Michael Shannon | Queasy Does It

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Michael Shannon | Queasy Does It
Date: December 4, 2025

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Overview

On this episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes acclaimed actor Michael Shannon to discuss his roles in the new film Nuremberg and the Netflix miniseries Death by Lightning. The conversation delves into Shannon’s unexpected music side project, the historical significance of the Nuremberg Trials, and the personal impact of inhabiting real figures from history. Colbert’s signature satirical monologue opens the show, covering current events with wit and irreverence.

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Main Themes

• Michael Shannon’s dual projects: Nuremberg (film) and Death by Lightning (miniseries)
• The craft and emotional rigor of re-enacting historical events and figures
• Satirical commentary on contemporary news and politics
• The joy and unexpected path of performing R.E.M. covers as an actor-musician

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stephen Colbert’s Opening Monologue

(04:41 – 15:02)

• Winter vomiting disease: Colbert jokes about norovirus cases doubling nationwide, blending real health news with his trademark sarcasm.
  • “It’s hard for me to tell if I’m going to catch it because I watch the news for a living and I vomit all year round.” (04:49)
• Political satire: Colbert lampoons current and recent events, including Trump’s pardoning of convicted foreign drug traffickers and the juxtaposition with anti-drug messaging.
  • “Just say no to drugs. Unless they’re from former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.” (06:32)
• Holiday White House décor: Skewers the First Lady’s somber holiday decorations and the lack of representation for non-Christian traditions.
  • “They didn’t even play a Christmas Carol. They played the before music from an antidepressant commercial.” (07:47)
• AI and memoirs: Mocks Melania Trump’s Spanish audiobook as AI-generated, suggesting she “speaks five languages, but apparently none of them appear to be Spanish.” (09:46)
• Pop culture bloopers: Laughs at the accidental inclusion of “barf machine operators” in the Mad Men 4K restoration.
  • “Barf machines didn’t exist in the 1960s. If a man wanted to force himself to vomit back then, he had to think of something repulsive, like a woman having her own credit card.” (13:07)
• Whimsical news: Shares a viral story about a drunken raccoon in a Virginia liquor store.
  • “That is shocking that it did not happen in Florida.” (13:37)

2. Michael Shannon Interview — Part I

(17:01 – 24:03)

Shannon’s Music Project: R.E.M. Covers

• Michael Shannon discusses fronting “Michael Shannon and Jason Narducci and Friends Play the Music of R.E.M.”
  • “It’s a very sexy name. Yes, we really want to keep you going.” (17:30, Shannon)
• Origin story: The project’s roots in Chicago’s musician community with Robbie Fulks’ album residency.
  • “We would pick an album and we do it once… like a Japanese sand painting—it just blows away.” (18:42, Shannon)
• Unanticipated success: Their one-night-only shows evolved into sold-out tours due to popular demand.

Nuremberg and the Role of Justice Robert Jackson

• Shannon explains his role as Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, the architect behind the Nuremberg Trials:
  • “The Nuremberg trials were his idea… Jackson believed that they needed to be put on trial and that the whole world needed to see them trying to justify or explain what they did. Which, of course is impossible, but nonetheless, he figured that's how justice works…” (19:31, Shannon)
• The historical stakes are outlined, including the first use of “crimes against humanity” and film as court evidence.
• Behind the scenes: Shooting a marathon 20+ page court room scene in one continuous take.
  • “The takes wound up being 25 minutes long.” (22:30, Shannon)
  • “It really gives you the opportunity to get lost in it, you know… to forget that you’re even doing a movie.” (22:37, Shannon)
• Colbert’s commentary:
  • “It’s a nice reminder that Nazis are the bad guys.” (23:21, Colbert)
• Shannon’s takeaway: Justice Jackson’s determination remains a lesson in the possibility of principled leadership even amidst daunting opposition.
  • “In the face of what seems like kind of insurmountable problems right now, it’s nice to be reminded that someone who is determined enough can actually make a difference and have an impact.” (23:39, Shannon)

