Why Roscoe From Amazon's Reacher Looks So Familiar
Shortly after its debut on Amazon Prime, the thriller series "Reacher" became one of the platform's biggest shows to date (via Deadline). The series is based on the popular "Jack Reacher" book franchise by Lee Child, with Season 1 particularly taking inspiration from the 1997 novel "Killing Floor." The Amazon show is not the first time Child's popular novels have been brought to the screen, with Tom Cruise previously portraying the titular character in the 2012 film "Jack Reacher." The new series is a fresh approach to the story, with Alan Ritchson as its lead. The latest adaptation received glowing reviews from critics, and Amazon wasted no time in greenlighting Season 2.
"Reacher" follows Ritchson's character, a former military police officer who travels the country without a care in the world. Season 1 shows Reacher getting waylaid in Margrave, Georgia, a town that has been rattled by a rare homicide. He gets caught up in the criminal underbelly, helping local officials, like Officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), find the guy who did it (after he convinces everyone that it wasn't him).
As Officer Conklin, Fitzgerald may be at the center of "Reacher" Season 1, but it looks like her character will part ways with the unconventional hero after a job well done. If you were a fan of the portrayal, here's where else you've likely seen Fitzgerald before.
Willa Fitzgerald got her start on Alpha House and Royal Pains
The bulk of Willa Fitzgerald's best-known work is in the TV realm, with the actor stepping in to portray a wide variety of characters on different comedy and drama series. After some one-off roles in the early 2010s, Fitzgerald landed a recurring part on the Amazon series "Alpha House" as Lola Laffer. The political satire starred Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy, Mark Consuelos, and John Goodman as Republican senators who share a house together when they are in D.C. Lola was the daughter of Malloy's character Louis Laffer, a senator from Nevada. The series ran for just 2 seasons but featured major cameos from stars like Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Wanda Sykes, Amy Sedaris, and more during its run (via IMDb).
Next up, Fitzgerald co-starred as Emma Miller during Season 6 of the medical comedy "Royal Pains." Miller was a con artist, the half-sister of Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) and Evan Lawson (Paulo Costanzo), and the source of plenty of drama during her relatively short run on the 8 seasons long series.
Fitzgerald's breakout role was on MTV's Scream: The TV Series
Willa Fitzgerald's big breakout role was as the original star of MTV's "Scream: The TV Series" beginning in 2015. She starred as Emma Duval, a high school girl in the fictional town of Lakewood. Emma discovers that her town is being tormented by a murderous killer donning a haunting white mask who is emulating the murders of a killer from the '90s named Brandon James. Once her close friends and peers start turning up dead, she takes matters into her own hands in order to save her town (in addition to herself). Fitzgerald not only steps up to follow in the footsteps of final girls before her, such as Neve Campbell in the original "Scream," but also conveys the emotional toll that dealing with such major trauma can have on a young person.
"Scream: The TV Series" is an anthology series, so Fitzgerald only starred as Emma for the first two seasons. In 2019, the 3rd season of "Scream" rebooted the story, and the show hasn't returned to new episodes since.
Fitzgerald was a memorable Law & Order: SVU guest star
In addition to her recurring roles on TV, Willa Fitzgerald has a pretty impressive list of guest appearances on major network shows, as well. One of her biggest was in 2019 when she appeared on a Season 20 episode of "Law & Order: SVU." In the episode "Plastic," Fitzgerald plays Ava Purcell, a woman who accuses her doctor of drugging and raping her with the help of his girlfriend. It's a small, but incredibly impactful role as Ava is forced to confront the intense realization of what was done to her. Ava's character also exemplifies the struggles many survivors of assault go through as they attempt to pursue justice while also handling their personal recovery.
Outside of "Law & Order," Fitzgerald also appeared on "Billions" as the girlfriend of Wags (David Costabile) in the episode "The Limitless S**t." Before that, you may have caught her portraying a young version of Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) in "House of Cards."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Fitzgerald was a diamond in the rough in The Goldfinch
While the majority of Willa Fitzgerald's acting work has been on the small screen, she also has a few film credits to her name. The most notable to date is her role as Kitsey Barbour in 2019's "The Goldfinch." The film, starring Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Luke Wilson, and more, was a box office bomb (via Box Office Mojo). It's based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2013 novel of the same name by Donna Tartt. However, despite the prestigious source material and A-list cast, the film was mostly panned by critics.
Kitsey is one of three children and the daughter of Mrs. Barbour (portrayed by Kidman). She is engaged to Theo Decker (Ansel Elgort), but their road to romance is anything but smooth. She's the epitome of glamour and class, with an eye for art and the finer things. Despite the film's faults, Fitzgerald's portrayal is one of a few highlights, as she was the full-embodiment of an American princess who just wants to find her happily ever after.