Dave Davies

Let's listen.

That's our guest, Michael Shannon, hijacking a nice, pleasant conversation in the film Revolutionary Road.

That's quite a cast you were with as a young actor.

I mean, what do you remember about that experience?

You were only in two scenes in this movie, I think, and you got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Did that change things?

Did that open doors?

And that led to Boardwalk Empire.

Yeah.

You know, Boardwalk Empire was a long project for you, you know, over, I guess, five seasons, over four years or something like that.

And you play this FBI agent, Nelson Van Alden, who, well, boy, he goes through quite a journey into some dark, dark places.

Did you know where that character was going as it was coming?

Right, right.

It was Revenuers back then.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know, that's really when I first really became aware of you as an actor is that, you know, it is a pretty dark role.

Did you find that people recognized you more and casting directors were calling more?

Did it typecast you anyway as a guy who's mentally unhinged?

Yeah, giving us the guy in Revolutionary Road.

Right, right.