3. Michael Shannon Interview — Part II

(25:40 – 27:54)

Death by Lightning and the Legacy of James Garfield

• Shannon portrays President James Garfield; discusses Garfield’s humility and sense of public service.
  • “He didn’t look at it as a power play or… being a king or whatever, but he actually thought his job was to help people, which is nice to… hear from an elected official.” (26:27, Shannon)
• Anecdotes about co-star Nick Offerman (Chester A. Arthur), including their long history in Chicago theater and a cameo in a Foreigner music video.
• Offerman’s past theatrical hairstyles and the “punk” spirit of their youthful collaborations.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On courtroom drama:
  • “The takes wound up being 25 minutes long.” — Michael Shannon (22:30)
  • “It really gives you the opportunity to get lost in it, you know… to forget that you’re even doing a movie.” — Michael Shannon (22:37)
• On Justice Jackson’s impact:
  • “What Justice Jackson did was really extraordinary… he overcame a lot of adversity to accomplish what he did.” — Michael Shannon (23:37)
• On Garfield’s public service:
  • “He didn’t look at it as a power play or… being a king or whatever, but he actually thought his job was to help people…” — Michael Shannon (26:27)
• On playing music:
  • “We would pick an album and we do it once… like a Japanese sand painting—it just blows away.” — Michael Shannon (18:42)
• Colbert’s satire:
  • “They didn’t even play a Christmas Carol. They played the before music from an antidepressant commercial.” — Stephen Colbert (07:47)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening Monologue – Satire on health news, drug politics, holiday décor (04:41 – 15:02)
• Introducing Michael Shannon (17:01)
• Discussion on Shannon’s R.E.M. Band (17:20 – 19:12)
• Nuremberg Role—Historical Insights (19:12 – 24:03)
• Clip from Nuremberg (20:35 – 21:35)
• Behind the Scenes of Filmmaking (21:35 – 23:29)
• Interview returns—Death by Lightning, Garfield, and Offerman (25:40 – 27:54)

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Memorable Moments

• Michael Shannon likening one-off album shows to “a Japanese sand painting—just blows away.” (18:42)
• The pair laughing about Nick Offerman’s punk hairstyle from a Foreigner music video. (27:24)
• Colbert joking about modern and historical missteps—barf machines in Mad Men, AI memoirs, and festive White House melancholia.

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Tone & Style

As always, Stephen Colbert brings sharp wit and cultural criticism, balancing absurdity with pointed commentary. Michael Shannon is thoughtful and understated, offering genuine insights into difficult subject matter and the craft of acting, while also relishing irreverent stories from his parallel musical life. Their rapport oscillates between serious reflection and playful banter, making the episode entertaining and unexpectedly affecting.

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For New Listeners

This episode offers more than laughs; it’s a meditation on accountability, public service, and creative possibility. It’s equally valuable for fans of historical drama, music, or political satire. Michael Shannon’s passion for justice, history, and art powers a conversation that’s funny, smart, and quietly inspiring.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Smooth.

[C]

It's a hard nut smooth.

[A]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[C]

We can't disparage the nut.

[A]

See, I'm not disparaging the nut, I'm describing the nut.

[C]

Don't disparage any flavors.

[A]

I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board I love pistachios. I love a crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter?

[B]

Who cares?

[C]

Very good.

[A]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[C]

Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get them.

[A]

I didn't even know I get them.

[C]

Before the softball games.

[A]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Wow. Wonderful pistachios has every snack style covered right now. There's an obsession with jalapeno lime. There is an obsession.

It's almost a disorder. It's spicy, it's zesty. It's basically a flavor roller coaster in a nut.

Snacking on the go. Grab a bag of no shells. Feeling contemplative and want to work for it a little. So earning it, they're saying. If you want to earn your nut, crack open those in shell beauties. Either way, it's snacking like a champ. So the next time hunger strikes, don't hold back. Unless it's a hunger strike. And then it's important that you do, because whatever you're doing that for, I'm sure it's a worthwhile cause. Snack like you mean it with wonderful pistachios. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more.

