The most difficult characterization, of course, is Brendan Gleeson as Trump, shot in menacing closeups and silhouettes, trying to eke loyalty from his FBI chief the way he didn’t from Jeff Sessions (problem casting from Joe Lo Truglio of “Brooklyn 99”). Usually portrayed soley for buffoonery, Gleeson’s route is more sinister. Indeed, he’s only seen in Dracula-like shadow in the closing moments of tonight’s first half.
“The Comey Rule” is divided between pre-election 2016 tonight and post election Monday and the details of each confounding turn are laid out in a fashion that contextualizes the story and raises rage one more time. But at least it’s a different rage from the current one, so it’s kind of an escape, though certainly its ramifications led to today.
Daniels, in a Zoom press conference earlier this month, said he had to literally rise to the occasion to play the towering Comey.
“ I put two‑inch lifts in my shoes, which got me to 6’-5.” I’m still not 6’-8”,” he said, “but I could act the other three inches.”
For his part, Kelly said he didn’t read Comey’s book for preparation; he read the one of his character, McCabe. “I did my own research. I’m knowledgeable in politics. I love politics, but I went about it from my character’s perspective.”
When I asked him more about that, he said he also got in touch with McCabe, “first email, and then he agreed to meet me for a coffee, which ended up turning into a lunch and a hang for a couple hours,” Kelly said.
“It ended up being so great, because we talked family and politics and policy, and everything that I wanted to know about him, I learned just in having conversation with him,” he said. “ I have great, great admiration for him. You know, here’s a lifelong Republican, someone I’m obviously from the other side of the aisle from me. But it’s more like you disagree on policy. All this other craziness that’s happening now is a different world to him as well.”