Steven Prusakowski
Shannon Likens Modern Politics to “Paintball with Poop” vs. the Decency Seen in ‘Death by Lightning’
Michael Shannon can be a bit intimidating. His intensity on screen is so believable it often masks the thoughtful, introspective, and genuinely kind human being behind the performances, one who, when I spoke with him, could not be nicer. The same has been true for Joey the three times he’s spoken with him, here, here, and here.
In Netflix’s gripping limited series Death by Lightning, Shannon embodies the 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield is a far less intense figure than many of Shannon’s iconic roles – one of humility, intellect, and unwavering decency. Even though few know Garfield’s story today, Shannon taps into the soul of the man, making him feel like someone we’ve known all along.
When asked why he took this role, Shannon said he would be “if someone offered me the chance to play the President of the United States, I’d be a bit of a dumb dumb not to take them up on it.” His instincts were correct, not only is Garfield’s story one so compelling that even those not interested in US history, Death by Lightning has become a surprise hit for the streamer.
Featuring a stellar cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Betty Gilpin, Nick Offerman, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham, this tale of a little-known 19th-century president draws timely parallels to today’s fractured politics. Shannon’s nuanced performance honors the forgotten leader but also delivers the story of a respectable, principled president many yearn for today, a poignant reminder of what American governance could be.
Shannon connected deeply with Garfield’s character, seeing in him a reflection of personal growth. “I feel like in my own life I definitely as of late, have been just wanting to feel like a decent human being. When you’re younger, sometimes you can be more consumed with ambition. But nowadays, it’s just like, gosh, I just don’t want to be mean. I just want to be like a nice person that helps people.”
He saw the same in Garfield, “He seems to just want to improve the situation for people. You know, the way he deals with all these people coming at him, because people just really do not want him to accomplish anything. And he somehow manages, even in that brief time he was in office to have a legacy, which is pretty extraordinary. The Department of Education was his idea.” Ironically and unfortunately, the department was shuttered within days of my conversation with Shannon.
What struck Shannon most was Garfield’s charisma and resilience amid opposition. “It’s like a moth to flame, you know, how we’re drawn to these villainous types of people. It’s really unfortunate. But I think Garfield in addition to being a decent human being, he’s got a certain charisma about him. I thought he was kind of funny sometimes, I thought he had a sense of humor. And he’s smart.”
Shannon’s own parallels with Garfield run deep. “I didn’t have too many advantages and I don’t think he did either. Kind of like the architecture of our lives. He started out dirt poor and had to work his butt off. Nothing was handed to me, really,” revealed Shannon. “He worked really, really hard not just because he wanted to be special or important, but because learning was really important to him and learning is important to me too. That’s one of the main reasons I keep doing this is, I just keep learning. I learned a lot about the world, and about people like James Garfield. And that’s worthwhile.”
This decency, Shannon believes, stands in stark contrast to the present day. It is hard not to see just how much recent politics have sunk. The actor didn’t hold back on modern politics, offering a vivid critique. “Politics barely exists anymore. Now it’s just like paintball fight,” mused Shannon. “But instead of the paint, they just have poop in them or something, I don’t know. It’s so stupid.”
When I questioned whether Garfield could even succeed today, Shannon thought deeply. “I don’t know if a guy like Garfield would get elected nowadays. The standards for public speaking are pretty low nowadays. You can basically mumble incoherent nonsense and get voted into office. It would be nice if there was a premium on being able to speak intelligently and offer actual solutions to people’s problems like Garfield did, but yeah, nobody seems to give a shit anymore.”
Yet Shannon holds hope that the series might shift perspectives: “Because the show seems to be doing well. People are watching it and thinking, ‘Ooh, that’s attractive. Oh, I wish there was a guy like that.’ So maybe it’s rekindling some hunger for an intelligent person to inhabit the White House.”
Central to Garfield’s vision was equality through education. “Garfield believed in education. Everybody, in order to be equal, needs to have the same opportunity to educate themselves. He just really believed in equality. It’s supposed to be a part of democracy.”
Shannon extended this to broader civic standards, arguing for accountability of our leaders. “I would hope that people who are inhabiting these spaces are held to a certain standard. You need to know the Constitution and you need to know the Bill of Rights and you need to know the history of our country – you need to know basic civics. If you want to do this for a living, like that’s the job requirement is that you know these things, and you don’t just kind of know them, you know them pretty darn well. I don’t want to go to a brain surgeon who kind of knows a little about brain surgery. I want them to know everything about brain surgery.”
He continued with some demands that feel like commonsense, but seem to have been lost in recent times. “I feel the same way about politicians,” explained Shannon. “It’s not a position of power. They’re public servants. You’re not a king. You’re not a wizard. You’re a servant. Your job is to serve the everyday citizens. Your job is to listen to the people, the citizens that you represent, figure out what they want, what they need, how you can help them and then do that. Not to get rich or do things that make your life easier or make rich people’s lives easier or to destroy things, destroy the earth just so that people can spend a few years being extraordinarily wealthy.That’s not your job. Your job is to serve the everyday citizens of your constituency”
In a political landscape Shannon describes as degraded, Death by Lightning emerges not just as historical drama but as a call for principled leadership. His nuanced portrayal reminds us of what we’ve lost and still aspire to reclaim. Does that mean perhaps someday we will see Shannon in a leadership role?
“Sometimes people say,’Oh, you should run for office’ And I’m like, no, I’m not qualified to hold a political office. I don’t know what a person would need to know in order to do that. It’s not my area of expertise.” Based on his comment, it looks unlikely we will see Shannon in office or conducting brain surgery anytime soon. In the meantime watch his remarkable portrayal of a President in Death by Lightning only on Netflix.
Watch Death by Lightning red carpet interviews, below.
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