A couple of months ago I wrote about Jesse Plemons, the quality of work he’s delivered over the last few years, how every director seems to want him in their films, and how, even still, he remains known, primarily, as a “character actor” and not necessarily a “leading man” – but maybe that’s by choice.
Now, though, having just been named Best Actor in Cannes for his performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest Kinds of Kindness, this might change, because at this very, very early stage, Jesse’s name has emerged as a frontrunner for Oscar. Yes, it’s only May. Sure, we have several film festivals coming up after the sun. And for sure, Kinds of Kindness may not find an audience because it’s said to be much more provocative and divisive than its predecessor, Poor Things. That said, Yorgos’s last two films produced Best Actress Oscar winners, Olivia Colman and Emma Stone. So the possibility is there, especially considering Jesse’s reputation in the industry, not only among actors but the directors he’s worked with, including Martin Scorsese, Adam McKay, Steven Spielberg, Jane Campion, Charlie Kaufman, and more.
Kinds of Kindness is an ensemble film but as Emma Stone said during an interview in Cannes a couple of weeks ago:
“Jesse definitely is the true lead of this film.”
“Plemons felt the pressure. “It was crazy exciting, and a little scary,” he said. It didn’t help when his director screened a rough cut of “Poor Things” three or four days before the start of shooting. “OMG, this movie’s brilliant.”
“He was sitting in the back of the theater group having a fully sweaty shake attack,” said Stone, laughing.”
That shake attack has resulted in a Cannes Best Actor win, which could lead to a full Oscar campaign in six months. Can you imagine our beloved Landry Clarke winning an Oscar?!
