Interview: Michael Shannon on Singing in His Underwear and Defying Perceptions in ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’

In Nine Perfect Strangers, the new Hulu limited series from creators David E. Kelley and John Henry Butterworth, adapted from a novel by Liane Moriarty, the namesake group arrives for a 10-day retreat at the Tranquillum House, a health and wellness resort run by the mysterious Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman). 

Some guests arrive by themselves, others with their romantic partner, and others as a family unit. While all having their own troubles they’re hoping to find relief from, everyone has one thing in common – they’re looking to transform. 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Shannon to speak about his part in the series, playing family man Napoleon Marconi. Napoleon is at Tranquillum with his wife Heather (Asher Keddie) and their daughter Zoe (Grace Van Patten), and Shannon expresses that his greatest excitement in the series was getting to build this family unit with his co-stars. 

The two-time Oscar-nominated actor also discussed how playing Napoleon allowed him to step into shoes more similar to his own personality than the intimidating figures he usually plays on screen, which he feels has given some a false perception of who he is in real life. Off the screen, he’s closer to the guy who dances around in his underwear, belting out the iconic Grease tune “You’re the One That I Want”, as Shannon does so wonderfully in the series. 

Watch my interview with Michael Shannon below.