[C]

That was wonderful.

[A]

I wonder what more there is to learn.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

We just. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[C]

They have a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, some smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[A]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[C]

No.

[A]

Bring it on.

[C]

Nothing bad to say.

[A]

Nutme, nut, nut meat. With nut meat, we're nutting. We got nothing but nut nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about.

Talk about, talk about, talk about nutty Good.

You're very kind. Everybody, we got a lot of show for you tonight. Welcome to the Late show. I'm your host, Stephen Cole.

Isn't that nice?

Everybody feeling good tonight?

Not for long, because a highly contagious winter vomiting disease is surging across the country. Now, it's hard for me to tell if I'm going to catch it because I watch the news for a living and I vomit all year round.

Technically, technically, winter vomiting disease is a norovirus that causes extreme vomiting. And according to the cdc, cases have doubled over the past few weeks. That sounds like a lot of sick folks. Luckily, everyone here at the Late show came into work today. Right, Louis?

Now, speaking of vomiting, Pete Hegseth, he.

[B]

I got something.

[A]

I got a little something.

He and Trump are still under fire for maybe definitely committing war crimes. They argue that those Venezuelan boats deserve to be blowed up real good because trust us, those are drug smugglers. So it's a little odd that on Friday, Trump announced he was pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who last year was convicted of conspiracy to import over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. That's a lot of cocaine. Now, for reference, for reference, this is an artist's rendering of what a 400 ton bag of cocaine would look like.

[B]

Now.

[A]

Now, this sounds hypocritical, but it makes sense given the administration's new PSA campaign. Just say no to drugs. Unless they're from former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, cuz he got the high speed chicken feed.

When the pardon was announced, Trump was asked about the double standard aboard Air Force One.

[B]

Can you explain more about why you.

[A]

Would pardon a notorious drug trafficker? Well, I don't know who you're talking about. Which one?

Which one? How many notorious drug traffickers have you pardoned? I'm pardoning only the finest narcos. We're talking El Chapo, Pablo eto.

The ghost of Pablo Escobar, Walter White, Wesley Snipes from New Jack City, also for the tax stuff, and Sonny. Cuckoo. It wasn't just the Cocoa Puffs, he was cuckoo for the angel dust.

Now, when the Trumps are not freeing drug kingpins, they're also decorating what's left of the White House for Christmas. And in keeping with that tradition, the first lady revealed this year's decorations with a video full of Melania's signature pep.

That is so sad.

They didn't even play a Christmas Carol. They played the before music from an antidepressant commercial.

Ask your doctor if Somazone is right for you.

Side effects of Somazone include silent wandering.

These are Christmas decorations. Thank you, big fans of Somazone and Thalmadrak and Drizzdrine. These are Christmas decorations and only Christmas decorations, folks. Because there are no other religious traditions in sight. And a White House staffer confirmed that there is no menorah. That makes sense. No oil could last eight days around Donald Trump, it's been like three days. What are we doing here? Am I dipping focaccia in this thing or are we gonna fry up some Oreos?

So let's enjoy some of the Christian Christ for Christmas Christmas decor that they deemed worthy of including, like, this Lego portrait of the President. Truly, truly historic because it's the first Legos you kinda want to step on.

Melania. Melania. He's so fine.

Melania even got her own room, which featured butterflies and ornaments and the traditional be best Christmas hemorrhoid.

Now, if you're thinking, how can I get more Melania into my life, you're in luck, because the first lady has released a new version of her seven hour audiobook where she's reading from memoir in Spanish. It's the perfect listen on a long road trip inside a windowless ice van.

Now, Melania has previously said that she speaks five languages. However, none of them appear to be Spanish.

I know what you're thinking. Kind of hard to do the audiobook if your language is not Spanish. Reminds me of how Dickens wrote his translations of A Tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Okay, now imagine I just said that in Polish.

