By Ryan O'Rourke
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The stars of A24's new black comedy psychological thriller A Different Man are undoubtedly Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson. Together, they tell the story of an aspiring actor who undergoes a radical reconstructive medical procedure to overcome neurofibromatosis and the star of a theater production based on the actor's life who becomes the target of the former's obsession. Though they may be the film's focus, another big name was able to draw a lot of attention with his brief appearance — the great Michael Shannon. In a short cameo as himself, the two-time Oscar nominee left his co-stars' jaws on the floor with his appearance and briefly stole the show while earning the ire of Stan's Gary. For director Aaron Schimberg, no other actor could've taken on the role of the "famous actor" in the project as he envisioned it.
For last month's Fantastic Fest, Collider's Perri Nemiroff was able to dive into everything about A Different Man with Schimberg, Stan, and Pearson, including how Shannon ultimately came to accept his cameo. The actor of Revolutionary Road and The Shape of Water fame remains as busy as ever with a role in Joshua Oppenheimer's starry The End this year and upcoming turns in Death by Lightning and Nuremberg. Fortunately for Schimberg, however, Shannon was a fan of his previous film, Chained for Life, which also starred Pearson. Even though there was no guarantee that he'd be able to appear in his latest project, the director admits he subconsciously wrote the role of an A-list star tapped to play Pearson's character Oswald with Shannon in mind from the get-go.
"He had seen my previous film, and we'd spoken, and I definitely wanted to work with him. I think he's one of our greatest actors. I wrote the role of Oswald for Adam, and it was one of the first roles that I'd written for somebody, but I think in the back of my mind, that Michael Shannon part, I think I was thinking about him the whole time. It was very nice of him to come in and do this small part for us."
Pearson was left in the dark about whom the cameo was until the moment when he and Stan had to sit down to film with Shannon. "And I had no idea either! He was in the script as 'famous actor,'" he added. "I got in the day of that scene, and this guy was like, 'Hey, Adam, come here. This is Michael Shannon!' I'm like, 'Oh, what the hell, Aaron?' [Laughs]." The surprise of landing such a beloved big-name actor adds to the gravity of the moment and the jealousy of Guy as he sees in real-time what he could've had.
Shannon's Arrival Made for a Perfect "Marvel vs. DC" Moment With Stan
Seeing Stan and Shannon together also had Schimberg thinking about the coincidental superhero standoff he had unknowingly orchestrated after somebody pointed it out to him. "Another thing, I didn't realize this, but I guess there was also a Marvel vs. DC faceoff in that scene." Stan, of course, plays the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes in the MCU — a role he'll reprise in the upcoming Thunderbolts* — while Shannon made an impression with DC fans as the ruthless General Zod in Man of Steel and later The Flash. "I didn't even think about that!" Stan remarked. He was giddy to share the screen and chat it up with his fellow comic book movie star on A Different Man, even if it was only for a brief moment. "I was very excited. I went up to him, and I was like, 'Hey, I just…' and he was very overwhelmed, I think. He was like, 'We'll speak later.' [Laughs] And I was like, 'Oh my god.'"
Schimberg had the privilege of working with a talented team and cast all around for A Different Man. Rounding out the starry trio is Renate Reinsve, who has proven herself a star through roles in The Worst Person in the World, Handling the Undead, and Presumed Innocent. Without Shannon in that small but pivotal role, however, he believes it would've been hard to achieve the same effect he ultimately envisioned for his tale of identity, perception, and obsession. "I think he worked out perfectly, and I think if we hadn't gotten him, I don't know what we would’ve done."
A Different Man is now playing in theaters. Check out the link below to get tickets and read our review here for our impressions of the film. Watch the full interview below:
A Different Man
A man undergoes reconstructive surgery to escape his troubled past and takes on a new identity. As he becomes involved in a stage production inspired by his own life, he confronts his former self and grapples with the blurred lines between reality and performance.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2024
- Director
- Aaron Schimberg
- Cast
- Sebastian Stan , Renate Reinsve , Adam Pearson , Miles G. Jackson , Patrick Wang , Neal Davidson
- Runtime
- 112 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy