History rarely feels as startlingly contemporary as it does in Netflix’s new limited series “Death by Lightning”, a political drama rooted in the stranger-than-fiction true story of President James A. Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau. Adapted from Candice Millard’s acclaimed book “Destiny of the Republic”, the series examines the brief and turbulent presidency of Garfield, a reluctant leader pulled into power, and the deeply troubled admirer who would ultimately take his life.
The show’s opening episode stages one of the most surprising political upsets in American history: the 1880 Republican National Convention, where Garfield, who had not even declared his candidacy, became the nominee after a deadlocked floor fight among the party’s leading figures, including Ulysses S. Grant and James G. Blaine. It is a gripping portrait of democracy unfolding through deliberation and oratory, inside a room full of delegates who actually changed their minds in real time. Watching that unfold today, it’s hard not to think about the 2024 Democratic nomination, where instead of an open convention, a replacement was rushed with minimal public engagement. But that’s neither here nor there.
At the center of the story is Michael Shannon, one of the most distinctive and quietly unpredictable actors working today. Known for roles ranging from General Zod in “Man of Steel” to his Emmy-nominated turn as George Jones in “George and Tammy”, Shannon plays Garfield as someone who never sought power but can’t ignore the responsibility once it arrives. “Learning about Garfield is a way to learn what a president is actually supposed to be,” Shannon tells Awards Focus. “We seem to have forgotten that.”
Opposite him is Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau, in a performance that channels the off-center social discomfort of his “Succession” persona into something lonelier, more fractured, and ultimately more tragic. Their scenes together don’t feel staged or sculpted. They feel lived in, with both actors responding to one another rather than executing a plan. As Shannon puts it, “I try to just be there. A lot of awkward acting comes from people trying to carry out an idea they had before they got to set.”
“Death by Lightning” doesn’t romanticize Garfield or the era. It simply shows what public service looked like when duty carried meaning. The four-episode limited series premieres November 6 on Netflix, produced under David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s creative deal with the studio and directed by Matt Ross. The ensemble cast includes Betty Gilpin as First Lady Crete Garfield, Nick Offerman as Vice President Chester Arthur, Bradley Whitford as Senator James Blaine, Shea Whigham as Senator Roscoe Conkling, Tuppence Middleton, Paula Malcomson, Kyle Soller, and Vondie Curtis-Hall among others.
Awards Focus spoke with Michael Shannon about stepping into Garfield’s legacy, working opposite Macfadyen, shaping a character without archival recordings, and why he continues to choose roles that surprise him.
Awards Focus: Michael, great to meet you. It feels like a busy stretch right now with both the series and your film (“Nuremberg”) releasing. To begin, when you look at this story and this moment in history, what did you feel was most important about telling it now?
Michael Shannon: The objective is to educate people about something they didn’t know anything about. Most people don’t know much about James Garfield. Learning more about him is a way to learn what a president is actually supposed to do and who they are supposed to be. We seem to have forgotten that. We seem to be letting any old insane person do it, which is unfortunate because it could lead to the demise of our species. I think I would rather have James Garfield personally. But the crazy guy shot him, and the medical profession at the time wasn’t up to the task of taking care of him, which again is eerily repeating itself in our current regime.
AF: The first episode shows the Republican convention where Garfield becomes the nominee through a deadlocked floor decision. Watching that now, some viewers may naturally compare it to recent political events. Do you think there is still value in the idea of an open convention?
Shannon: I’m not an expert on politics, and I’m aware that people are not starving for my opinions on the subject. But democracy, at least how I understand it, is the idea that the people choose who governs them. To the extent that there are as many options and possibilities as possible, that seems to make for a stronger democracy. I wish we had more than a two party system. We try to throw a third party up the flagpole sometimes. I’m generally for openness in all things.
AF: Garfield is depicted as a gifted speaker. Do you believe a great orator could still move or unite the country today?
Shannon: People still listen to people talk. Most of social media is people talking. If I didn’t believe in the power of the spoken word, I would have a hard time explaining the career I chose.
AF: Your scenes with Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau have a very distinct energy to them. How did the two of you develop that dynamic?
Shannon: We didn’t really. I love Matthew. He is a beautiful person and an incredible actor, but we didn’t spend much time together. They started shooting earlier with him. I would show up. We had one dinner socially. I haven’t found there is much to talk about beforehand. You study, you prepare, and then when you’re there, you’re present. A lot of awkward acting comes from someone trying to carry out an idea they had before they got to set. I try not to do that. I like to just be there.
AF: Without film or audio recordings of Garfield, how did you approach his voice and presence?
Shannon: There is no film. He lived in the late 1800s. He was very well photographed, but there is no audio. I did a lot of reading. I studied the way he phrased things, the way he spoke, his linguistic tendencies. But there was nothing to emulate. It was open in that way.
AF: How did the role come to you, and what made it one you wanted to take on?
Shannon: Sometimes people call me and ask me to do things I never imagined I would be asked to do. I never thought anyone would call me and ask if I wanted to play a President of the United States. It is flattering. I am used to hearing that I am scary or a villain. So when someone says, here is James Garfield, that is surprising. It is about surprise and doing something unexpected. Otherwise it gets tedious. You are always trying to get out of the machinery of the whole thing.
AF: You balance acting, theater, and music. How do you make time for all those creative parts of your life?
Shannon: I keep it separate. I take the time I need to do what I want to do. “Nuremberg” and “Death by Lightning” took up about six months, half a year, and then the other half of the year I played music and did theater. I’m not always on set somewhere. I don’t try to juggle everything at once.
AF: At this stage of your career, are there roles you still want to play?
Shannon: I don’t really operate that way. I don’t have a list. Sometimes I think maybe I’m done. But then someone calls with something outlandish, and that’s usually what convinces me. Someone once called and asked if I would play a Mossad agent. I didn’t think I was the closest thing to a Mossad agent you could find. But he believed it, and his conviction convinced me. The fun part is taking the risk. I would be bored if I just did what people expected.
AF: Michael, thank you for your time. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, and congratulations again.
Shannon: Thank you.