The Big Picture

• The character Stan Grossman appears in both Fargo and Little Miss Sunshine, played by Larry Brandenburg and Bryan Cranston respectively.
• Little Miss Sunshine used the name Stan Grossman as a tribute to Fargo, utilizing the character archetype that embodies everything the protagonist wishes to be and foreshadowing their downfall.
• The Stan Grossman archetype has been utilized in the Fargo television series, with various characters embodying the same double-crossing and dismissive qualities. These references create tension and surprise for the audience.

Did you know that a Bryan Cranston character from an Oscar-winning movie also appeared in Fargo? That's not to say Bryan Cranston himself appeared in Fargo, but a character of his certainly did, 10 whole years before Cranston even played the role. The role in question is a double-crossing businessman named Stan Grossman, who ignores the feelings and desperation of his films' respective protagonists to better focus on his business ambitions. Stan Grossman was played by Larry Brandenburg in Fargo and then later by Cranston in 2006's Little Miss Sunshine. Understandably confusing, given their unconnected universes, but here's how it all happened...

The Coen Brothers Created Stan Grossman for 'Fargo'

The 1996 movie Fargo follows William H. Macy's Jerry Lundergaard, a man so desperate for cash that he hires two goons to kidnap his wife, so they can split Jerry's father-in-law's ransom money three ways. Things go south, however, when Jerry's father-in-law Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell) opts to hunt the culprits rather than pay. Wade is assisted by his right-hand man Stan Grossman, played by Brandenburg. Grossman serves as a comparative figure to Jerry, a son-in-law Wade would have preferred. Little Miss Sunshine stars Greg Kinnear as Richard, a man set on making his motivational speaking interests into a career but failing to get it off the ground. Cranston appears as Stan Grossman, Richard's agent who strings him along and avoids his calls until he is eventually confronted as the double-crosser that he is. A double-crosser named Stan Grossman? Could it be the very same person? This isn't a coincidence by any means.

'Little Miss Sunshine' Used "Stan Grossman" as Shorthand for "Jerk"

According to en-academic.com, Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter Michael Arndt told Time Out Mumbai that, "woven into the plot is a tribute to Fargo, the superb 1996 comedy by the Coen Brothers. Richard’s potential entry into the publishing world is through a man named Stan Grossman, also the name of a recovery agent in Fargo. I just assumed that people knew it was a tribute to Fargo, but people didn’t realize until we started shooting." Due to the popularity of Fargo, Arndt recognized that, to countless fans, the name Stan Grossman subconsciously carried baggage as a man who embodies everything our protagonist wished he could be. It also foreshadowed that this would be the man who would eventually trigger the protagonist's downfall. Arndt utilized this in his characterization and created a character archetype so infuriating to our antiheroes that it transcends cinematic worlds. Both men are cruelly oblivious to the issues their dismissals cause their respective protagonists. While Stan Grossman is the reason for both protagonists' failed plans, he is free from the burden of the repercussions, free to ruin another day.

The Stan Grossman Archetype Has Been Utilized in the Fargo Franchise Too

The Stan Grossman archetype has since gone on to appear in countless incarnations throughout the Fargo television series. The show, created by Noah Hawley, follows similar but original stories that take place in the same corner of the US as the original movie. It often uses character types similar to those from the film to recreate the tone of the original, and Stan Grossman is a vital cog in that machine. The most recent season features Dave Foley as Danish Graves, the Stan Grossman to Jennifer Jason Leigh's Lorraine Lyon. The third season also had its own version of the Jerry-Stan relationship when Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor) becomes jealous of his twin brother's best friend and right-hand man Sy Feltz (played by Cranston's Your Honor co-star Michael Stuhlbarg).

Noah Hawley discussed his use of Coen Brothers references in the Fargo series, explaining that when you recognize these Easter Eggs and references, "subconsciously you’re expecting what happens in the movie, and part of you wants that to happen because it was so satisfying in the movie. So when you do something different it creates a tension — the opposite happens and that’s surprising." This is, in essence, what Michael Arndt was also doing by using the name Stan Grossman in Little Miss Sunshine. It brings a poetic quality to the similarities between the stories and uses the audience's subconscious baggage to the film's advantage.

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