Ever since the 2026 Oscar nominations dropped this week, there’s naturally been a lot of conversation about what the Academy got right, and what the public believes to be snubs. One popular point of contention is regarding Jesse Plemons’ Bugonia performance, which the actor’s wife, Kirsten Dunst, is now jumping on.

Bugonia was one of the ten Best Picture nominees, and also received nominations in the Adapted Screenplay and Original Score categories, along with Emma Stone picking up a nomination for Lead Actress. But a lot of cinephiles aren’t happy with Plemons being left out of the Best Actor category. Check out with Dunst posted on her Instagram:

Dunst and Plemons started dating after they met on the set of Fargo Season 2 back in 2015, and they’ve been married since 2022. The couple share two sons together: seven-year-old son Ennis and four-year-old James.

Kirsten Dunst reposted a picture of one Bugonia star, Stavros Halkias (who plays the local police officer Casey Boyd), who shared his anger over Plemons missing out on a nomination for his incredible performance. Dunst also posted this video talking about why Jesse Plemons deserved the nod:

The video called Plemons’ performance “transcendent level,” and that it would be a “crime” if it wasn’t recognized by the Academy. Welp, it happened! The actors who were deemed more deserving of the award are Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent.

In Bugonia, Plemons plays a conspiracy theorist named Teddy who kidnaps the CEO of a pharmaceutical company Michelle Fuller (played by Emma Stone) under the assumption that she is an alien. Plemons’ character demands that Michelle organize a meeting between himself and her people while us as an audience struggle to decide whether he’s cuckoo bananas or if the CEO is truly from another planet. At CinemaBlend, we named Bugonia one of the best movies of 2025.

Plemons has been nominated for an Oscar before, for 2021’s The Power of the Dog for Best Supporting Actor, which went to Troy Kotsur for CODA. Along this year’s awards season, which have been airing on the 2026 TV schedule leading up to the Oscars on March 15, Plemons was nominated for his role in Bugonia at the Golden Globes (which Chalamet won) and the Actors Awards (which will happen on March 1).

When it comes to the buzz around the other Academy Award nominees, Sinners broke an all-time record with 16 nominations (including more love for a couple of supporting performances – Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku – that other ceremonies have shut out). People have also been talking about how Wicked: For Good was completely shut out and how Paul Mescal lost out on a nomination in the Supporting Actor category.

You can see the 98th Academy Awards live on Sunday, March 15 on ABC or Hulu.

Movie magic seems to happen when filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone come together — as proven by the Academy Awards and other critical acclaim earned by Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness and The Favourite. Coming soon to the 2025 film calendar is their fourth collaboration, Bugonia. Critics have seen the absurdist comedy, and they are singing the praises of the lead actress.

Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, who gets kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who shave her head because they’re convinced she’s an alien intent on destroying Earth. Some of our CinemaBlend movie experts attended early screenings, and they’re calling Bugonia just as weird as they hoped while fully recommending this bonkers dark comedy.

Meanwhile, Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gives the movie 4 out of 5 skulls, praising the update of the 2003 South Korean flick Save the Green Planet! from Jang Joon-Hwan as “timely.” Yorgos Lanthimos’ version gives an even more cynical prognosis about humanity’s future, Navarro says, writing:

Nick Schager of Daily Beast also calls out the timeliness of the movie amid present-day irrationality and dishonesty, and gives high praise to Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. With both delivering year-best performances, according to the critic, Stone continues her remarkable run as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. Schager says:

Ross Bonaime of Collider rates Bugonia an 8 out of 10, saying you’ll need a rewatch to fully appreciate Emma Stone’s performance. Jesse Plemons is the perfect addition to what the critic says is one of the best director-actress combos possibly ever, resulting in “one of the strangest, absurd, and darkest comedies you'll see this year.” Bonaime continues:

Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com says Bugonia is an enraged picture, but the scope of that anger is deliberately revealed throughout the movie’s 118 minutes. It’s not a perfect movie, but it leaves its mark, the critic says. He gives it 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing:

Matt Donato of IGN gives it a “Mediocre” 5 out of 10, acknowledging its stellar cast, but saying in a film that tries to balance barbed sci-fi themes and conspiracy looniness funneled through Lanthimos’ trademark quirks, Bugonia fails to stick the landing. Donato writes:

Whether or not this will go down as one of Emma Stone’s best movies remains to be seen, but it sounds pretty universally agreed upon that she and Yorgos Lanthimos are a powerhouse combo — with Jesse Plemons welcome anytime.

