The Cast
CurtisMICHAEL SHANNON
SamanthaJESSICA CHASTAIN
HannahTOVA STEWART
DewartSHEA WHIGHAM
NatKATY MIXON
CammieNATASHA RANDALL
RussellRON KENNARD
LewisSCOTT KNISLEY
JimROBERT LONGSTREET
Special Ed TeacherHEATHER CALDWELL
Woman in RoadSHEILA HULLIHEN
Man in RoadJOHN KLOOK
Bargain HunterMARYANNA ALACCHI
News AnchorJACQUE JOVIC
Walter JacobsBOB MAINES
Man at WindowCHARLES MOORE
MelvinPETE FERRY
JanineMOLLY MCGINNIS
KathrynANGIE MARINO-SMITH
SueISABELLE SMITH
NurseTINA STUMP
Doctor ShannanKEN STRUNK
Insurance AgentMARYANN NAGEL
PharmacistHAILEE DICKENS
SarahKATHY BAKER
MyersGUY VAN SWEARINGEN
KendraLISAGAY HAMILTON
EMTWILLIAM ALEXANDER
AttendantJOANNA TYLER
Army-Navy DaveSTUART GREER
KyleRAY MCKINNON
AndyJAKE LOCKWOOD
CustomerKIM HENDRICKSON
DaveBART FLYNN
RichNICK KOESTERS
PsychiatristJEFFREY GROVER
Michael Shannon (Curtis)
Academy Award® nominee Michael Shannon is making his mark working with many of the industry's most honored talent and treading the boards in the world's most respected theatres. Shannon will soon begin production on Warner Bros. MAN OF STEEL from director Zack Snyder. Shannon will star opposite Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Diane Lane as the villain, 'General Zod.'
Most recently, Shannon was seen in Craig Wright's off-Broadway play, Mistakes Were Made, at the Barrow Street Theater. Directed by Dexter Bullard, Shannon portrays 'Felix Artifex,' a small time theatre producer, who gets in way over his fast-talking head when he takes on an epic about the French Revolution. The play received its world premiere at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago in 2009 with the same cast and director. The critically acclaimed production garnered numerous accolades for Shannon, including an 'Outstanding Lead Actor' Lortel Award nomination, an 'Outstanding Actor in a Play' Drama Desk Award nomination, an 'Outstanding Solo Performance' Outer Critics Award nomination and a 'Distinguished Performance' Drama League Award nomination as well as a listing on Time Magazine's 'Top 10 Everything of 2010' (Top 10 Plays and Musicals).
This past fall, Shannon was seen in Martin Scorsese's HBO series, "Boardwalk Empire," co-starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt and Kelly Macdonald. Based on Nelson Johnson's book, the series centers on an Atlantic City liquor distribution ring at the onset of Prohibition. Shannon plays 'Nelson Van Alden,' a dedicated senior agent with the Treasury Department who has a strong interest in controlling bootlegging. He is currently in production on the second season of the series which will premiere in the fall of 2011.
Upcoming, Shannon has David Koepp's PREMIUM RUSH, opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is an action story set in New York City, where a bike messenger picks up a package at Columbia University and subsequently catches the attention of a dirty cop. Sony Pictures has slated the release for January 13, 2012. Following that, Shannon has Marc Forster's MACHINE GUN PREACHER opposite Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan. The film follows the story of 'Sam Childers,' a former drug-dealing biker who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who had been forced to become soldiers. The film is set to be released by Lionsgate.
Shannon recently completed production on Liza Johnson's RETURN, which premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival as part of the 'Director's Fortnight.' Starring Linda Cardellini, the film centers on a female soldier who comes home after serving overseas. Shannon plays opposite star Cardellini as her husband.
Soon, Shannon will begin production on Ariel Vromen's THE ICEMAN opposite Benicio Del Toro and James Franco. The film is based on the book The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer by Anthony Bruno and on interview footage from the documentary The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer by Jim Thebaut.
Most notably, Shannon made his mark in an Oscar®-nominated supporting role in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, playing 'John Givings', the psychologically troubled neighbor's son. Directed by Sam Mendes and adapted by Justin Haythe, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates.
With over thirty roles in film, Shannon's credits include Floria Sigismondi's THE RUNAWAYS; Werner Herzog's MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE and BAD LIEUTENANT; Sydney Lumet's BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD; Oliver Stone's WORLD TRADE CENTER; William Friedkin's BUG; Curtis Hanson's LUCKY YOU; Michael Bay's BAD BOYS II and PEARL HARBOR; Curtis Hanson's 8 MILE; David McNally's KANGAROO JACK; Cameron Crowe's VANILLA SKY; John Waters' CECIL B. DEMENTED; Noah Buschel's THE MISSING PERSON; and Shana Feste's THE GREATEST.
For all his roles on screen, Shannon has maintained a connection to theatre and credits include Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre); Lady (Rattelstick Theater); The Metal Children (Vineyard Theatre); The Little Flower of East Orange (Public Theater); The Pillowman (Steppenwolf Theatre); Bug (Barrow Street Theatre, Red Orchid Theatre and Gate Theatre); Man From Nebraska (Steppenwolf Theatre); Mr. Kolpert (Red Orchid Theatre); Killer Joe (Soho Playhouse, Next Lab and Vaudeville Theatre); The Idiot (Lookingglass Theatre); Killer (Red Orchid Theatre); and Woyzeck (Gate Theatre).
