Jesse Plemons, known for his versatility and recent celebrated performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, opened up about his involvement in the Tom Cruise Digger movie project, which is generating buzz ahead of its Warner Bros. release in October. While Plemons continues to balance intense film roles and critical accolades, he also plans a much more ordinary purge—five days set aside to finally clear out his garage at home in Texas, a task quietly symbolic of making space for what’s next both professionally and personally.
From Awards Season Hype to Daily Life Realities
For Jesse Plemons, award nominations and Hollywood rituals are met with down-to-earth routines. When he learned about his second consecutive Golden Globe nomination for Bugonia, he was at home making lunches and tending to his and Kirsten Dunst’s children, unfazed by industry praise. Despite achieving career-defining roles and praise for his performances, Plemons remains rooted in routine, emphasizing the importance of everyday family life.
We moved into this house six years ago, and we never had that moment of purging all of the stuff we don’t need,
Jesse Plemons, actor
I woke up to a ton of texts,
Jesse Plemons, actor
But then immediately it’s like, my kids don’t care about that, and they got to get to school.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Texas Roots and Creative Passions Beyond Acting
Born in Dallas and raised in Mart, Texas, Plemons found his way to acting by chance, first appearing in a commercial as a toddler. Staying close to his roots, he still lives primarily near Austin on family land and keeps a place in Los Angeles for work. Music remains an enduring passion, with influences ranging from Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Townes Van Zandt to Jerry Jeff Walker. Even as his acting career expanded, Plemons envisioned an alternate path in music and often travels with his guitar, writing songs and maintaining strong ties to local musicians and friends.
it would definitely be something in the realm of music.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Diving Into Complex Roles and Exploring Truth in ‘Bugonia’
“Bugonia” represents a pivotal project in Plemons’ recent career. The film, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival and screened at Telluride, stars Plemons as Teddy—a man consumed by suspicions about hidden systems and societal manipulation. The character is a nuanced take on the conspiracy theorist archetype, challenging audiences to consider whether Teddy’s doubts hold validity in today’s climate.
Plemons approached the role with cautious depth, noting the importance of not reducing Teddy to caricature. Director Yorgos Lanthimos recognized and valued Plemons’ sensitivity in the role, describing their collaboration as one built on trust and a willingness to relinquish control—a dynamic that fostered surprising, emotionally charged performances.
I didn’t look at it as giving conspiracy theorists a platform,
Jesse Plemons, actor
I was thinking more about the world we’re living in, the state of truth and how we communicate with people we don’t agree with.
Jesse Plemons, actor
There’s a lot that Teddy is not right about,
Jesse Plemons, actor
But there’s something in that feeling — that things are being controlled by forces that don’t care about people — that’s very much in the air right now.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Research and Emotional Transparency Shape the Performance
To develop this challenging character, Plemons studied Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger, which probes the rise of conspiracy culture and the challenges of modern information. Through this research, he reflected on how marginalized perspectives can spiral into broader skepticism, fueled by a sense that profit-driven systems do not prioritize human well-being.
If you want to find a place to talk about that,
Jesse Plemons, actor
the majority of your options are these fringe groups that do have a little shred of truth in them. And then once you’re in, it just gets wilder.
Jesse Plemons, actor
The Innovative Approach of Director Yorgos Lanthimos
Director Yorgos Lanthimos praised Plemons’ emotional responsiveness and willingness to be shaped by both circumstance and cast, describing his approach as highly receptive to small changes and deeply attuned to the environment.
He’s very sensitive to all kinds of emotions and triggers,
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
It’s beautiful to see the little things that can make him do something different — a word you tell him, something that changes in the room. He absorbs everything.
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Lanthimos especially values Plemons’ readiness to let go of control in favor of authentic interactions and emotional vulnerability on set.
He allows the situation or the other actor to affect him,
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
That vulnerability and generosity are great qualities for an actor.
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Challenges and Triumphs in the Collaborative Process
Although initially lost in Lanthimos’ unique rehearsal process, Plemons found transformative freedom once he embraced the chaos and unpredictability.
The first few days, I was thoroughly confused,
Jesse Plemons, actor
Then something shifted. Some sense of abandon took hold, and it became like weird theater camp.
Jesse Plemons, actor
A turning point during filming occurred when the director advised:
You are not in control. The universe is.
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Plemons admitted this guidance came at a pivotal moment, fundamentally altering his approach to the role.
It came at exactly the right moment. Everything changed.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Emma Stone and the Dynamic On-Screen Partnership
Emma Stone, who stars opposite Plemons and served as a producer on “Bugonia,” highlighted his deep commitment to his craft and his supportive nature as a collaborator. Their on-screen partnership benefited from an atmosphere of openness and adaptability, which Stone credits for making the production process unusually engaging and intimate.