Bugonia will see a limited release that begins today, October 24, before opening wide on Friday, October 31.

As someone who has seen almost all of Yorgos Lanthimos’s movies, I have come to expect and appreciate his special brand of weirdness. It’s a strangeness that I find charming and exciting. Therefore, I was extremely excited to get to see his latest film, Bugonia, early at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival. It met and exceeded my expectations.

I think it may be one of my favorite Lanthimos movies and one of his best. I know some may find that statement controversial, but I really enjoyed how it was more grounded (somewhat) in reality than many of his previous films. It was also less ambiguous than some of my other favorites from the director. I also really enjoy a good movie where the two leads are equally terrible.

Warning: Bugonia spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Thought Of Bugonia As A Villain Vs. Villain Story

Some may classify the leads of Bugonia as antiheroes, and they may have some of the same characteristics as iconic antiheroes, but I see Michelle (Emma Stone) and Teddy (Jesse Plemons) as standard villains. They may not necessarily be evil, but their deeds and intentions are not really rooted in goodness.

Michelle runs a corporation that has benefited from the deaths of others. She barely shows remorse for her pursuit of wealth and for who and what she has hurt because of her company. Teddy thinks he’s doing good by trying to expose Michelle and save the planet. However, he has killed innocent people and seems to be on a vengeance quest. These are not good people.

Now, I do think they possess all the traits that make villains fascinating, but also some that make them heroic. They’re likable at times, break your heart, and you understand both of their motives. Michelle and Teddy believe they’re the heroes of this story; they’re bad guys with a point. I found them extremely intriguing because, based on my definition of a villain, they’re both incredible ones for how believable they feel. They’re the type of villains that leave an impression and are realistic.

Michelle and Teddy could easily be people I meet one day, and that makes them scary as heck. The best villains are ones grounded in reality; you can see how life creates them. They represent the villains of everyday life.

However, I Could Sympathize With Both Characters At Times

Michelle is kidnapped and held captive by a madman who thinks she’s an alien. Whether she is or isn’t doesn’t matter because Teddy is still a threat to her survival either way. In general, as a woman, it’s also even scarier to be held captive by two men. There is the threat of death and other torture. You can’t help but sympathize and fear for Michelle.

There is a reason for Teddy's madness. He has been traumatized by the situation, and his mother’s own misguided decisions and beliefs. He then gets consumed by the world of conspiracy theorists. He’s impressionable, vulnerable, and in pain. Though you may not agree with the type of people Teddy represents, it’s easy to feel bad for him. He was lost and went down the wrong path.

I think the best villains are the ones that are undeniably human. You could be one bad day away from becoming a Teddy, or if you grew up with a little more privilege, you could have become a Michelle. It’s easy to see yourself in them at times. If you love your parents, you can understand how Teddy could go this far to help or get revenge for his mother. If you were once a dreamer who thought you were going to save the world but ended up hurting it, then you understand Michelle.

You can be villains and still be very sympathetic.

Michelle And Teddy Are Both Complex And Dark, And That Really Ties Into One Of Bugonia's Main Topics

Once again, you understand both of their motivations. They can be villains and still have reasonable motives. I think Michelle and Teddy are trying to save the world, but doing it in terrible ways. They are also using and sacrificing others in the pursuit of the greater good. The greater good in question may look different to each, but both are grounded in the idea that the world needs saving.

Bugonia has a very bleak and cynical take on life and the world. In short, the movie thinks Earth and the world are doomed. Neither Michelle nor Teddy can save it. No one can save it, despite their best intentions. Their attempts will just continue to cause more problems. Bugonia is almost the opposite of a movie about hope. It’s about accepting that the world cannot be saved. It’s not necessarily freeing, but an interesting take.

I Didn't Know Who To Root For Or Against

I found myself saying at times that Michelle has to be taken down, then I would change to seeing Teddy as the bigger problem. I rooted for and against each throughout Bugonia. However, eventually, I accepted that this isn’t a movie where we should root against or for either of them. They’re not people to root for, and rooting against them seems pointless. It’s just a take-the-journey type of film.

