Michael Shannon says he 'immersed' himself in the world of Elvis when he landed the role of the singer in Elvis and Nixon.
Michael Shannon in Elvis & Nixon
Shannon is set to take on the role of The King in the film, alongside Kevin Spacey as President Nixon. The movie is based on true events and chronicles a meeting between the two men.
And Shannon says that it was important to do his research and get 'as deep into his psyche as possible.'
Speaking to Collider about how he prepared for the role, the actor said: "Well, once the movie was green lit and I knew it was going to happen. I just dove into Elvis world, I watched all his movies and the documentaries, That's the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour. I read books, I watched press conferences that he did. I listened to his music.
"I just completely immersed myself. I was just trying to find him. I wasn't trying to put my spin on it or whatever. I wasn't trying to make a statement one way or the other. I just wanted to get as deep into his psyche as possible."
Elvis & Nixon sees Liza Johnson in the director's chair for her first feature film since Hateship Loveship back in 2013.
The director has brought together a great cast as Shannon and Spacey are joined by Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Colin Hanks, and Evan Peters.
As for Shannon, it has already been a busy year for the actor as we have seen him star in Midnight Special, He has also completed work on Salt and Fire, Nocturnal Animals, and Loving. The latter sees him reunite with filmmaker Jeff Nichols for their fourth film project together.
The actor is currently filming his new movie Pottersville, which sees Seth Henrikson make his live-action feature film directorial debut.
Elvis & Nixon is released 24th June 2016.
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