Actor Michael Shannon says 'I could very easily just not do this anymore and not miss it'

Actor Michael Shannon has built an incredible career, evolving from "that guy" who stood out in countless small roles to currently being one of the most sought-after character actors working in the business.

Whether it's playing Prohibition agent-turned-gangster Nelson Van Alden for four seasons of "Boardwalk Empire," his Oscar-nominated role in "Revolutionary Road," the determined General Zod in "Man of Steel," or his Oscar-worthy performance as a darkly comedic lawman in the upcoming "Nocturnal Animals," Shannon performs with an intensity that few can match.

But Shannon, 42, admits that the workload may be getting to him.

In 2016, Shannon will appear in 10 films by the end of the year, including "Frank & Lola" (in theaters December 9), a Las Vegas-set drama for which he admits he didn't make much money. And this isn't his only low-budget movie this year that he didn't do for the money. He said he basically did "Wolves," which played at the Tribeca Film Festival, for free.

"I didn't make any money doing 'Frank & Lola' or 'Wolves,'" Shannon said. "I told myself basically when I did 'Wolves' I'm not doing this anymore. I'm done. From now on the conditions are going to be different."

He plans to stop doing the low-budget movies and work less. But he won't succumb to doing mediocre work just to pay the bills.

"I find that disgusting," he said. "Honestly, I could very easily just not do this anymore and not miss it."

Shannon said he now basically makes demands before taking roles.

"Because why not? I don't have anything to lose," he said.

When pressed on how serious he is about walking away from acting, Shannon said he has other interests, ranging from music to the environment.

"Frankly, I have a lot of concerns about the world and sometimes I think that acting is not contributing in a meaningful way," he said. "I can't say exactly what I would do instead, but something more helpful."

Michael Shannon fans shouldn't get too upset, though. There are directors he'll always drop everything for, and based on how freakishly good Shannon is at acting, that's a sure bet.

"If I just did whatever Jeff Nichols ('Mud,' 'Loving'), Ramin Bahrani ('99 Homes'), and Liza Johnson ('Elvis & Nixon') told me to do, I would be fine with that," he said. "And if Paul Thomas Anderson and David Lynch happened to call once in a while."