Once I accepted that they’re not characters worthy of supporting, it made the Bugonia experience even more entertaining. I could just watch their antics with amusement.

Bugonia Really Made Me Think About The Concept Of The Monsters Made, Not Born

I don’t think Teddy or Michelle are inherently evil or villains. I think life and society turned them that way. I have seen a couple of the highly anticipated upcoming movies of 2025 so far, and that seems to be a running theme: the world turning people into monsters. Michelle became one because of her corporate greed and maybe losing sight of her initial goals and mission.

Teddy has been wronged by Michelle’s company. He’s also just a worker bee, so he's always going to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Michelle and Teddy are monsters because the world turns them into monsters. They are both doomed from the start, especially Teddy with his upbringing and life.

Bugonia is a really fascinating character study along with having one crazy plot. It’s definitely worth seeing, even if to see Emma Stone rock a great shaved head. I may also need to watch Save the Green Planet! to compare.

Bugonia is playing nationwide.

It's absolutely impossible to forget the mark Philip Seymour Hoffman left on The Hunger Games movies when he played Plutarch Heavensbee. He brought so much to the role of Head Gamemaker for the 75th Hunger Games when Jennifer Lawrence starred as Katniss Everdeen. As fans of the series know, Plutarch is back for the latest of upcoming book adaptations from the franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping. But we've been curious about who could follow Hoffman's performance. Well, the new Plutarch actor has just been announced, and it just might be perfect.

This week, it's been announced that newcomer Joseph Zada will play a young Haymitch, Gossip Girl's Whitney Peak will play his girl Lenore Dove Baird, and Ghostbusters' McKenna Grace will play one of the other District 12 tributes. Now, Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad, Fargo and Black Mirror fame has officially been cast. Check out the official Instagram announcement below:

The next Hunger Games movie, titled Sunrise on the Reaping, takes place 24 years before the events of the first film, when Plutarch is a younger man and not yet Head Gamemaker or leader of the rebellion. Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, commented on the exciting casting announcement (per Deadline) with these words:

Plemons actually worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman back in 2012 for The Master, where he played the son of Hoffman's cult leader character. How special of a connection is that as he gets ready to portray a character that became Hoffman's last film role?

When we meet Plutarch during the second Quarter Quell, he's a cameraman who is part of the crew who records the reaping of District 12, where a young Haymitch Abernathy (previously played by Woody Harrelson) is chosen as one of four tributes, and has a significant role throughout the prequel.

The new Hunger Games movie will once again be helmed by Francis Lawrence, who also worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman when he made Catching Fire and the Mockingjay movies. Lawrence previously said Sunrise on the Reaping is his "favorite" of the Hunger Games books, and this movie will be a "return to form" from the original films. Lawrence was also behind 2023's prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which took place during the 10th Hunger Games.

We can look forward to seeing Jesse Plemons in the prequel when it hits theaters on November 20, 2026.

The next addition to the Hunger Games franchise is on the way, and we're about eight months away from heading back into the dystopian world of Panem with The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping. It is certainly one of the most anticipated book-to-screen adaptations on the 2026 movie schedule.

If you're new here or don't keep close watch over The Hunger Games franchise, we've got you covered. The successful franchise has expanded its lore into the world far beyond the original story trilogy of books. First, the four successful films were adapted from The Hunger Games trilogy; there was an earlier prequel released in 2023 titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

That film was successful, so it was only a matter of time before another story within the world of The Hunger Games would be told. That movie is soon approaching, so here's everything we know about another prequel, Sunrise On The Reaping, set between the original series and Songbirds and Snakes, including the release date, the cast (including some very exciting news about Jennifer Lawrence), and more.

What Is The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date?

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026. Getting a release so close to the holidays hopefully means good things about the movie, and that everyone involved believes it'll be a hit. Recently, the writer of Sunrise On The Reaping, Billy Ray, sat down with CinemaBlend and was asked bluntly if this would be the final movie in the franchise. His response was... maybe? Here's what he told us:

Ray not only wrote this latest installment of the series, but the first movie as well, so he has his pulse on the franchise. It all comes down to author Suzanne Collins, according to Ray:

Right now, Collins hasn't announced another book after Sunrise, so I guess we'll just have to see what the future holds after November.

