Netflix’s Death By Lightning Became Surprisingly Timely For Its Cast

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Originally, Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen wanted to highlight a difficult period in American history with Death by Lightning. However, the project unexpectedly became even more striking when real-world parallels emerged. The Netflix series tells the story of James A. Garfield, a president whose promising work to reform the government and advance civil rights for African Americans was tragically cut short by his assassination at the hands of Charles J. Guiteau.

Brendan Fraser and Michael Shannon head up the cast of Death by Lightning, playing Garfield and Guiteau. They’re joined by Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham – marking the seventh time Shannon and Whigham have worked together. The series is the newest project from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, and continues their partnership with Netflix following their adaptation of 3 Body Problem.

To celebrate the launch of the show, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen about Death by Lightning. During their conversation, they discussed how the show reflects current events, specifically the attempts to harm President Donald Trump in 2024 and the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.

Macfadyen described working on the Netflix series as “kind of surreal” after recent events, especially since the first attempt on Trump happened “right in the middle of filming over the summer.” He also admitted it was “quite alarming” to be involved in a project that felt “so relevant and timely.”

Matthew Macfadyen believes the work feels very contemporary and avoids feeling like a typical, old-fashioned historical drama. He emphasizes that, at its core, it’s about relatable human behavior, which remains constant across time.

Shannon agreed that many themes in Death by Lightning feel relevant to what’s happening now in the country. She also noted the striking similarity to Biden briefly considering stepping down during the presidential election, which happened while the show was filming scenes at the convention. This timing gave the production team a sense of momentum and good fortune.

Michael Shannon believes this story is incredibly relevant today, which is surprising considering it takes place in the late 1800s, but it still feels very current.

Michael Shannon Has Been Hesitant With Taking Some Of His Roles

ScreenRant asked Michael about a memorable scene in Death by Lightning, where the Republican National Convention enthusiastically supports James even before he’s officially a candidate. They then asked Michael if he’d ever experienced something similar in his acting career – a role he initially wasn’t sure about, but was ultimately convinced to take on due to encouragement from people around him.

I’ve lost count of how many times people have mistaken me for someone else, especially in short interviews. It happens quite often, actually. I’ve played a wide range of roles – Elvis, George Jones, a president, even a Mossad agent who survived a concentration camp. Each time, I double-check to make sure they really mean me. But it’s incredibly exciting to get those unexpected opportunities. That’s what makes acting so engaging. Sometimes I feel like the character in ‘Being There’ – showing up and having people like Shirley MacLaine assume I’m someone important, when really, I’m just a regular guy. Though, I guess that’s probably a bit self-deprecating. But yeah, it definitely happens.

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2025-11-06 02:08