The streaming wars are in full effect, and those with a Netflix subscription have been treated to a variety of originals. There's a new Netflix show to binge watch with Mike Makowsky's Death by Lightning, which just released its four-episode season. The show stars Michael Shannon as ill-fated US President James A. Garfield, and the actor explained to CinemaBlend what got him to take on that role.
Plenty of folks are excited about Death By Lightning, as it tells a lesser-known story about how James Garfield was unwillingly elevated to the role of President before being killed by Charles J. Guiteau (played by Succession star Matthew Macfayden). As you can see in the video above, I spoke with the show's two stars, and asked Shannon what appealed to him about playing the 20th President. In his words:
Well, first of all, you shouldn't feel so alone in not knowing much about it. I don't think many people know much about President Garfield. Unfortunately, I didn't know much about President Garfield. So I felt so grateful to get this opportunity to lead people towards him because I think he's a very remarkable person. The more research I did, the more I just fell in love with the guy. You know?
Honestly, that did make me feel a little better. I was worried that Garfield's time as President was something that everyone knew about. But Shannon admits that even he ended up learning about this fascinating time in American History as a result of Death By Lightning. It made him like the late political figure, and I've got to say that the Netflix adaptation inspired me feel the same way.
What is perhaps the most shocking about Garfield's story in Death By Lighting is the fact that he actively did not want to become President. Instead his nomination came as a result of long deliberation at the Republican National Convention and despite his protestation. Later in our conversation Shannon spoke about how different this is than modern politics as we know it, offering:
The idea is that these people are public servants, civil servants. They're not kings. They're not, it's not about having control or power. You're really supposed to be trying to make America a better place. I think Garfield believed that very deeply. I don't know why that all went the way of the cuckoo, but yeah, that was the original idea, I think.
Indeed, Garfield not wanting the nomination for President is one of the reasons why his peers end up elevating him to that position at the RNC that takes place in Death by Lightning. Although as Shannon says, that way of thinking about public servants feels very foreign nowadays.
Death By Lightning is streaming in its entirety on Netflix as part of the 2025 TV schedule. With just four episodes in the limited series, it's especially easy to binge-watch. And the timing of its release coming so shortly after Election Day might inspire more people to tune in.
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