The First Trailer Has Been Released

The first trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping dropped in April 2026, and we've gotten our first good look at a lot of the characters. Check out the teaser trailer released late last year:

It's hard not to get excited after seeing this. Let's go!

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Is A Prequel

The movie is based on the 2025 novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins, who, of course, wrote the original trilogy. The book follows the 50th annual Hunger Games, 24 years before the Hunger Games in the first book and movie, where Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) began her revolution against The Capitol, and in honor of it, twice as many tributes are picked to play.

We know a little about the 50th edition of the games because we know the winner was Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch, of course, was played by Woody Harrelson in the original series. In that series, he is a pretty broken man, but he gets himself together to help Katniss and Peeta. He is one of only two winners to ever come from District 12 before Katniss and Peeta both won the 74th edition in the first Hunger Games.

So, the movie is set 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy and begins on the morning of the Second Quarter Quell, when we find out there will be twice the usual number of tributes for these games. Four from each district, instead of the usual two.

The first four Hunger Games movies followed the story of Katniss Everdeen, a tribute to the 74th Hunger Games, who broke the system and ended up starting a revolution against the Capitol. The prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, followed the origin story of the main villain of The Hunger Games series, Coriolanus Snow.

Now, we're going to get Haymitch's story, which is a great way to continue this franchise. Haymitch has always been a character that people loved in the first trilogy, so it would make sense that this would be the next story to tell.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Cast

The cast of Sunrise on the Reaping is, in a word, fantastic. It's a mix of up-and-comers and established veteran stars. Many of the characters we know from the original movies will be in this one, albeit younger versions of themselves, including President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the original series; Tom Blythe in Songbirds & Snakes), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks originally), Plutarch Heavensbee, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman first, and Caesar Flickerman, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the originals. Here's everyone we know so far:

Joseph Zada As Haymitch Abernathy

The hero of the movie, Haymitch Abernathy, is being played by Joseph Zada. Zada has worked in television, but this promises to be a big breakout for the young actor. Haymitch, of course, was played by Woody Harrelson in the original films, and Zada certainly looks the part of the hero before his PTSD dragged him down in later life, as we saw with Harrelson's version of the character.

Mckenna Grace As Maysilee Donner

Maysilee Donner, played by McKenna Grace, is Haymitch's fellow District 12 tribute and his ally in the games. Grace may just be 19 years old, but she's already got a long resume that goes back more than a decade with appearances in movies like I, Tonya, Gifted, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and its sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, as well as 2025's Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

Ralph Fiennes As President Coriolanus Snow

One of the most important characters in the franchise is President Coriolanus Snow, and to reflect that, once again, they cast a heavyweight in the role, none other than the great Ralph Fiennes. I can't wait to find out where he takes the menacing villain. Snow, of course, was originally played by Donald Sutherland, who passed away in 2024.

Jesse Plemons As Plutarch Heavensbee

I think it's safe to say that most will agree that Jesse Plemons is the perfect actor to cast for a young Plutarch Heavensbee, following in the footsteps of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Not only does he have the acting chops on the same level as Hoffman, but he bears quite a resemblance to the late actor who played the character originally.

Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle

Oh boy, does this one look fun! Legend Glenn Close is playing Drusilla Sickle, the Capitol chaperone, like Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks, originally) was in the first movies. I have no idea how over the top this performance will be, but I can't wait to find out. Her appearance in the trailer is magical, and working with her must have been a treat for all the actors on set.

Elle Fanning As Effie Trinket

Speaking of Effie Trinket, she will be played by Elle Fanning in the Sunrise on the Reaping. After how amazing Banks was in the originals, these are big shoes to fill, but we're confident the 2026 Oscar nominee is up to the task.

Kieran Culkin As Caesar Flickerman

Caesar Flickerman, played by Stanley Tucci originally, will be played by Kieran Culkin, which seems like it could be perfect. Culkin usually plays characters with a little edge to them, and Caesar, at least Tucci's version, was pretty smooth. I'm really curious to see how this works out, but Caesar, the host with the most, with a little more edge, could be a lot of fun!

