Michael Shannon on the 'Fun' of Playing a Ruthless Sorority Sister (Video)

2:29 PM PDT 4/23/2013 by Mia Galuppo

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The "Iceman" actor talked to THR about his Funny or Die-produced video and his latest film role as a real-life contract killer.

With noteworthy roles in Boardwalk Empire, Man of Steel and the upcoming The Iceman, prolific actor Michael Shannon has most recently garnered attention for his dramatic reading of the Internet-famous sorority letter, written by a merciless member of the University of Maryland Greek community.

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The priceless Funny or Die video has earned a stamp of approval from director pal Jeff Nichols, who called the video "hilarious" and told The Hollywood Reporter that, contrary to his dramatic onscreen portrayals, Shannon is "a really funny guy."

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Shannon, meanwhile, has been busy promoting his new drama-thriller, The Iceman, which premiered in Hollywood at the Arclight Theatre on Monday night.

In the film, Shannon plays real-life hitman Richard Kuklinski, who, unbeknownst to his family and friends, murdered more than 100 people between 1964 and 1986.

When asked which role was more difficult to play -- the cut-throat sorority girl or the mafia hitman -- the 38-year-old actor told THR with a chuckle that his turn as a Delta Gamma sorority sister was "just a lot of fun."

The Mud actor went onto say that the making of the the video, which already has over 1.5 million views and 65,000 Facebook likes, was "a good time."

The Iceman, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival, also features Winona Ryder as Kuklinski's naive wife and Captain America star Chris Evans as fellow contract killer Robert Pronge.

The film's director, Ariel Vromen, told THR that Iceman is "an outsider point of view of the mob world."

Vroman was initially attracted to the Kuklinski's story after seeing the HBO documentary The Iceman Confesses: Secrets of a Mafia Hitman, saying, "I thought it was just a great story about the duality of a personality."

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The director told THR that Shannon was his No. 1 choice to play the New Jersey mobster, saying that working with the Take Shelter actor was "incredible." He added, "I think I was very lucky to find a window to get Michael."

The Iceman, also starring Ray Liotta and James Franco, will hit theaters on May 3 via Millennium Entertainment.

Watch Shannon's Funny or Die video below.

Michael Shannon Reads the Insane Delta Gamma Sorority Letter from Michael Shannon