He cares so deeply about the work, but he’s also a good human being,
Emma Stone, actress and producer
Those qualities together are rare. He’s never going to give less than everything he has.
Emma Stone, actress and producer
Stone found Plemons’ improvisational style to be surprising and refreshing, especially compared to more rigid acting counterparts.
He moves with you and surprises you,
Emma Stone, actress and producer
He puts you on your back foot or disarms you in ways that are genuinely surprising. Sitting there and watching him do so much of this — like a literal captive audience — it was phenomenal.
Emma Stone, actress and producer
Revolutionary Casting: Aiden Delbis Joins “Bugonia”
A unique aspect of “Bugonia” is the casting of Aiden Delbis, who makes his film debut as Don, Teddy’s cousin. Delbis, who identifies as autistic, was selected for a role not written with autism in mind, reshaping the emotional heartbeat of the film. Plemons found personal meaning in supporting Delbis’ growth on set, influenced by his own mother’s longtime work with special needs children.
When Yorgos told me he was envisioning a nonprofessional actor, potentially someone who was neurodivergent, my initial thought was that it felt like progress,
Jesse Plemons, actor
Because the part isn’t written as an autistic person.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Yorgos wouldn’t have forced that into being if we hadn’t found Aiden,
Jesse Plemons, actor
But being who he is, Aiden fits that part in a way no one else could have. I hang out with them all the time. His family comes over, and we cook out and have pool parties.
Jesse Plemons, actor
For Lanthimos, including neurodivergent performers was not just a logistical need, but an opportunity to reflect real life in storytelling.
It’s being aware of these things,
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Films are part of life. Why wouldn’t you be prepared for someone who’s autistic? Jesse was open to that process. He allowed Aiden to change him. That’s beautiful for an actor.
Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Personal Modesty in the Face of Rising Comparisons
As his reputation grows, Plemons often faces comparisons to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, noted for transformative roles in films like Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Plemons, who worked with Hoffman before his death, remains humbled and even uneasy by such allusions, echoing his consistent self-deprecation amid acclaim.
It feels too much. He’s one of the all-time greats.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Returning to Iconic Franchises and Upcoming Projects
Plemons’ next roles amplify the sense of legacy in his career. He will play a younger Plutarch Heavensbee—the role originated by Hoffman—in the prequel
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,”
filmed in Berlin with Glenn Close and Joseph Zada.
I don’t have many interesting things to say, other than it was a really nice experience.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Recently, Laura Dern’s praise for his performance in “Bugonia” left him visibly emotional, though his reflexive modesty kept him from dwelling on attention.
The Deeply Anticipated Tom Cruise Digger Movie Project
Anticipation is especially high for Plemons’ participation in the Tom Cruise Digger movie project, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and set by Warner Bros. for an October debut. This marks a reunion for Plemons and Tom Cruise following their previous collaboration on “American Made.” Plemons described the script as unexpected, blending tones from comedy to deep tragedy and referencing the legacy of films like “Dr. Strangelove.”
It’s one of the strangest, funniest, most tragic scripts I’ve read,
Jesse Plemons, actor
There’s a kind of modern-day ‘Dr. Strangelove’ thing, and then it becomes something else entirely.
Jesse Plemons, actor
While details remain under wraps, Plemons admired Cruise’s dedication and talent, underscoring a performance that diverges from the actor’s usual action stunts and reveals a deeper acting prowess.
Getting to see Tom just go for it — not in a death-defying action way but fully showing what an incredible actor he is — that was thrilling.
Jesse Plemons, actor
Looking to the Future: New Projects and Personal Priorities
Plemons continues to express openness to revisiting earlier comedic roles, specifically citing enthusiasm for a potential “Game Night” sequel.
I’d do a ‘Game Night’ sequel in a heartbeat,
Jesse Plemons, actor
His life between major projects centers around music and photography, ways for him to stay present without the pressures of performing. Emma Stone observed that he is rarely seen without his camera, highlighting the importance for Plemons of creative escapes and quiet moments amid his high-profile career.
Balancing Recognition and Simplicity
Even as “Bugonia” finds acclaim on the awards circuit, Plemons remains focused on family, daily life, and smaller meaningful tasks, such as organizing his Texas garage. His approach, grounded in humility and a desire for balance, continues to define his work and presence in the entertainment industry.
You really have to find this balance,
Jesse Plemons, actor
between doing all the work you need to feel ready and then relinquishing all your attachments.
Jesse Plemons, actor
As he prepares for his next phase, both as an actor in projects like the Tom Cruise Digger movie project and in life, Plemons is making room for new opportunities, guided by an acceptance that, sometimes, the universe is in charge.