Maya Hawke As Wiress

Wiress, who won the 49th Hunger Games (one year earlier than when this movie is set), will be played by Maya Hawke. In the previous movies, she was played by Amanda Plummer.

There are quite a few big-name actors who we know will appear in some new and returning characters, as well:

• Billy Porter as Magno Stift
• Iris Apatow as Proserpina Trinket
• Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier
• Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan
• Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow
• Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird
• Jefferson White as Mr. McCoy
• Edvin Ryding as Vitus

We also know from a report in December 2025 in The Hollywood Reporter that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will be reprising their roles as Katniss and Peeta. How that will work, as those characters have yet to be born in the era in which Sunrise is set, I have no idea, but I'm very cool with the idea!

It also opens up the idea of other possible cameos from the original films. The first that comes to mind is Julianne Moore as Alma Coin. I don't want to see the movie totally fall into fan service like that, but a few cameos would be great.

Francis Lawrence Is The Director

Director Francis Lawrence is once again going to be at the helm of this film. This will be the fourth time he will be in the director's chair for a Hunger Games movie.

Lawrence is responsible for not only the prequel film, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, but also the second film, Catching Fire, and both parts of Mockingjay in the original Hunger Games movies. The only one that he did not direct was the first film, which came from director Gary Ross.

Lawrence has also worked on other films outside of The Hunger Games movies, including the Will Smith-led I Am Legend and the romantic drama Water for Elephants, as well as Constantine. His most recent film, The Long Walk, was one of CinemaBlend's favorite movies of 2025.

The film wrapped principal photography in November 2025, so it's off to the editing room for the production team, and into the waiting room for fans of the series. Hopefully, we'll see a new full trailer soon, and when we do, we'll be sure to update this story!

Sometimes, all it takes is one joint appearance in a movie or television show for two popular actors to become known as an acting duo, and sometimes they prove to work so well together that they go on to star in even more projects together. We’ve come up with a list of 32 acting duos who have worked together multiple times, so you can see if you’ve watched all of the times these talented stars have been on screen with each other.

Tina Fey And Amy Poehler

Obviously, this funny duo began their most famed time together while starring on Saturday Night Live, but Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t let the good times end there. The women were both in Mean Girls, starred in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters, and used their talents to great effect when co-hosting the Golden Globe Awards for several years.

Robert De Niro And Al Pacino

Two legendary actors make for a legendary acting duo, and while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are frequently mentioned in the same breath, they’ve only been featured in four films together. Two of those movies, however, are absolutely the reason people often talk about them together as they count The Godfather Part II, Heat, Righteous Kill and The Irishman as their joint efforts.

Julia Roberts And George Clooney

Now, these two actually have made quite a few movies with one another, and largely with both in on-screen roles. Of course, it’s hard to forget that George Clooney and Julia Roberts are in all three of the Ocean’s Eleven films, but they’ve also starred in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney also directed), Money Monster and the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. The erstwhile Danny Ocean also produced August: Osage County, while Roberts starred.

Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin

Frequently we see an acting duo together multiple times because they really are buddies in real life, and that’s true for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. After first starring together in the 1980 hit 9 to 5 (with Dolly Parton, of course) they eventually re-teamed for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons), as well as the dark comedy Moving On and 80 for Brady.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

This duo has produced some well-known and beloved comedies and dramas over the years, as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling first starred together in Crazy, Stupid, Love in 2011, moving on to Gangster Squad in 2013 and the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in 2016. Stone even once said she couldn’t “imagine” her life without Gosling, so these two will probably be friends forever.

Salma Hayek And Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas sharing the screen in Desperado caused considerable heat, along with igniting a very real friendship, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now worked together a number of times. They’ve also been in the casts of Four Rooms, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and both Puss in Boots animated movies. That’s a lot!

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

We’ve already born witness to a rather lengthy history of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other during their (apparently) laugh and roast-filled friendship, and the two megastars have, indeed, brought that chemistry to the big screen multiple times. The duo counts Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Hobbs & Shaw and DC League of Super-Pets as the titles they’ve appeared in together.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck

If this isn’t a classic acting duo by now, there are none. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been “bizarrely close” friends since childhood, and they first joined forces to great effect by penning and starring in Good Will Hunting (after having both appeared in School Ties), which won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. They also worked on Dogma in the 1990s, then, after nearly 25 years, they joined forces again to write and star in The Last Duel, and since then have also worked together on Air and the upcoming RIP for Netflix.

