11 Times Jesse Plemons Proved He's Hollywood's Best Scene-Stealer

Even before The Power of the Dog, the character actor was making a career out of stealing the spotlight from A-listers.

Charlotte Gomez, BuzzFeed / Everett Collection: Netflix, Warner Bros. / Alamy: Walt Disney Pictures, TCD, Prod. DB

You may not recognize Jesse Plemons when you hear (or, in this case, read) his name, but he's one of those actors you would unquestionably recognize as having seen in scene-stealing roles in some of your favorite movies and TV shows. Since his breakout performance in Friday Night Lights, Plemons has carved out a nice career for himself as one of the best character actors in all of Hollywood.

Now the unsung hero has finally been recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in his role as George Burbank in Netflix's The Power of the Dog. Despite proving himself as a more than capable leading man in Fargo, Other People, Black Mirror, and I'm Thinking of Ending Things, it feels apt that his first-ever nomination should be for Supporting, as he remains one of the best "do less with more" supporting actors around. With an Academy Award nomination officially under his belt, I was itching to revisit some of his earlier supporting work to confirm this acting superpower.

1. The Power of the Dog (2021)

Kirsty Griffin / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

Jane Campion's psychological Western has become the odds-on favorite to win Best Picture at this year's Oscars, and a massive reason for the film's success is the ensemble cast. And it's no surprise that Plemons delivers yet another dynamite supporting performance as George Burbank, a wealthy ranch owner who falls in love with Rose (played by Plemons' real-life spouse, Kirsten Dunst). The two are quickly married, which drives a wedge between George and his ill-tempered brother, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch), who undermines Rose every chance he gets. Plemons is given the difficult task of playing a decent and uncomplicated man who is escaping his brother's domineering shadow for the first time, and, unsurprisingly, he delivers in full. It is a subtle role in which most of George's emotions are hidden beneath his kindhearted exterior, but Plemons is able to help the audience understand his reserved character entirely without needing to be the focus of the majority of the scenes he's in.

Watch it on Netflix. 

2. Jungle Cruise (2021)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

One thing critics really seem to agree upon with Disney's latest theme park ride turned feature film is Plemons' exceptional performance as Prince Joachim, a German royal who will stop at nothing to help Germany win the war (as well as earning himself immortality). Playing the cartoonish villain allows Plemons the opportunity to have an absolute blast chewing the scenery from the minute he declares "Hallöchen" from his U-boat in the Amazon River with his so-bad-it's-incredible German accent. Despite sharing the screen with two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Plemons managed to deliver what Vulture's Jackson McHenry called "the cinematic high point of Jungle Cruise." The Ringer's Miles Surrey agreed, demanding that Disney give Joachim his own spinoff film.

Watch it on Disney+.

3. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

One of the most compelling scenes in this Oscar-nominated historical drama is when FBI Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Plemons) coerces Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) into becoming an undercover informant to infiltrate the Black Panthers. Plemons makes Mitchell intimidating without being overtly aggressive or menacing, as he is able to casually establish his dominance and leverage over O'Neal. This early scene is essential to the entire film because it explains why O'Neal betrayed Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) and the Black Panthers, and Plemons absolutely nails it. The only reason Plemons didn't earn an Oscar nomination, we can speculate, is that Warner Bros. decided to overcrowd the field by nominating both Stanfield and Kaluuya (who were both outstanding) for Best Supporting Actor instead of Best Actor (arguably where both of them belonged).

Watch it on HBO Max. 

4. The Irishman (2019)

Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

The Irishman featured one of the most stacked casts imaginable, with iconic actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel all lending their talents to Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed film. With a relatively small role, it would have been easy for Plemons to get lost in the mix, but he makes the most of his limited screentime as Chuckie, the foster son of Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Plemons proved himself alongside these cinematic titans and even got to show off his comedic chops, as one of the funniest scenes in the movie (and in Scorsese's entire filmography) involves Chuckie and Sally Bugs (Louis Cancelmi) getting into an absurd argument when the former can't remember what type of fish he bought. 

Watch it on Netflix. 

