Seeing the folksy Farmers Insurance pitchman go full bloodthirsty mobster in The Westies on MGM+ might feel a little jarring. But J.K. Simmons's acting career has been defined by a mystery of extremes. (Exhibit A: his 2015 supporting actor Oscar win for playing Fletcher, Whiplash's sadistic music instructor.)
The Michigan native admits that he used to worry about the long-term effects of playing such evil, menacing figures.
In 1997, he was cast as ruthless Aryan Brotherhood gang leader Vern Schillinger in Oz, Tom Fontana's groundbreaking HBO prison drama. While thrilled to nab such a prestigious TV gig after years spent doing theater, Simmons feared getting trapped in the Bad Guy box.
"I was afraid I'd be typecast as 'Nazi of the Week' for the rest of my life," he says. "But shortly after we wrapped Oz's first season, I got cast as Dr. Emil Skoda on Law & Order. So, a psycho and then a sardonic psychologist," he says with a laugh. "In both cases, it started with great writing. And my job was to lift the guy off the page and make him a flesh-and-blood human."
Nearly 30 years and more than a few nice guys later (endearing police chief Will Pope on The Closer, for one), Simmons is back on the dark side in The Westies.
Set in early 1980s New York, the series centers on the notorious real-life Irish gang that battled the mob for control of construction on the rising Jacob Javits Convention Center. Chris Brancato created the series with Michael Panes, who was a writer and executive producer on Brancato's shows Godfather of Harlem and Hotel Cocaine.
"The Irish were vastly outnumbered by the Italians, so they dug into their little piece of turf like rabid dogs," Simmons says. He plays fictional Irish boss Eamon Sweeney, who leads the Westies in their bloody turf war against the mafia in the eight-episode series. "They say the scariest guy in prison isn't necessarily the biggest or toughest — he's the most unpredictable. That's how the Westies established their hold on Hell's Kitchen and hung on to it for so long."
Simmons's film work ranges from superhero fare (six Spider-Man films) to indie darling (Juno) to glossy biopic (Being the Ricardos, which earned him his second Oscar nom). He also landed his first Emmy nomination in 2025 for Roku's short-form Kevin Hart comedy Die Hart: Hart to Kill. Simmons credits his diverse theater background for helping him enjoy such variety and longevity across his career.
"In theater, I'd be the lead on Monday night. Tuesday I'd be the second guy from the left in the chorus. And Wednesday I'd play some wacky character part. We were expected to be versatile," Simmons says. "I think because of that, I've been fortunate to have a variety of opportunities and never be typecast. And the fact that Law & Order came on the heels of Oz, and audiences saw two distinctly different characters played by the same guy ... that really got me off on a good foot."
This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, issue #10, 2026, under the title, "Back in Black."
