Michael Shannon will never, ever play Donald Trump
Recently, Michael Shannon—patron saint of intimidating character actors and Oscar nominees who frequent dive bars—gave an interview to Playboy magazine in which he discussed his history of playing complex villains that audiences can’t help but be drawn to. Once the discussion turned to villainy, it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump was mentioned. When the interviewer asked Shannon if he had any interest in portraying Trump on film or exploring what the inner-life of the president might be, Shannon responded with a resounding, “Fuck no.” Twitter user Vincent Scarpa took a screenshot of the amazing exchange, which stands as a reminder that Michael Shannon is, and always will be, the absolute best.
“The fucking guy doesn’t even know what’s in the Constitution. He doesn’t have any grasp of history or politics or law or anything. He’s just blindfolded, throwing darts at the side of a bus,” said Shannon, clearly frustrated that he has to enumerate the reasons Donald Trump isn’t a character worth exploring dramatically. Whereas other, less amazing actors may have given a more diplomatic response, Shannon doesn’t split hairs about how much of a shallow fuckwit he thinks the president is.
PLAYBOY: What do you think is going through his head at four A.M. as he’s lying in bed and staring at the ceiling?