5. Vice (2018)

Annapurna Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

Yet another critically acclaimed movie where Plemons gets a small but crucial role and yet another time he knocks it out of the park. Here, Plemons plays Kurt, who director Adam McKay described as "the emotional center" of Vice. When we first meet Kurt, he describes himself as "kind of related" to Dick Cheney before taking on the role of the narrator for the rest of the movie, until he appears in a surprising final twist I won't spoil for you here. It's a role that could have felt gimmicky or trite, but Plemons gives Kurt an everyman quality that makes him memorable and likable despite appearing onscreen for only a few minutes.

Watch it on Hulu.

6. Game Night (2018)

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Plemons had shown his knack for getting laughs onscreen before, but it wasn't until Game Night that he revealed he is one of the most talented comedic actors in Hollywood. As Gary, the lonely, divorced cop who the main characters try their best to avoid, Plemons delivers one of the funniest movie performances of the last five years and is able to steal the movie from a cast of comedy veterans, including Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, and Lamorne Morris. He perfectly toes the razor-thin line between awkward and downright creepy thanks to his masterful deadpan delivery of increasingly bizarre lines that helped make Game Night a surprise hit.

Rent it on Prime Video.

7. Bridge of Spies (2015)

Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Getting to work with Scorsese or Steven Spielberg is a dream for any actor, but Plemons' talents earned him the opportunity to act in films directed by both. In Bridge of Spies, he plays Joe Murphy, a soldier who was in Gary Powers' (Austin Stowell) outfit and is picked to help identify him during the exchange of Powers for Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) between the United States and the USSR. Plemons doesn't have too much screentime in Bridge of Spies, but he elevates the role and clearly managed to impress Spielberg, who brought him back for The Post.

Rent it on Prime Video. 

8. Breaking Bad (2008–13)

AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Breaking Bad was defined by its phenomenal acting, so it's no surprise that Plemons did some of the best acting of his career as Todd, the exterminator turned meth cook who makes Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) look like saints with his next-level ruthlessness. In a show filled with shocking moments, Plemons delivered two of the most jarring scenes in Breaking Bad's entire run (spoiler alert): Todd callously murdering a young boy named Drew, and executing Andrea, Jesse's love interest, was arguably the darkest the show ever got. Through it all, Todd never shows a hint of remorse, and Plemons' portrayal is so chilling that he was brought back for El Camino, the spinoff sequel film.

Watch it on Netflix. 

9. The Master (2012)

The Weinstein Company

After Friday Night Lights, Plemons needed a role that would establish him as more than a one-hit wonder, and he got just what he needed as Val Dodd in The Master, which is widely considered one of the best films of the century. He fittingly plays the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, perhaps the all-time greatest scene-stealer. The casting was a stroke of genius by director Paul Thomas Anderson, as it feels like Hoffman, who was able to graduate into a leading man through his undeniable talent, is handing the mantle of beloved scene-stealer to Plemons in his breakout film role.

Watch it on Netflix. 

10. Observe and Report (2009)

Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection

In one of his first film roles, Plemons plays Charles, one of the mall employees who is chosen by mall cop Ronnie (Seth Rogen) to join his "special task force" after a streaker begins terrorizing patrons. It's a part that would have been completely forgotten in lesser hands, but Plemons adds some understated humor to his portrayal of Charles that gives the viewer a glimpse into his talent as an actor. Plemons was only 20 years old during filming, yet he was not overwhelmed by working with one of the biggest names in comedy and gave a subtly hilarious performance.

Watch it on Netflix. 

11. Friday Night Lights (2006–11)

NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Long before he had established himself as one of the best character actors around, Plemons first made a name for himself as Landry, Dillon's resident nerdy know-it-all. In a sign of what was to come in his career, the part of Landry started relatively small in the ensemble cast. He mostly served as comic relief and Matt Saracen's loyal sidekick. But Plemons' talent eventually allowed him to become one of the leading characters in the show, and even when he was given the legendarily god-awful accidental murder storyline and cover-up in Season 2, he managed to (mostly) salvage it. If that's not the sign of a great actor, I don't know what is.

Watch it on Peacock for free. 

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