isn't a far-fetched notion. But it remains to be seen if the folks at FX are interested in renewing "Justified: City Primeval" for Season 2, or if Raylan Givens has fired his last shot.