Yes, Michael Shannon Did Sing In Nine Perfect Strangers - And It Broke Everyone
While Michael Shannon shows his vocal range as country music legend George Jones opposite Jessica Chastain's Tammy Wynette in Showtime's "George & Tammy," fans and Shannon's colleagues actually got a preview of the venerable actor's singing talents in a much different limited series in 2021. Shannon, who earned a 2023 Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for "George & Tammy," previously sang a heartfelt tune in the Hulu limited series "Nine Perfect Strangers."
In the hit drama, Nicole Kidman stars as Masha Dmitrichenko, the enigmatic founder of a health and wellness resort who hosts a 10-day retreat for nine people who have suffered setbacks in their lives or, in some cases, severe trauma. Using a controversial treatment involving psychoactive drugs, Masha hopes to heal each of the individuals of the pain caused by their struggles. Shannon and Asher Keddie star as Napoleon and Heather Marconi, a couple traumatized by the suicide of their adult son, Zach (Hal Cumpston). Grace Van Patten also stars as the Marconis' daughter Zoe, Zach's twin sibling.
In an emotional scene, Napoleon sings "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" to Zoe, who turns 21 years old on the retreat. As it turns out, Shannon's rendition of the 1957 song by The Tune Weavers had a powerful effect on the show's cast. "I'm going to cry thinking about it," Keddie told AV Club in 2021. "It was so moving; his voice is so beautiful and delicate. We had a really beautiful, very emotional night that night."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Keddie was so moved, she couldn't join Shannon in singing
The interesting fact about the scene in which Napoleon Marconi sings "Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" to Grace Van Patten's Zoe is that the song was originally supposed to feature Michael Shannon and Asher Keddie in a duet. "My character was going to join in with that performance, and I was quite happy about that. I thought, 'Oh, that'll be gorgeous!' and I could imagine how it played out," Keddie told AV Club. "And [then] he started singing and I was like, 'I'm not getting up there!' There was no way because he was — it was so moving."
The scene is punctuated by a fantasy sequence of Zoe and Hal Cumpston's Zach sitting next to each other at a pool.
Since "Nine Perfect Strangers" was technically a limited series, Shannon and most of his co-stars were done with the show after one season. However, it was announced in June 2023 that "Nine Perfect Strangers" Season 2 was officially a go, with Nicole Kidman returning to lead a new cast.