Nick Offerman will play the president in historical drama from Game of Thrones creators
By Dan Selcke
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are laying the groundwork for a comeback. Next week, they'll debut their new sci-fi show on Netflix: 3 Body Problem. They're also producing a historical show called Death by Lightning, based on the book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Miller. Michael Shannon will play James Garfield, the 20th president of the United States. And Succession star Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles Guiteau, the disgruntled clerk who killed President Garfield just six months into his first term, in 1881.
I feel like James Garfield doesn't get mentioned much when people talk about presidential assassinations; Lincoln and Kennedy take up all the oxygen, so it's nice that this series is shedding some light on this interesting corner of history. Death by Lightning, for the record, is a cool but slightly misleading title, as Garfield suffered death by bullets. Just FYI.
Anyway, The Hollywood Reporter has information on some new actors joining the cast. Betty Gilpin, who headlined the Netflix wrestling dramedy GLOW, will play first lady Crete Garfield. And Nick Offerman will play Chester A. Arthur, Garfield's vice president who takes over after his assassination.
It's always fun to see Offerman onscreen. A lot of people still have a soft spot in their hearts after watching him as lovably grumpy libertarian government bureaucrat (it makes sense in context) Ron Swanson on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. More recently, he won an Emmy award for playing zombie apocalypse survivalist Bill on HBO's The Last of Us.
The man does kind of looks like he belongs in the 19th century, or at least some time period where building your own house from trees you cut down yourself was a more common activity. I'm sure he'll perform swimmingly as a post-Civil War politician.
As for David Benioff and Dan Weiss, while they're producing Death by Lightning, they likely won't be as involved with the day-to-day operations as they are on 3 Body Problem. The first season of that show drops on Netflix next Thursday, March 21.
Next. Obama. Barack Obama cheekily turned down cameo in Game of Thrones showrunners' new series. dark
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels