Bradley Whitford, Shea Whigham, Stephen McKinley Henderson Among Five Added to ‘Death by Lightning’ at Netflix
“Death by Lighting,” Netflix’s upcoming series about the rise and eventual assassination of U.S. President James Garfield, is adding to its cast.
Variety has learned that Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing,” “Get Out”) and Shea Whigham (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Take Shelter”) have joined the show as series regulars. In addition, Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Dune,” “Civil War”), Paula Malcomson (“Deadwood,” “Ray Donovan”), and Tuppence Middleton (“Downton Abbey,” “Mank”) have also joined the series.
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They will appear alongside previously announced leads Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen, as well as cast members Betty Gilpin and Nick Offerman.
“Death by Lightning” is based on the book “Destiny Of The Republic” by Candice Millard. The official logline states that it “brings to life the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield (Shannon), reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau (Macfadyen) — the man who would come to kill him.”
Whitford will appear in the series as Secretary of State James Blaine. Whigham will play Senator Roscoe Conkling. Henderson will play Senator Blanche Bruce. Malcomson joins as Franny Scoville, sister of Charles Guiteau, and Middleton will play Kate Chase Sprague.
Whitford is repped by Greenlight Management, Gersh, and Peikoff Mahan Law. Whigham is repped by Range Media Partners and WME. Henderson is repped by Stewart Talent and EKG Talent Group. Malcomson is repped by United Agents and Bond Artist Management. Middleton is repped by Conway Van Gelder Grant and UTA.
Mike Makowsky is the creator of the series and serves as executive producer. David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Bernie Caulfield (“Game of Thrones,” “3 Body Problem”) will executive produce via Bighead Littlehead, which is under an overall deal at Netflix. Matt Ross (“28 Hotel Rooms,” “Captain Fantastic”) will direct all episodes and executive produce the series.
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