Matthew Macfadyen Says Trump Assassination Attempt Reflected 'Death by Lightning' Filming | The Express Tribune

Matthew Macfadyen on Filming 'Death by Lightning' Amid Trump Assassination Attempt

Matthew Macfadyen, star of the new Netflix historical drama Death by Lightning, described the experience of filming as surreal following the July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. The series depicts the election and assassination of President James Garfield, played by Michael Shannon, with Macfadyen portraying the assassin Charles Guiteau.

Filming Experience and Atmosphere

Production took place in Hungary during the summer of 2024, coinciding with the news of the attack on Trump. Macfadyen recalled the intense atmosphere while shooting Guiteau's execution scene:

“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.”

Connection Between Fiction and Reality

Michael Shannon noted that the project gained new significance as political events in real life, such as debates around President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and Kamala Harris’s eventual nomination to face Trump, unfolded.

Shannon on President Garfield’s Endurance

“The fact that he was able to keep thinking about other people and trying to manage the situation, even though he was in so much pain,” Shannon said, reflecting on Garfield’s death in 1881.
Summary

The parallels between the historical assassination depicted in the series and the recent real-life event added a haunting layer to the production, highlighting themes of resilience and political turbulence.

Author's Summary: Filming Death by Lightning during the Trump assassination attempt intensified the cast’s connection to the film’s themes of political violence and endurance under pressure.

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The Express Tribune The Express Tribune — 2025-11-07

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