Death by Lightning is gecreëerd, geschreven en geproduceerd door Mike Makowsky, gebaseerd op het boek Destiny of the Republic van Candice Millard.
Het vertelt het waargebeurde verhaal van James Garfield (Shannon), de onwillige 20e president van de Verenigde Staten, en zijn grootste bewonderaar Charles Guiteau (Macfadyen) - de man die hem zou komen vermoorden.
Whitford (foto links) en Whigham (foto rechts) zijn te zien naast de eerder gecastte Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon, Betty Gilpin en Nick Offerman. Daarnaast zijn Stephen McKinley Henderson, Paula Malcomson en Tuppence Middleton gecast in terugkerende rollen in de serie, die wordt geproduceerd door David Benioff en D.B. Weiss.
Whitford plays Secretary of State James Blaine. Whigham will play Senator Roscoe Conkling. McKinley Henderson plays Senator Blanche Bruce, Malcomson plays Franny Scoville, Charles Guiteau's sister, and Middleton joins in as Kate Chase Sprague.
Bernie Caulfield is also executive producer. Matt Ross is director and executive producer of all episodes.
Whitford plays Commander Lawrence in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, which is in its sixth and final season. The role earned him his third Emmy. He previously won for The West Wing and Transparent. Whitford has a recurring role on AMC's drama series Parish opposite Giancarlo Esposito.
Whigham had a major role in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, which he reprises in the upcoming eighth film in the franchise. In series he is known for his role as Elias 'Eli' Thompson in HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Last year, he starred opposite Boardwalk Empire co-star Michael Shannon in Showtime's Waco: The Aftermath.