Denzel Washington And Don Cheadle

If only these two powerhouse stars had already been in more movies together…Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle’s first pairing was as P.I. Easy Rawlins and his loyal but unpredictable friend, Mouse, in 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress. While their work in the film garnered critical acclaim, it would be over 15 years before they teamed again for Flight.

Sanaa Lathan And Taye Diggs

We should never underestimate the power of a franchise when it comes to popular on-screen pairings. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs appeared in The Wood together in 1999 and then went on to star in The Best Man, its sequel and the Peacock mini-series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The duo also played the lead couple in the rom-com, Brown Sugar in 2002.

Scarlett Johansson And Chris Evans

Co-starring in a franchise with the same people will take an acting duo far, but Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have surpassed even the typical standard where that’s concerned. Thanks to their joint time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve appeared in a whopping seven movies together (including their mid-end credits cameo in Captain Marvel), and prior to their time as blockbuster movie-making superheroes they starred in The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries, bringing their current total to nine.

Anthony Mackie And Chris Evans

If you did enjoy many of those MCU movies, then you know that Chris Evans rubbed elbows with Anthony Mackie quite a bit there. But, did you also know that the two have been in XX non-Marvel movies together? Playing It Cool, What’s Your Number, and Ghosted also star/feature both actors and if you add in all their shared time in tights on screen, their total is also at nine.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson

The first time was a hit, so why not join forces again, right? Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson famously delivered winning chemistry in Jungle Cruise, and are coming back together for the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. The two are also said to be willing to return for Jungle Cruise 2, whenever that can finally get off the ground.

Chris Pine And Ben Foster

The third time has been the charm so far for Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The duo famously portrayed bank-robbing brothers in Hell or High Water, joined up for The Finest Hours, and made it a three-peat in 2022 for The Contractor.

Margot Robbie And Will Smith

If it seemed that there could have been a little something extra going on between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot when you watched 2016’s Suicide Squad, then it might have been because you picked up on the chemistry the duo first built in Focus from the year before.

Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt

This big screen coupling made quite a showing for themselves across less than a decade, as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have starred in The Big Short, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Babylon. 

Margot Robbie And Leonardo DiCaprio

Just imagine, had it not been for this pairing, we might not have the megastar who is Barbie actor/producer Margot Robbie right now. Her role in Wolf of Wall Street as the second wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s corrupt fraudster propelled her career, and by the time they starred in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood together Robbie was a major star.

Halle Berry And Hugh Jackman

We, again, have a superhero franchise to thank for bringing two great talents together, as Oscar winner Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman both have four of the X-Men movies among their credits. The duo also starred in Swordfish and Movie 43.

Awkwafina And Michelle Yeoh

This duo counts two megahits in their joint credits, with Awkwafina and Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh both having starred in Crazy Rich Asians (and we’re still waiting for that rom-com sequel) and the MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Michelle Yeoh And Jackie Chan

Michelle Yeoh has been a star for several decades, and part of that reason is because of her breakout role in the 1992’s Supercop, which also starred Jackie Chan. But, they’ve made a number of other films with each other, including Supercop 2, and Hong Kong action films Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, Project S, and both voiced characters in Kung Fu Panda 2, along with having starred in a 1984 watch commercial together.

Angela Bassett And Laurence Fishburne

While Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were famously nominated for Oscars for their lead roles as Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?, the duo was actually first together on screen for Boyz n the Hood in ‘91. They then later teamed up for Akeela and the Bee in 2006.

Julia Roberts And Richard Gere

If this isn’t a famous acting duo, then none are, despite their only making two movies with each other. Of course, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starred in the mega-hit classic rom-com Pretty Woman and teamed up again for Runaway Bride in 1999.

Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman

For a while there, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who are friends in real life, were kinda on a roll. Their first joint film was The Break-Up in 2006, and since then they’ve filmed four additional movies with one another: The Switch, Horrible Bosses and its sequel, and 2016’s Office Christmas Party.

