Square-jawed and hollow-eyed, Michael Shannon plays evil exceptionally well. In The Iceman, he portrays contract killer Richard Kuklinski, who famously claimed hed murdered more than 100 people. In Boardwalk Empire, as disgraced G-man Nelson Van Alden, he smacks a hissing iron into a mans face (I was told I was going to be the good guy on that show, he complains). And audiences will soon see him as Supermans nemesis, the unrelenting General Zod, in Man of Steel. So whats the secret to good villainy? Theres a phrase for what I do, Shannon says. I comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Supermans Superhero Evolution
On his buildings roof, with Manhattans skyline in the distance, devouring a pulled-pork sandwich and drinking a glass of red wine, hes the picture of a mellow Brooklyn dad (earlier in the day, hed been playing in the park with his five-year-old daughter). Despite such wholesome appearances, he admits hes attracted to antagonistic characters for a reason. I have a dark view of the world, he says. He points to the enormous building across the East River: the Freedom Tower. Is that supposed to make us feel better? I dont get it. Is that supposed to make it go away? The fact that that ever happened to begin with should be enough to keep people uneasy for their entire lives. What kind of stories are we supposed to tell? Am I supposed to tell stories about someone making caramel apples?
Shannon seems wary of those who dont stop to consider the bleaker side of things. To me, the people that should be getting interviewed are the ones that dont give a shit, he says. The people that care, that makes a lot of sense to me. The people that dont care are the mysteries.
This story is from the June 20th, 2013 issue of Rolling Stone.