Matthew Macfadyen on Death by Lightning and Playing John LeCarré’s George Smiley
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Death by Lightning's Matthew Macfadyen
The Emmy-winning star of Netflix’s limited series explains the challenges and rewards of portraying Charles Guiteau, President Garfield’s troubled assassin.
While John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, assassins of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, are well-known, Charles Guiteau, who shot President James Garfield in 1881, remains largely forgotten. Guiteau’s attack happened just four months into Garfield’s presidency. Although Garfield survived for several months afterward, his death was mainly due to poor medical treatment rather than the bullet wound.
A historical footnote can still inspire compelling television as much as famous events. The Netflix limited series Death by Lightning stars Matthew Macfadyen as Guiteau, Michael Shannon as Garfield, and Nick Offerman as Chester A. Arthur, the vice president who unexpectedly took office after Garfield’s death. The show transforms this story into something poignant, humorous, and highly entertaining.
The English-born Macfadyen spoke with the Television Academy about playing this strange and tragic figure.
Summary: Matthew Macfadyen brings depth and humor to the forgotten story of Charles Guiteau in Netflix’s Death by Lightning, blending history with sharp entertainment.