So how did Melania do it? Well, it's as lazy as you can imagine because she's using an AI Generated version of her voice.

No, it's. Oh, don't boo. It's just like the work of that other great Spanish language, AI author Gabriel Garcia Martuditu.

Oh, there's an update about HH Secretary RFK Jr courtesy of journalist and female handsome Squidward Olivia Newsy.

Newsy, very handsome. Newsy just wrote a book about her alleged affair with RFK Jr. In it, Newsy writes that during their video calls, RFK Jr. Was often shirtless and she could see his toiletry bag filled with so many prescription drugs it could barely close. Look, miss, if you're into shirtless older men carrying bags stuffed with pills, try the Port Authority bus terminal.

It's raining men. Hallelujah.

Reportedly, Newsy was also upset about RFK Jr. S brain worm, saying, I hated the idea of an intruder therein.

They're in. Really? Are they one of those couples who's so obsessed with each other they act all Renaissance festival about it? M', lady, fetch me my leftover pad Thai from yonder fridge. Join me upon Meinz futon for mayhap hand stuff in season three of the Diplomat.

The upsetting details don't stop there. Newsy's ex Claims to have discovered that the couple planned to consummate their relationship on August 23, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, after he endorsed Trump at a rally. Yes, famously the most comfortable time to have sex. Mid August in Phoenix.

Speaking of RFK Junior Mad Men, HBO Max recently released a 4K restoration of the show. But there was one little hiccup because the restored series hit the site with some errors, including several episodes mislabeled and released out of order. I, for one, am stunned that a mistake could be made by HBO Max, formerly Max, formerly HBO Max.

The biggest. The biggest. Oops. A Kadabra. In one scene, they left in visible barf machine operators. And they say there's no good jobs for college graduates.

Let's take a look at the scene in question with the special effect and check out the right side of the screen for the puke tube and the barf boys.

[B]

Those boys over at United Fruit talk about you like you invented the damn banana.

[A]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Well, there goes my suspension of disbelief. Barf machines didn't exist in the 1960s. If a man wanted to force himself to vomit back then, he had to think of something repulsive, like a woman having her own credit card.

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. That sound means we have some breaking raccoon news.

I'm getting word. Is this word. Am I getting it from you.

Right now? Is this true? I'm getting word that down in Virginia, a raccoon got drunk at a liquor store and passed out in a bathroom. That is shocking that it did not happen in Florida.

The masked intruder. Is this true? Is this real? Are we breaking this news? We're not. Okay. The masked intruder left a trail of broken bottles in the aisle and made his way to the bathroom where he was found conked out on the floor.

Adorable. You could say that little dumpster panda was trashed.

[B]

Recanceled.

[A]

Yvonne, let's take a look at the photo again. Notice how he prepared himself. He's on his tummy so he won't choke if he throws up. He situated himself between the trash can and the toilet, so he has a receptacle in both directions. Clearly, this ain't his first rodeo. Now, how did the raccoon get into the liquor store? The answer. He came in through the ceiling. And I'm being told we have security footage.

We got a great show for you tonight.

Coming up.

[C]

Michael Shannon.

[A]

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[D]

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[A]

Indeed.

My first guest tonight is an actor, you know, from films like Revolutionary Road, man of Steel, and the Shape Of. He now stars in the new movie Nuremberg and the new miniseries Death by Lightning. Please welcome back to the Late Show, Michael.

[B]

Shannon.

Hey. Hey.

[A]

There. Nice to see you.

[B]

Again. Nice to be here. How are you doing? Fantastic. Yeah.

[A]

Fantastic. It seems like a good time to be Michael Shannon. You got the new film, you got the new limited series. You're fronting an REM cover band.

That is the hottest ticket in town, whatever town it happens to be in right now. And I'm going to show and tell the people a little bit about.

[B]

It.

[A]

Okay? Here. Here you are. What's the name of the band, by the.

[B]

Way? Oh, my God. It's called Michael Shannon and Jason Narducci and friends play the music of R.E.M. it's a very sexy name. Yes, we really, we want to keep you.