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

Who can forget the glorious chemistry created by Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days? No one, that’s who! This is why they made a second rom-com, Fool’s Gold, just five years later.

Kirsten Dunst And Jesse Plemons

It’s not unusual for an acting duo to become friends in real life, but Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons took that a few steps further after working on the TV series Fargo together. Not only have they since starred in the film The Power of the Dog (which netted each their first Oscar nomination) and the A24 drama Civil War, but they married in 2022 and have two sons.

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

We could hardly leave Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks off of this list, as the famed actors have co-starred in two of the biggest romantic comedies of all time. Everyone knows them for making Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail hits, but before all of that, they led one of the weirder rom-coms made with Joe Versus the Volcano, and reunited for the 2016 drama Ithaca, which Ryan directed.

Drew Barrymore And Adam Sandler

People often mention Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as an acting duo they want to see more of and with good reason. The two have made magic in the classics The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended.

Adam Sandler And Chris Rock

This pairing goes back decades, to the time when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock starred on Saturday Night Live together in the ‘90s. Since then, the real-life buddies have appeared in seven movies together, with The Longest Yard, Grown Ups and its sequel, The Week Of and Top Five counted among that number.

George Clooney And Brad Pitt

Of course, George Clooney and Brad Pitt helped to make the Ocean’s Eleven franchise a hit, but the friends additionally teamed up for the live TV movie 8, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney directed), Burn After Reading and the 2024 films If and Wolfs.

Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele

The duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who first became recognizable during their time on MadTV, eventually went on to their own acclaimed sketch comedy series, Key and Peele. But, while making names for themselves on other series and in a number of movies, they continue to work with one another on projects like Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild.

Awkwafina And Simu Liu

It was the MCU that first brought Awkwafina and Simu Liu together in the hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while we’re still waiting to see when that franchise will bring them back together, 2024 saw them team up again for the action comedy, Jackpot!.

Jane Fonda And Robert Redford

Dedicated film fans probably know that legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman, but their joint movie appearances do go beyond that. They also starred in The Chase in ‘66 and reunited for Our Souls at Night in 2017, and both had their film debuts in 1960’s Tall Story.

As you can see, film history is packed with acting duos who’ve worked together more than once, and that will probably always be the case.

Matt Damon arguably has one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. After catapulting to fame after starring in Good Will Hunting, movies like the Jason Bourne franchise, Saving Private Ryan and The Departed made him even more famous and a certified A-lister. However, there is another actor who is often mistaken for the Oscar winner. Breaking Bad alum Jesse Plemons is often compared to Damon, and I can totally see it. Damon is away of that chatter and he himself also sees the resemblance. Not only that, but he recently told a story about the moment he realized their similarities were undeniable.

The Boston native recently sat down with Access Hollywood to discuss his and Casey Affleck's new film, The Instigators. The interviewer brought up that Jesse Plemons, who recently starred in the film Kinds of Kindness, previously chatted with the outlet about being mistaken for the Martian actor. At that point, Matt Damon admitted to seeing their visual similarities, and even revealed that this came up over 25 years ago, when Plemons was cast to play a younger version of Damon's character in All the Pretty Horses. And the resemblance was apparently even more undeniable way back when, as the actor explained:

The resemblance is obvious, and I can imagine how a young Jesse Plemons may have looked like he would grow up to resemble Matt Damon. This was good casting, and I’d love to see that still of the two of them on set together. While they certainly look similar now, both actors still have their own unique vibes, so it wouldn’t be super confusing if the two ever decided to share a screen.

I could totally see the two stars playing family members in the future. Casey Affleck even agreed, pointing out the pair have similar mannerisms. They're both such talents, and seeing them share a screen would be a treat. Apparently, filmmakers have yet to try casting them together, but the Air star is open to it. He said:

The two are in a tricky spot. The actors have a 17-year age difference, so they are a bit too far apart in age to play brothers, but a bit too close to play father and son. However, not casting these two together for a project feels like a missed opportunity. They both love working with auteur directors, as Matt Damon has collaborated with Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan. Meanwhile, Jesse Plemons has worked with the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos. They both also have shared history with Martin Scorsese, so that could be an avenue for a reunion as well. Since Damon seems interested, I would hope that casting directors will take notice.

