On the morning of his Emmy nomination, Michael Shannon was out for coffee with a friend. “It kind of slipped my mind,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in a conversation soon after the announcement.
Shannon is nominated for outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his role in Showtime’s George & Tammy, in which he stars as country music legend George Jones opposite fellow nominee Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette. The show is a reunion for the co-stars, who first appeared together in director Jeff Nichols’ 2011 psychological thriller Take Shelter. In chronicling the power couple’s complicated relationship and legacy in the music industry, George & Tammy sees Shannon embark on the “mind-boggling” journey of his character’s life.
“The tragic thing with these people is they give so much of themselves,” says Shannon about Jones, “and yet they don’t get to feel like it’s ever enough.”
Twice nominated for an Academy Award, for his supporting turns in Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals, Shannon now marks his first Emmy nomination. It was Chastain who passionately approached him about the role — “She knew that I like to sing,” Shannon notes — and convinced him to do it.
Speaking just days before SAG-AFTRA would ultimately go on strike, Shannon’s focus is on the writers, as well as the possible threat of artificial intelligence on the industry.
“None of the people that are collecting multimillion-dollar salaries running these studios — they don’t have the slightest idea how to write a script,” the actor says. “Writing scripts is very difficult. And then they say maybe computers can just do it. I’m not convinced that’s a possibility.”
Shannon spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about all things Emmys, working with Chastain and who he’s rooting for this awards season.
Congratulations on your nomination. How has this morning been for you?
It kind of slipped my mind, actually, that today was the day that this was happening, because I’m in Chicago. I was just having coffee with a friend of mine, and then all of a sudden, my phone just started going completely bananas. And I said, “Oh, this may not be a good time for coffee.” I’ve been on the phone pretty much since then.
Are you working in Chicago?
My friend Judy Greer, she’s here doing a play [Another Marriage at Steppenwolf Theatre, which ended its run July 30]. I was hanging out with her because we’ve done some work together on TV, actually — an episode of Room 104 on HBO. I’m just visiting. I’m actually not working right now, [I’m] kind of taking the summer off. It looks like we might all be taking it off.
It does look that way. In regard to your nomination for George & Tammy, what was it about the project that made you want to take on the role of George Jones?
It was Jessica. It was her idea, and she came to me. She’s very passionate about it. She knew that I like to sing, and she said, “Isn’t this an amazing opportunity to get to incorporate singing into a performance?” It was hard to argue against that. But I didn’t really know a lot about George Jones, to be frank. I had to do a lot of research. But once I committed, I just dove right into it. I did a lot of reading, watching interviews and watching performances and just immersing myself in it.
What was the most difficult part about playing him?
I think the epic-ness of this man’s journey is pretty mind-boggling. He really went from the depths of despair and darkness, and he was able to somehow pull himself up. It’s really tragic that Tammy was the one who wound up dying so young. He somehow got to be an old man, you know? He gave a lot of the credit for that to his last wife, Nancy, but it was something inside him. He found a sense of self-worth, I guess. Because the tragic thing with these people is they give so much of themselves, and yet they don’t get to feel like it’s ever enough, or they still struggle with feelings of self-loathing, even though they’re giving so much to the world. It’s really kind of ironic.
Do you enjoy playing real people?
It’s a different process. Really, I enjoy them both. I like using my imagination a lot, I think it’s fun. When you play real people, you still have to use your imagination because no matter how many books you read about somebody, you’re never entirely sure what the truth is. There’s a different version of each story in each book. So you have to come to your own conclusions a little bit. If somebody else played George Jones, it would probably be completely different from what I did. But I did the version that was compelling to me.
Definitely. You mentioned how it was Jessica who drew you to the show. Was there anyone on set that wowed you?
I mean, Jessica. She’s my hero. She impressed me every day. I sit there and watch that woman singing “Stand by Your Man” a cappella in a room full of 300 extras. The only thing you’re hearing is her voice, and there’s no band behind her or anything because you’re trying to get the vocal clean. And I stood there and I watched her do that, and I thought, “That’s the bravest person I’ve ever seen in my life.” But we had a great cast, you know: Steve Zahn [who plays songwriter George Richey], David Wilson Barnes [Wynette’s producer Billy Sherrill], Walton Goggins [Jones’ close friend Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery] and just killer people showing up. Steve and David in particular, just phenomenal.
This is your first Emmy nom. You’ve been nominated for two Oscars, as well as a Golden Globe and SAG Award. Is it gratifying for you to be recognized in that way?
Anybody who says they’re not flattered by it, I would have to question the sincerity of what they’re saying. It’s something you imagine, ever since you start out in the business, you know? Everybody daydreams: “What if I walked up and held the little trophy and got to make a speech?” It’s a daydream, so when it actually becomes a reality, it’s pretty trippy. What it represents is the acknowledgment of your peers in the industry. And they know how hard it is to make something that is worthwhile, so getting that validation from them is very meaningful.
Given that the Emmys celebrate TV, was there a show that you couldn’t stop thinking about recently?
Aw, man, you put me on the spot. I don’t watch a lot of TV. Can we keep that between me and you? I’m embarrassed. I wish I had an answer to that question. Let me think. Let me think. Maybe there is, hold on.
Or maybe another show or nominee that you’ll be rooting for?
Oh! So Alexander Skarsgard got nominated, right? He’s my buddy. I love him. He’s in this movie I directed call Eric Larue. And now he’s [nominated for] Succession. I just adore him. I hope he wins an award. That would be cool.
And you mentioned SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA in their ongoing strike. As an actor, why is striking important to you?
My main concern is for the writers, really. They just deserve better. There’s no doubt about it in my mind. Because they’re the genesis of everything we do. None of the people that are collecting multimillion-dollar salaries running these studios — they don’t have the slightest idea how to write a script. Writing scripts is very difficult. And then they say maybe computers can just do it. I’m not convinced that’s a possibility.
Writers — what they do is beautiful and important, and it’s easy for them to get taken advantage of. I know you were asking me about the SAG strike, but striking for SAG really is just about being in solidarity with them. I would say across the board, the people that actually make the words could stand to be treated better than the people that are just putting it out there. That’s every industry. That’s the world we live in.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
This interviews was conducted before the July 14 launch of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
