Michael Shannon: ‘I’m more creepy because I’ll sit there and stare at you.’
I know I’m not alone in having very deep feelings for Michael Shannon, but at the same time I know he’s (at best) a minority favorite. While Henry Cavill’s Superman/Kal El will definitely be the performance everyone talks about, I’m already feeling the General Zod love. Michael can be so deliciously creepy and he’s just one of the best character actors around these days. Somewhere along the line, my appreciation for his acting talent became something altogether… sexier. I’ve told you before, I have weird taste in men sometimes. My love for Michael Shannon might be Exhibit A.
Anyway, Michael has been doing the publicity rounds for Man of Steel, which pleases me to no end. I like when a character actor gets booked on The Late Show, you know? And Michael has a new interview with GQ, which you can read here. It’s funny and cool – he seems like such an interesting guy. Let me have my crush without judgment!!!
He didn’t have to be “sold” on playing Zod: “Are you kidding me? No way, man. I couldn’t believe it was happening. I thought it was a practical joke. I thought for sure they’d want somebody maybe a little bit more prominent.”
Whether his General Zod is sympathetic: “Well, I don’t think I’m gonna make anybody cry. When I saw it as a kid, Terence Stamp was just stone-cold terrifying. But you’re never really sure why he’s so mad. We were trying to answer that question. You may not feel bad for me, but every once in a while, you might think, He’s kinda got a point.”
His Zod action figure: “I’ve seen a picture of it. It’s really a good likeness. I’m very happy with it. But I didn’t clear it or anything. Nobody asked for my opinion.”
Whether he’s “creepy” in real life: “Nobody who knows me thinks I’m creepy. Most of my friends think I’m a pushover.”
On Ray Liotta (his costar in The Iceman) being creepier than him: “Yeah, he is. I remember when I saw Something Wild the first time, I was like, ‘That’s the scariest mother–ker on planet Earth.’ We didn’t make a lot of small talk, me and Ray. But I think we’re creepy in different ways. He’s got that real volatile electric thing—like you don’t know what the hell he’s gonna do. I’m more creepy because I’ll sit there and stare at you.”
The only thing this shows me is that he has a sense of humor about his (creepy) image and that sometimes he might even be purposefully f—king with people. Imagine Michael Shannon sitting in front of you, not saying anything, just staring. Okay, I was aiming for “scary” with that scenario but I ended up turning myself on. Hm.
Here’s a cute clip of Michael on the Late Show the other night. One of his first gigs was as an extra on Groundhog Day, and he has a Bill Murray story. His voice is SO sexy, but this is the first time I’m really hearing his Chicago accent.
And here’s the viral trailer for Man of Steel:
Photos courtesy of WENN.
