You might know Jeffrey Donovan as suave spy Michael Westen, of USA’s sun-soaked “Burn Notice,” or the snarling yet petulant Dodd Gerhardt, a linchpin figure on the acclaimed second season of FX’s “Fargo.” You may even recognize him from Clint Eastwood’s biopic “J. Edgar,” in which he played a no-nonsense Robert F. Kennedy, or as sharp-shooting DEA agent Steve Forsing in the Denis Villeneuve-directed thriller “Sicario.”  For Donovan, an Amesbury native, successfully tackling such diverse parts is not just a point of pride, it’s a professional prerogative. So when Les Bohem, creator of the upcoming Hulu drama “Shut Eye,” offered him the lead role of Charlie Haverford, a small-time scammer whose work as a fake psychic is complicated by a blow to the head, triggering seemingly genuine clairvoyance, the actor leapt at the chance to create a character different from any he’d ever played.  Ahead of the 10-episode first season’s streaming debut this Wednesday, Donovan discussed his latest role and future projects.  Q. What sold you on this series?  Get The Weekender in your inbox:  The Globe's top picks for what to see and do each weekend, in Boston and beyond.  A. It was the whole concept. Les [Bohem] told me that he was driving by a tarot card reading shop and it said, “Five dollars, palm reading.” It was in Beverly Hills, and then he thought, “How are they affording rent in Beverly Hills if they charge five dollars for a palm reading?” Researching, he found that’s just to get you in the door, and then the con begins, and they get their hooks into you. It was a world that was very foreign to me, and when I read the first three scripts, I saw that there was a real opportunity to create something that was not on television.  Q. And that’s fairly rare, especially with television recently expanding to online platforms, like Hulu, and more variety of programming. What was it like working with Hulu’s all-at-once, binge-viewing model?  A. It certainly satisfies. What’s tough in this day and age is that there’s so much competition, that people don’t want to wait a week. I know my wife and I, if we really like a show, are disappointed if we can’t watch the next episode. I like the model; I’m not sure it’s for people who might like the watercooler talk, but we certainly enjoy it.  Q. Charlie seems like a very unusual kind of character for you. What drew you to the role?  A. I try to make choices in characters that are very different from the previous ones. Not only is it a challenge and something I like to do, but it also just keeps me interested in the acting world. I can create someone I’ve never created before. Charlie has a different sensibility about life than I do. He’s a lot weaker than any of the characters I’ve ever played. I usually play these big alpha-males, the biggest, the smartest, or probably at least the loudest guy in the room. I wanted to play something a little more nuanced, more subtle, and certainly weaker. Charlie has no faith, no strength, no direction. He’s really a lost soul. When this injury happens, it rocks his world. And the visions he has, real or not, are giving him a sense of power — and especially on the weak mind, power is very seductive.  Q. What was it like to collaborate with actors like KaDee Strickland, who plays your wife, and Isabella Rossellini, who plays this intimidating kingpin figure on the show?  A. Working with this cast is delicious. These actors want to get in there and get dirty. They don’t care about looks or actor power — they only care about story, and character, and what makes this better than the other 400 shows on television. That’s why every actor — David Zayas, Mel Harris, Isabella Rossellini, Angus Sampson, Susan Misner, KaDee Strickland, everybody — is on board.  Q. You recently worked on the second season of “Fargo,” which had a contained arc, as opposed to “Shut Eye,” which could go for multiple seasons. Do you prefer miniseries or multi-season models for your projects?  A. My personal preference is story, which has nothing to do with how many episodes it goes or where the platform is. Even though “Fargo” was a limited 10, then I was out, I would have loved to do another 10, to work with [“Fargo” creator] Noah [Hawley] and that world again. By the end of seven seasons of “Burn Notice,” I was burned out, no pun intended. It was tough to do that many. I had an amazing time doing season one of “Shut Eye,” and if it was one-and-done, I’d be happy, because I could go and do other things. But if there’s an opportunity to do a second season, and the scripts are right, and the story is there, I’d love to come back.  Q. The character must be a draw as well, embodying something you haven’t before.  A. I love playing such different characters every time. For “Burn Notice,” I had to stay fit and agile for seven years, and then I really loved gaining 40 pounds for “Fargo,” eating everything I wanted, doing heavy lifting, and becoming really large. Then I loved losing it all again to become the soft, pudgy Charlie. [Laughs]  With “Fargo,” people were three episodes in and even my friends said they didn’t know it was me until they saw the credits. I love that. Dodd was a dangerous dude. That was a pedigree of a show you just wanted to be a part of, to be able to be given that role and told by Noah, “Go ahead, go create Dodd,” which I did. The freedom I had to create the way he talked and walked, to transform my weight with extra girth and size. It was really fun. It took its toll. It was hard, with four months of training, and 5,000 calories a day is no picnic. I’m just glad I don’t have to do it yearly. [Laughs]  Q. What’s next for you?  A. I’m about to start shooting this new movie, called “Soldado.” It’s the follow-up to “Sicario.” Benicio [del Toro], Josh [Brolin], and I are reprising our roles from the first one. It’s similar in theme, about trying to tackle the Mexican drug cartel’s power over not only drugs coming into the country but also over the youth of Mexico, how they manipulate these children into becoming mules and carriers for major stretches of importation into the United States.  Q. Do you feel any pressure, participating in a project that explores charged political territory like that?  A. I don’t think we ever feel political pressure, because ultimately our job is to entertain, and secondly to inform. If something political comes out of it, it’s usually the viewer bringing their subjective view into it. We’re going to tell something that’s hopefully fair, and let the viewer make of it what they may.
The Amesbury native and star of the new Hulu series “Shut Eye” takes pride in tackling diverse roles.