Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Shannon talks to Dan Brightmore about playing Superman’s nemesis General Zod in new reboot Man Of Steel.
Probably most recognisable for his stint as deranged Agent Nelson Van Alden in Boardwalk Empire, Michael Shannon is one of Hollywood’s most sought after actors right now and his reputation is about to go through the roof after landing the role of General Zod in Man Of Steel. His robust, square jaw and thousand yard stare mark him out as perfect big screen villain material so it’s no wonder he’s also been earmarked for critical plaudits for his role as mafia trigger man Richard Kuklinski in The Iceman, too. Here, he tells us all about life as a bad guy…
After Boardwalk Empire and indie gems like Take Shelter, playing the villain in a summer blockbuster is a real departure.
Yeah, but I can’t really fathom how someone could turn down Man Of Steel. I kind of thought someone was pulling my leg the whole time until I was actually there filming and then I realised they were serious
and actually wanted me to do this! I didn’t have any qualms about going into the comic book genre. Man Of Steel is a big one.
How did you learn you’d got the part and would be recreating Terence Stamp’s Superman II villain General Zod?
When I met Zack Snyder (director of 300 and Watchmen) he was seriously sitting there telling me, ‘You can’t read the script, so I’m just gonna tell you what happens.’ And he spent like a half hour telling me every scene in this movie. Then it’s a month later and he’s like ‘Okay, you’re General Zod.’
What was it like working with Zack Snyder?
I think Zack is a great stylist. Visually he’s up there with Martin Scorsese, in my book, in terms of visual composition and orchestration. Man Of Steel is edgy in a way like when Nolan resurrected Batman.
Can we expect as deep an origin tale as Batman Begins?
I thought the script was very sophisticated for the genre it’s in – as sophisticated as scripts for other movies I’ve done that have been considered more highfalutin. It has a lot of deep themes in it, and the way they deal with Kal-El’s [Superman] journey is actually really fascinating.
How was your experience making the movie?
I loved it. It was a blast. Zack is one of the most fun directors you could ever hope to work for. He’s got a great sense of humour and even though it’s a big budget movie with really high expectations I never felt that pressure on set.
So how did you feel when you finally saw the finished film?
It was an overwhelming experience. It was a long time from when we shot it to when I saw it. When we were shooting there were parts of it on the monitor that kind of looked a little ridiculous. Like the first scene we shot, a spaceship was being doubled by a neon green set of plywood stairs, and we were all in our [CGI] pyjamas. I was supposed to be doing something scary but when I saw it on the monitor it looked like a Monty Python sketch. Zack’s like, ‘I know it looks this way now, but two years from now, it’s going to look like the coolest thing you’ve ever seen.’ He was right.
Do you worry about the response to this second reboot from diehard comic book fans?
No. I mean, it’s their thing. It’s not my thing. I’m not in that club. So, I have a respect for it. To some people, it’s like a religious experience and I understand that. Everybody felt a lot of anxiety about getting it right. But, Zack’s strategy is to keep everything very calm and fun and playful and not get tied up about it – because if you get overly anxious about pleasing people, you can’t make anything.
You’re also on the big screen this summer playing another villain in the form of real life mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski. Is there anything in your approach to that character that helped you create General Zod?
To me, there’s very little similarity between Kuklinski and Zod. The only thing they have in common is they’re both willing to kill. Zod is very orthodox and upright. He’s not a warmonger or a hitman just somebody who loves Krypton. That’s who he is. His favourite thing in the universe is Krypton and he’s spent his whole life defending it. He’s responsible for protecting that civilisation, and for a long time, he was pretty good at it. Kuklinski is like a lone gunman. All he’s trying to do is kill enough people so he can pay his bills.
How did you begin to get inside the mind of a killer before filming The Iceman?
I started with the interviews that he did for HBO back in 1991… The director (Ariel Vromen) got me the full un-edited version of the initial interview that Kuklinski did. It’s 20 hours or so and I just watched it over and over again. I don’t really understand how people manage to kill one other… It eludes me. I can’t say even after making this movie. Fortunately I don’t actually have to kill anyone though!
Do you naturally gravitate towards darker roles?
I just kinda do what people ask me to do. I mean, I don’t say no to many things. Usually I’m pretty excited to get a job so if someone offers me a job I’ll take it. I guess now I’m a little more choosy and say no once in a while but I’m not really shaping that. I don’t have a thesis on what I do – it’s kinda randomly lined up that way I guess.
Man Of Steel is in UAE cinemas from June 13.
