Summary

• Netflix's adaptation of A Man in Full focuses on a real estate mogul's bankruptcy.
• Jeff Daniels portrays the lead role of Charlie Croker with a focus on humanity.
• Producer David E. Kelley shifted focus to explore relationships & complexities in characters.

A Man in Full star Jeff Daniels discusses a change from the Tom Wolfe novel on which the series is based. Released in 1998 and titled A Man in Full, Wolfe's novel focuses on a real estate mogul that's facing bankruptcy. That is also the focus of the Netflix adaptation, with Daniels portraying the lead role of Charlie Croker. But there is one key difference between the two stories.

In an interview with Screen Rant, ahead of the show's May premiere on Netflix, Daniels discussed the approach he takes in portraying a villain. Daniels also talked about the way that producer and showrunner David E. Kelley shifted the focus a bit to focus on Charlie's humanity and the relationship that Charlie has with his son. The full quote is below:

It's a challenge, it's kind of a basic tenant of acting, if you're playing a villain, you try to find some good in them, and if you're playing a hero, you try to find a couple of weaknesses. And it's similar with Charlie, he comes to it, it certainly isn't there in the first episode or two, that's for sure. He's blind to his own idiocy, and obliviousness to anyone and anything around him, other than himself. He comes to it, he gets to it, I think David kind of helped the book that way. He kind of steered Charlie to a little bit of humanity by the end, certainly with his son, and even with his young wife, he kind of gets to it. But that's what makes it challenging and fun and complicated, and not just "Here are the heroes and here are the villains."

A Man in Full Could Be A Big Hit For Netflix

The Show Has A Great Cast & A Short Episode Count

The story of A Man in Full follows Charlie Croker, a real estate mogul who faces sudden bankruptcy. Things get more complicated from there, as Charlie finds himself defending his empire from those hoping that they can somehow capitalize on Charlie's downward trajectory. Along with the two-time Emmy winner Daniels as Croker, the cast of A Man in Full includes several fan favorites.

Diane Lane (Under the Tuscan Sun), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), William Jackson Harper (The Good Place), Aml Ameen (Sense8), and Tom Pelphrey (Outer Range) are among those who star in the six-episode series. The relatively short episode count, compared to other streaming series, will likely give A Man in Full a boost and help it to become a breezy binge.

The show is similarly accomplished behind the camera, with veteran producer and showrunner David E. Kelley penning all the episodes. Kelley is behind some recent hits like The Lincoln Lawyer and Big Little Lies, in addition to seminal legal shows such as Ally McBeal. Regina King, who received widespread praise for her direction of One Night in... Miami, directs several episodes. Considering the talent involved, and the fun premise, A Man in Full is in a good position to appeal to those that haven't read the novel.

A Man in Full debuts May 2 on Netflix.