[A]

Going. There you are. Yes, there you are. Stipend it up real.

[B]

Hard.

Goodness.

[A]

Gracious. Last time you told me that you guys were doing shows where you did full albums like you know, Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited. And now you're selling out this tour of REM and another tour planned for 26. This is.

[B]

You. And there it.

[A]

Is. There's the flyer for it. There it is.

How did this start? How did this idea get.

[B]

Started? Well, I have a artist named Robbie Folks to thank for this. He's a singer songwriter, and he was in Chicago. He had a residency where he would play different album once a month. And he asked Jason and myself to participate. And that's how I met Jason. And then, yeah, every once in a while, me and Jason call each other up and say, well, how about this album? Or how about that.

[A]

Album? Are you surprised what this has.

[B]

Become? Very super surprised, yes.

[A]

Yes. Was this ever part of the plan.

[B]

Rockstar? No. God, no. No, We, We. We would pick an album and we do it once. That's it. Just once. And kind of like a. I refer to it like a Japanese sand painting just blows away, you know, Very highfalutin. Yeah. But, yeah, we did this one. And people started calling up and saying, well, come do it here. And Jason said, well, you want to do a tour? And I said, well, I've always wondered, you know, I've heard so much about life on the road, you.

[A]

Know. So you're starring in the new film Nuremberg. Now, for people who may remember that name from history class or have some sense, we know about the Nuremberg rallies, but it's the judgment at Nuremberg. This is about explain to the people what exactly happened in these trials and who you play in the.

[B]

Film. Well, I play Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. The Nuremberg trials were his idea. A lot of the top brass in America thought if you caught a Nazi. Nazi. If you caught a Nazi. If you caught a Nazi, you should just, you know, execute him. But Jackson believed that they needed to be put on trial and that the whole world needed to see them trying to justify or explain what they did.

Which, of course is impossible. But nonetheless, he figured that's how justice works, and he was able to accomplish this, establish this tribunal as the first of its kind. He set a lot of precedents in terms of the charges that he leveled against the Nazis. Crime against humanities. I think it was the first time that that phrase had ever been used. It was the first time that film had been used as evidence in courtroom. A lot of.

[A]

Firsts. We have a clip here in the courtroom scene. Let's take a look at this and then tell me what you remember about doing the.

[B]

Scene. Okie dokie. For the record, is there any doubt in your mind that Adolf Hitler is.

[A]

Dead?

I have no.

[B]

Doubt.

So you are aware that this makes you the only living man who can expound to us the true purposes of the Nazi Party and the inner workings of its.

[A]

Leadership? I am perfectly aware of.

[B]

This.

Your party, from the very beginning, intended to overthrow the Weimar.

[A]

Republic.

That was our firm intention.

What the.

[B]

Hell? And upon coming to power, you immediately abolished parliamentary government in.

[A]

Germany. We found it to be no longer.

[B]

Necessary. Is that because you believe people are not capable of self.

[A]

Government?

Difficult.

Difficult to watch. You know, it's heartbreaking to watch something like that. I'm curious what it was like to shoot that scene. How long did it take you to shoot.

[B]

That? It was just one of the greatest scenes I've ever had the pleasure of shooting in my career. It's a long scene. The actual testimony is much longer. It's actually in a book that Russell, who plays Goering, gave to me. So we condensed it, but it was still quite long. It was about 20 pages. And Russell and I decided that they had it broken up to do, like, the first third on Monday and the second third on Tuesday because it's just more pages than you would typically shoot in a day. But Russell and I decided that we wanted to do it all from beginning to end to keep the momentum and the tension of it. So the takes wound up being 25 minutes.

[A]

Long. One continuous take. What does that do for you, Rizzo, to have it continuous and contiguous like.

[B]

That? Well, it really gives you the opportunity to get lost in it, you know, and kind of forget that you're even doing a movie. Which is a nice. Sometimes for me, the really difficult scenes are the. Where it's like one little thing, like one line or, you know, he opens a door or whatever, because you don't get the opportunity to really forget what's.

