Michael Shannon: I'm a big fan of empathy

When ”The shape of water” was declared the best film at this year's Oscars was followed Guillermo del Toro from his actors up on the stage, Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins and Michael Stuhlbarg...

The only thing that was missing was a movie star from Kentucky who played the film's only villain – a sadistic colonel Strickland. Michael Shannon followed glitterpartyt on a small, muted tv screen in a ölhak in Chicago wearing a baggy quilted jacket. The oscars happened to be certainly coincide with the last performance of “Traitor” as Shannon directed at the A Red Orchid Theatre (which he co-founded in the upper teens). But somehow it is still typical for Shannon. He has always gone his own path outside Hollywood's six-lane highways. Often, he has played some crazy characters stamped with the ”all american madness”label.

the acclaimed Le Carré-film adaptation of ”The little drummer girl” (Cmore), he makes yet another odd character. Many people say that he steals the show from the Alexander Skarsgård and Florence Pugh as the israeli spionmästaren Martin Kurtz in the droopy mustache and the drab 70 century costumes.

As a German-jewish boy got the Kurz to experience how his entire family were murdered in the Holocaust. He began his life in Israel, participated in the revolutionary war and helped build up the Mossad from the foundation. When prominent jews in Europe are victims of deadly terrorist attacks in the late 70's he is called in to lead a sophisticated operation that is about to destroy a palestinian terrorist network that has murdered jews in Europe. On the contrary, their hawks to the managers believe Kurtz not indiscriminately bombkrig – ”we are surgeons, not butchers”.

– Without whitewashing Kurtz is his way to deal with their ”enemies” still rooted in empathy. And I'm a big fan of empathy – in contrast to the antipathy, " says Michael Shannon sitting in a sofa in a hotel room in central London.

the movie version of ”The little drummer girl” from the 80's played Kurtzfiguren of Klaus Kinski director Werner herzog's favorite actor. After working with Michael Shannon in several of the films have Herzog elected him to ”his generation perhaps the greatest actor”.

Self is Michael Shannon low.

" It still feels not as if I have been given the keys to the skådespelarriket. I don't feel that I have had no direct breakthrough. Unlike many of my colleagues, I am not obsessed with my job, " he says quietly and lowers his gaze to the floor.

almost introvert impression. As intervjuperson avoids consistent to use the same charismatic, piercing blue gaze that he has on the screen. He responds korthugget and slightly poetic hovering.

Read more: Alexander Skarsgård on ' The little drummer girl”

unlike Kurtz, it is very unclear if Michael Shannon has some kind of masterplan for his own life and career. Except that his characters are often a little crazy so it's hard to see a clear line. After roles in ”Bad boyz II" and ”Pearl Harbor”, he played unpleasant boyfriend of Eminem's mom in ”8 mile”. He had a breakthrough in “Revolutionary Road” which earned him an oscar Nomination for best supporting actor. Since then, he has played maffiamördaren in the ”Ice man”, a demonic fastighetshaj in ”99 homes” and Supermans nemesis General Zod. He is also associated with several of Jeff Nichols films, such as "Take shelter” and ”Midnight special”.

Shannon was underrättelsebranschen a whole new world. And even if he has always seen life in the same sort of nuanced shades of gray as John Le Carré so he had never read a page of the british spionkungen.

" For me, it was mainly about the ability to get a job working with “Director Park”. I am a big fan of his movies, " says Shannon about the phrase filmmaker who made spectacular films such as ”Old boy – the revenge”, “The handmaiden” and ”Lady Vengeance”.

But during the process I discovered that there is something very romantic all over the world with their machinations where the line between espionage and the acting is fluid.

Michael Shannon as överspionen Martin Kurtz in ”The little drummer girl” Photo: Jonathan, it's never easy/the AMC/the Ink Factory

In few other books is the theme less clear. Shannon's character is talking to and that he is working with the ”real theater” when he creates and directs a brilliant performance as his agents to perform. Alexander He Mossadagent get the mission to seduce and recruit a british actress with sympathies to infiltrate the palestinian member.

that is romantic with Kurtz is that he identifies with the artists. He's a manipulatör of God's mercy, but I love his way to direct and create “real theatre”. It is also what I work with as an actor, " says Shannon.

if identity. Kurtz is tyskbördig jew who fled Europe after his family was wiped out in the Holocaust, and built up a new life as a freedom fighter in post-war Israel. During the whole recording had Shannon a fake tattoo with a number from Auschwitz on one wrist.

" It was an eerie feeling. Our make-up artist put on it every morning, but we never talked about it. I can hardly believe that it appears in the picture, but for me it was a reminder of who this man was, says Shannon, and continues.

" Honestly, I think that Kurtz is deeply romantic. He is a man who overcame an incredibly brutal childhood, took part in the bloody war as a freedom fighter, was with and shaped the Mossad to cling onto the hope that he can have a positive effect on the world. Now he talks with his boss about not bombing the palestinians to pieces without trying to understand their enemy, " says Michael Shannon of distinct sydstatsaccent.

Michael Shannon access to a dialektcoach to get the right feel.

" Coach gave me an interview with the author Amoz Oz to listen to. I thought that his voice just felt like the Kurtz I had imagined. I listened to where the interview every day to get in the right mood, " says Shannon.

Read more: Review of "The little drummer girl”

Michael Shannon parts John Le Carrés complex view of the long conflict between Israel and Palestine.

" I see neither evil or good in the israeli–Palestinian conflict. They are two parts of the same coin – two people who both have been persecuted and have legitimate reasons for complaint. The difficult job is to get them away from the coin, it is the coin that drives them both to distraction, says Michael Shannon.

– All these conflicts are just sad. In the end, we are all people. I have never understood why someone wants to hurt another human being.

also known as one of the most vocal Trumphatarna and he surpasses like himself with invektiv of the american president. In London is the Shannon to vent their klimatångest.

" In several parts of Europe, is very focused on solving the climate crisis, while the White house is a total ointresserat. Or, I don't know, it is difficult to scan the brain of someone who does not seem to have any brains, " says Shannon with the address to the president of the Trump.

– If we neglect the care itself, it leads to the abyss. I have two young daughters and do not think that you should have to worry that the world will go under in the aged. I have realized that I must live as long as possible in order to be able to protect them.