TAKE SHELTER is Shannon's second film with Jeff Nichols. In his first collaboration with Nichols, Shannon stared as 'Son Hayes' in the critically acclaimed 2007 film SHOTGUN STORIES. Michael Shannon grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and began his professional stage career in Chicago.
Jessica Chastain (Samantha)
Jessica Chastain has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought after actors of her generation. Born and raised in Northern California, Chastain attended the Juilliard School in New York City. While there she starred in Romeo and Juliet and went on to receive glowing reviews for her performances in The Cherry Orchard opposite Michelle Williams at Williamstown; and Richard Nelson's Rodney's Wife opposite David Strathairn off-Broadway at Playwright's Horizons. Chastain will next be seen starring opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in the drama THE TREE OF LIFE, written and directed by Terrence Malick for River Road Productions. The story concerns the loss of innocence as seen through the eyes of the son of the characters played by Chastain and Pitt. The film was shot in Texas in early 2008 and will be released in May 2011. Chastain also stars as the female lead in Miramax's THE DEBT alongside Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington. Chastain plays an Israeli Mossad agent sent on a mission to apprehend the WWII Nazi surgeon from the concentration camp who tortured Jewish prisoners. Production took place in Budapest and Tel Aviv.
Chastain will also be seen in Ami Mann's upcoming feature film, THE FIELDS. This psychological thriller is based on true events that took place in a small Pennsylvania town in 1973. Jessica stars alongside Sam Worthington and Chloe Moretz. Chastain recently wrapped production on Dreamworks' adaptation of the best-selling Kathryn Stockett novel THE HELP playing Celia Foote, an insecure Southern lady constantly trying to fit in with the high society women who reject her. The story centers on black maids working in white households in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard and Octavia Spencer are among the cast. The film will be released in August 2011.
Chastain will soon begin filming WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD opposite Shia LaBeouf, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman. The film will be directed by John Hillcoat and produced by Douglas Wick. In 2009, Jessica played the role of Desdemona in the classic play Othello opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman. Directed by Peter Sellars, the project ran beginning in Vienna, then Germany and finishing in New York. At the senior class Juilliard showcase, Jessica landed a coveted talent deal with Emmy award winning executive producer and writer John Wells, the show runner of "E.R.", "West Wing" and producer of White Oleander. After completing a pilot for John Wells and director PJ Hogan (My Best Friend's Wedding), Jessica returned to the stage in the Los Angeles Wadsworth Theatre production of Salome, where Academy Award®-winners Estelle Parsons (director) and Al Pacino hand picked Jessica to play the title role of 'Salome' opposite Al. Continuing the collaboration, producer Barry Navidi commenced the film version of Salome entitled Wild Salome directed by Al Pacino, where they filmed behind the scenes and portions of the play's production.
Chastain's stage work in Salome received enormous critical attention and led to her landing the dynamic title role of Jolene in the Dan Ireland directed production opposite Rupert Friend, Frances Fisher, Dermot Mulroney and Michael Vartan. This adaptation of the E.L. Doctorow (Ragtime) short story, Jolene depicts a young woman's odyssey of relationships over the course of ten years. Chastain Salome entitled Wild Salome directed by Al Pacino, where they filmed behind the scenes and portions of the play's production. Chastain won the Best Actress Award at the 2008 Seattle Film Festival for this role.
Chastain currently lives in California.
Shea Whigham (Dewart)
Shea Whigham began in New York theater as the co-founder and Artistic Director of The Rorshach Group, but has quickly made a name for himself in film and television.
Mr. Whigham starred in several independent films prior, but it was his stunning debut in Joel Schumacher's TIGERLAND opposite Colin Farrell that brought him to prominence. Many roles quickly followed: 'Tip' in David Gordon Green's ALL THE REAL GIRLS; OUT OF THIS WORLD directed by Saamoto Junji; and the television film FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.
Studio work followed as well with a return to Joel Schumacher in BAD COMPANY; MAN OF THE HOUSE with Tommy Lee Jones; LORDS OF DOGTOWN, directed by Catherine Hardwicke; FIRST SNOW with Guy Pearce; and the Sundance hit and Independent Film nominee WRISTCUTTERS with Patrick Fugit. His recent credits movies include Robert Rodriguez's MACHETE with Robert DeNiro; the 2008 thriller SPLINTER; New Line Cinema's PRIDE & GLORY, directed by Gavin O'Connor; the Universal hit Faster and Furious 4; Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant remake starring Nicolas Cage; indie film Barry Munday with Patrick Wilson; Spooner with Matthew Lillard; Radio Free Albemuth with Alanis Morrisette; The KILLING ROOM with Tim Hutton and Chloe Sevigny; and SOUTH OF HEAVEN for director Jonathan Vara.
