Netflix Finds Its President Garfield’s Daughter For ‘Death By Lightning’ Series Starring Michael Shannon As 20th POTUS

Max Goldbart
·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has found the actor set to play President Garfield’s daughter in upcoming biographical series Death By Lightning produced by Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

British up-and-comer Laura Marcus (The Serpent Queen) will portray Mollie Garfield opposite Michael Shannon, who leads as the 20th POTUS.

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The series from Mike Makowsky (Bad Education), which is being EP’d by Game of Thrones and 3 Body Problem‘s Benioff and Weiss via their overall deal with Netflix, tells the stranger-than-fiction true story of Garfield’s assassination by Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen).

Garfield was President in 1881 and was assassinated later that year, having previously served nine terms as a Congressman. He was elected as a Senator but declined this when he became President, despite having not sought the office. He was shot by Guiteau, who felt he had played a major role in Garfield’s election. The show is based on the novel Destiny Of The Republic by Candice Millard.

James Garfield with daughter Mollie in 1865
James Garfield with daughter Mollie in 1865

Since the show was announced several months back, other cast to have boarded includes Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham.

Marcus has just come off the back of playing Caitlin in The Jetty, the BBC thriller starring Jenna Coleman. Past credits include Miss Scarlet & The Duke, in which she played a young Eliza Scarlet, and Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education.

Benioff and Weiss (3 Body Problem) are EPing Death By Lightning with Bernie Caulfield. Matt Ross is director and EP of all episodes.

Marcus is repped by David Lazenby at Conway Van Gelder Grant in the UK, Lena Roklin at Luber Roklin in the U.S. and Pinnacle PR.

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