When I began scouting for our Up-and-Comer of the Month feature, I had a funny feeling I’d end up picking someone from Fargo given my affection for Noah Hawley‘s brilliant FX series, but I had no idea who was going to stand out among the show’s lesser-known cast members.

The wonderful E’myri Crutchfield announces herself as a rising star with her turn as the show’s conscience, Ethelrida Pearl Smutny, while musician Andrew Bird is very good as her father, Thurman. I also adored Kelsey Asbille as the fearless outlaw Swanee Capp, but there was one performance I just couldn’t shake — that of Salvatore Esposito as TV’s new favorite tough guy, Gaetano Fadda.