Upcoming films include: THE CONSPIRATOR directed by Robert Redford; THE MUST BE THE PLACE with Sean Penn; EVERYONE LOVES WHALES directed by Ken Kwapis; THE LINCOLN LAWYER with Matthew McConaughey; and CATCH 44 with Bruce Willis and Forest Whitacker.
Mr. Whigham currently stars on the HBO hit series Boardwalk Empire.
Katy Mixon (Nat)
The talents of Pensacola, Florida native Katy Mixon have been turning heads ever since her arrival in Hollywood, showcasing her wicked sense of comedic timing, sultry charm, empathetic best friend and larger-than-life command of the screen.
Katy currently co-stars in the CBS comedy "Mike & Molly," as Victoria Flynn. The ensemble comedy, from the creators of "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy in the title roles.
Her role as middle-school teacher April Buchanon in HBO's "Eastbound & Down" earned her rave reviews and Katy is expected to reprise the role of April for the third season of the Danny McBride led ensemble. In 2010, Katy had a recurring role as 'Betsy' on the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men" starring Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer.
On the big screen, Katy will next been seen in the feature film DRIVE ANGRY 3D starring Nicolas Cage (in theaters February 25, 2011). In 2008, Katy co-starred opposite Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in the Warner Bros, production FOUR CHRISTMASES, portraying the very pregnant wife of co-star Jon Favreau. In 2009, she appeared in Universal Pictures' STATE OF PLAY opposite Russell Crowe and in the 20th Century Fox feature ALL ABOUT STEVE playing 'Elizabeth,' the traveling companion to Sandra Bullock. In addition, Katy was featured in the independent feature film THE INFORMERS, directed by Gregor Jordon and based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel.
Often described as a "triple-threat", Katy knew at a very young age she was destined for career in the performing arts. During her senior year of high school, she was given an award by the National Foundation of the Arts in Miami which led to an audition for - and acceptance into the drama program at Carnegie Mellon University. Katy graduated in 2003 with a BFA from the Conservatory of Drama.
Kathy Baker (Sarah)
Kathy Baker won three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe® Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for her work on the CBS television series "Picket Fences." She also received a 2003 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in the TNT feature Door To Door, which garnered multiple Emmy Awards and an AFI Creative Ensemble Award. Baker was also nominated for back-to-back Emmys for her guest performances on "Touched by an Angel" and "Boston Public."
Most recently, Baker has co-starred in a string of upcoming feature films including EVERYBODY LOVES WHALES directed by Ken Kwapis and starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski; SEVEN DAYS IN UTOPIA directed by Matthew Dean Russell and starring Robert Duvall; MACHINE GUN PREACHER directed by Marc Forster and starring Gerard Butler; MISS NOBODY directed by Tim Cox and starring Leslie Bibb; and HBO's TOO BIG TO FAIL directed by Curtis Hanson in which Baker portrays 'Wendy Paulson' opposite William Hurt's 'Henry Paulson.'
On television, Baker is reprising her role in the hit "Jesse Stone" franchise for CBS starring Tom Selleck. Her character was introduced in "Jesse Stone: Sea Change," continued in "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" and "Jesse Stone: No Remorse," and will reappear in the upcoming seventh installment, "Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost." Her other television credits include recurring roles on "Medium," "Grey's Anatomy," "Nip/Tuck," the TNT series "Bull"; and guest stars on "Law & Order," "Saving Grace," and TV movies such as Picking Up, Dropping Off, Spike Lee's Showtime feature Sucker Free City, Sanctuary, Ten Tiny Love Stories, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, Showtime's Ratz, the CBS mini-series Shake, Rattle & Roll: An American Love Story, Lush Life, Not in This Town, the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie A Season For Miracles, and The Image.
Baker made her film debut in 1983 in THE RIGHT STUFF. She has appeared in the remake of ALL THE KING'S MEN, directed by Steven Zaillian; the independent feature NINE LIVES, directed by Rodrigo Garcia; and the critically-acclaimed COLD MOUNTAIN as well as 13 GOING ON 30, FATHERS AND SONS, ASSASSINATION TANGO, and THE GLASS HOUSE. For the Academy Award®-winning film THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, Baker shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture.
Baker's other feature film credits include LAST CHANCE HARVEY, THE JANE AUSTIN BOOK CLUB, INVENTING THE ABBOTTS, TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY, MAD DOG AND GLORY, JENNIFER EIGHT, ARTICLE 99, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, STREET SMART (National Society of Film Critics' Best Supporting Actress Award), CLEAN AND SOBER, JACKNIFE, DAD, MISTER FROST, and A LITTLE INSIDE.
A veteran of the stage, Baker originated the role of 'May' in Sam Shepard's Fool for Love and, at the playwright's request, took the part to New York along with co-star Ed Harris. The move resulted in a prestigious Obie Award for Baker. During the following year, Kathy continued to work on other successful stage productions such as Desire Under the Elms and Aunt Dan and Lemon. She returned to the stage in 2006 in a South Coast Repertory production of the Tracy Letts play Man From Nebraska, which was directed by William Friedkin. More recently, Kathy starred in Memory House directed by Claudia Weill. She currently resides in Los Angeles.