This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. Our guest today, actor Michael Shannon, has appeared in nearly

a hundred movies and television productions, perhaps best known for playing brooding, villainous,

or unhinged characters like Agent Nelson Van Alden in HBO's Boardwalk Empire. But Shannon's

range is far broader, and his two latest projects find him playing

real-life historical characters engaged in noble pursuits. In the film Nuremberg, he plays

the U.S. Supreme Court Justice, who organized the International Tribunal to try Nazi leaders

for war crimes after the Second World War, serving as lead prosecutor in the

ensuing trial. And in the new Netflix series, Death by Lightning, he's President James

Garfield, who fought against corrupt Washington politicians for civil service reform before being

assassinated only four months in new office. Michael Shannon earned Oscar nominations for his performances

in the film's Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals. He's also appeared in the films

Take Shelter, Knives Out, The Shape of Water, and Man of Steel, among many others, and in the Showtime

series, George and Tammy. He also formed an indie rock band and has collaborated

with musician Jason Nardusi in performing songs from several albums of the group R.E.N. We'll talk about

that. I spoke to Michael Shannon last Thursday. Well, Michael Shannon, welcome back to fresh air.

It's been a while. Oh, it's my pleasure, Dave. Thanks for having me.

You know, you've had a lot of roles, and as I said, in many of the better known ones, your characters are unhinged or villainous. In these films, you play not just good guys, but, you know, real historical characters fighting battles to write wrong, strength and democracy. Do you think this was intentional to cast you in these roles? Oh gosh. I don't know. So much of what has happened in my

career just seems like dumb luck, you know? I don't know what got into these people's heads to

look my way for these things, but I sure am grateful that they thought of me, you know.

I mean, I guess typically with a project like Nuremberg, I think when people hear that I'm in

Nuremberg, they assume I'm playing a Nazi, and when they hear about Death by Lightning, they

assume I'm playing the assassin.

...