Matthew Macfadyen Reflects on Filming Amid Trump Assassination Attempt
Matthew Macfadyen drew parallels between the July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump and his role in the Netflix historical drama Death by Lightning. The show explores the 1881 assassination of President James A. Garfield and his killer, Charles Guiteau, portrayed by Macfadyen.
Filming During a Historic Moment
Production took place in Hungary in the summer of 2024, when news of the attack on President Trump reached the cast. Macfadyen described filming Guiteau’s execution scene as surreal:
“It was extremely hot that day, and it felt very stark and quite lonely. We were shooting in this enormous space on the outskirts of Budapest, and they'd built a proper gallows. It was quite odd and eerie.”
Increasing Relevance Amid Political Events
Co-star Michael Shannon noted the project's growing significance as contemporary political drama unfolded, including debates around President Biden’s re-election and Kamala Harris’s nomination to run against Trump.
“The fact that [Garfield] was able to keep thinking about other people and trying to manage the situation, even though he was in so much pain,” said Shannon, reflecting on Garfield’s strength following his 1881 assassination attempt.
Summary
Author's insight: The unexpected overlap of historical drama themes with real-world events during filming added a haunting immediacy to the project.
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