[A]

Happening. Do you ever, like, have that one line or, like, open the door and you go, I could have opened that door.

[B]

Different? You do, you do. I mean, and you hear about these famous directors, directors, you know, someone like David Fincher or Michael Mann, they get obsessed with, like, one little shot. He'll do it like 70 times. Somebody opening a door or something like.

[A]

That.

[B]

Wow. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Remind me to avoid those.

[B]

Guys. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. But, well, it's nice. It's nice. I mean, I look forward to this film. It's a nice reminder that Nazis are the bad.

[B]

Guys.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I also think it's a nice reminder, you know, what Justice Jackson did was really extraordinary. And he was met with a lot of opposition, which is strange because it sounds very logical what he's saying, but he overcame a lot of adversity to accomplish what he did. And in the face of what seems like kind of insurmountable problems right now, it's nice to be reminded that someone who is determined enough can actually make a difference and have an.

[A]

Impact.

We have to take a quick break. I'll be right back with more Michael Shannon, everybody. Stick.

[C]

Around.

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[A]

Apply.

Hey, everybody, you know who this is? We're here with star of Nuremberg, Michael Shannon. You're also in her new miniseries Death by Lightning, where you play the country's 20th president, James Garfield. There's the sexiness right there.

Did I do this? That's after he shot. This is after he shot. I was hanging out with the.

[B]

Raccoon. I was hanging out with the raccoon at the liquor store. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Seems like a fun.

[B]

Raccoon. Yeah.

[A]

Right? Real fun raccoon. Okay. Did stepping into our 20th president's shoes give you some different point of view about the.

[B]

Presidency? Yes.

I mean, I was very taken with how Garfield was devoted to being of service, that he didn't look at it as a power play or, you know, being a king or whatever, but he actually Thought his job was to help people, which is nice to. Yeah. Hear from an elected official.

[A]

Yeah.

Our mutual friend Nick Offerman plays Chester A. Arthur, who, after, spoiler alert, Garfield is shot. After Garfield is shot, he takes over as president. You guys know each other from the old Chicago theater days. What was it like to go, you know, be on, you know, stage, as it were, soundstage, going toe to toe with Nick as.

[B]

President? It's pretty crazy. Cause we were both in a music video together back when I was, I believe, a teenager. When I was, I think it was a Foreigner music.

[A]

Video. Foreigner, Like Hot.

[B]

Blooded? Yeah, yeah. Something about lies. Like White Lies or.

[A]

Something. And at the time is that.

[B]

One. It wasn't a famous one. It wasn't one that got traction, maybe because of the video, I don't know. But at the time, Nick Offerman was doing a play in which he had a haircut that was like a spiral on his head, and I think it was pink. He was playing like a punk, you know, kind of guy. And it was a really cool haircut. Yeah. Yeah. But I've known Nick a very long time.

[A]

Yeah. Well, Michael, great to see.

[B]

You. Nice to see you.

[A]

Too. Merry.

[B]

Christmas. Thanks for having me, Steve.

[A]

Pleasure. Thank you. Nuremberg is in theaters now and you can see Death by Lightning on Netflix. It's Michael Shannon, everybody.

Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and.

[B]

Exclusives.

Now streaming on Paramount.

[A]

Plus. Dearest Eva, I think about you all the time. Once I find you and your daughter, then I will kill you both. Those words and those threats were absolute psychological terrorism. Surviving 12 years of terror. You be prepared for my arrival. Oh, my God. He found our.

[B]

House. And he was.

[A]

Coming. My nightmare stalker. The Eva Larue.

[B]

Story. Now streaming on Paramount plus. Can you believe it's finally.

[A]

Christmas? The Paw patrol is on a roll to the North.

[B]

Pole.

[A]

Awesome. A Paw Patrol Christmas, the brand new holiday special. Now streaming on Paramount plus.