The Offer is a different kind of period drama for Matthew Goode.
The British actor has traded in his posh Downton Abbey accent for a very specific American drawl, '70s attire and a classic California tan in order to portray Hollywood legend Robert Evans. As Goode told E! News in an exclusive interview—where he was joined by co-star Colin Hanks—he spent "a lot of time" perfecting his take on the studio executive that helped bring The Godfather to life.
"I was quite scared when I was given the job," he admitted about his role in The Offer, which dramatically retells the making of the iconic crime film. "So I spent quite a lot of time watching lots of documentaries and lots of old interviews."
By watching hours of YouTube videos, Goode was able to perfect Evans' "very interesting cadence," which is a mix of the Valley and a New York accent.
As for his physical transformation into Evans? Goode revealed that he tried to get the film producer's deep tan by lying out in the sun, but he was unable to achieve the color he needed.
"We did some spray tanning" he told E! News. "And then we did various levels of makeup as well, and I think it worked out."
While Goode had a real-life figure to draw from for his performance, Hanks plays the fictional Barry Lapidus.
"He's pretty much a collection of everyone that said no and didn't want to make The Godfather," Hanks said about Barry. "I thought that was a pretty fun way to approach it."
Per Hanks, he enjoyed the "opportunity to be the bad guy," adding, "The truth of the matter is—as hard as it is to believe—there are people that didn't want to make The Godfather, and they actually had legitimate reasons in their eyes at the time as to why it was a bad idea."
Keep reading for a closer look at the Offer cast and their real-life counterparts!
New episodes of The Offer arrive Thursdays on Paramount+.