The similarities between the stars don't stop at their faces, as both are booked and busy as well. Plemons is set to star in Lanthimos’ upcoming 2025 movie, Bugonia, and will also be leading the Netflix miniseries Zero Day alongside Robert De Niro. Damon also has a number of projects coming down the pike, including his and Ben Affleck's thrillers, RIP and Animals, which are both in pre-production under their joint production company. With so many projects, it may be a while before we see Damon and Plemons sign up for something together, but I love that they're both leaning into their doppelgänger status.

You can see Matt Damon in The Instigators, which will be available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription on August 2nd. Fans can also see Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness, which is still playing in theaters nationwide. For more information on other titles heading to streaming and cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.

When you've been around as long as NCIS has, there are bound to be a ton of big stars who have made cameos or had early roles in their career on the show. Some of the biggest stars of today have popped up on the long-running CBS procedural. Here is a list of quite a few stars who have appeared on NCIS.

Millie Bobby Brown

Before Millie Bobby Brown hit the really big time as Eleven in Stranger Things, she was working steadily from a young age. One of her first roles on American television came in Episode 6 of Season 12 of NCIS back in 2014. She had only had a couple of roles before it. 

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has emerged as one of the biggest stars around. His first huge break came in Top Gun Maverick, and even though that made him an A-lister, he'd been a working actor for decades at that point, going back to roles he had as a kid. An early role in his adulthood came in Season 10 of NCIS, where he played a Marine in a double episode. 

Lily Tomlin

You just never knew who might show up on NCIS. In Season 9 viewers were treated to an appearance by the legendary Lily Tomlin. In true Tomlin style, she plays a quirky but capable grandmother to one of the team members, McGee (Sean Murray). 

Billy Dee Williams

If fans ever wondered why Gibbs (Mark Harmon) had the first name Jethro, they learned why in Season 10. In the episode, the great Billy Dee Williams plays Jethro Moore, a World War II hero, and Gibbs' father's best friend. Moore and the older Gibbs had had a falling out, but by the end, the younger Gibbs had smoothed everything out between them. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Hollywood legend Jamie Lee Curtis had a bit more than just a cameo. On the show she played Dr. Samantha Ryan over five episodes towards the end of Season 9 plays a possible love interest for Gibbs, but alas it was not meant to be and she is forced to go into hiding, never to be heard from again on the show. 

Terry O'Quinn

In the early days of NCIS, there was another show about to make its network debut: Lost. It turns out that quite a few actors who became known for their roles on Lost also popped up on NCIS around the same time. One is none other than John Locke himself, Terry O'Quinn. O'Quinn plays a Marine Colonel in an episode in the show's first season. 

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She also had a great, if somewhat brief, run in The West Wing as Will's sister. On NCIS, she appeared in the Season 2 episode called "Witness," as the titular witness of a crime. In the years since McKellar has found a home in made-for-TV Christmas movies and remains popular with her fans. 

Sean Astin

Sean Astin has carved out a pretty amazing career. His very first role, as Mikey in The Goonies, is one of the most beloved movie characters of all time. Plus he was in that little trilogy known as the Lord of the Rings, something he was nervous about. More recently, he was a key cast member of Stranger Things. In between, he was never not working, including a guest spot in Season 9 of NCIS. 

Taye Diggs

You could say that Taye Diggs got back to his roots in his guest appearance in Season 13. While Diggs plays a Marine on the show, he's a marine with the voice of an angel and at the end of the show, Diggs sings "Hallelujah" with the help of the real-life MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band. Diggs, of course, got his start on Broadway in musicals like Carousel and Rent. 

Samantha Logan

Samantha Logan is best known for roles in Netflix's 12 Reasons Why and CW's All American, but before both of those roles she played the daughter of a character played by Taye Diggs on NCIS. Logan made her acting debut way back in 2009 when she was just 13 and had a small role in Gossip Girl. 

Bob Newhart

What can we say about the late, great Bob Newhart? His TV career is the stuff of legends with two massively popular shows that bore his name and for a younger generation, he'll always be Will Farrell's character's adoptive father in Elf. He also popped up in NCIS, playing a character very much in his wheelhouse. 

Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer started his career in some classic '80s movies like Pretty In Pink and Morgan Stewart's Coming Home. In the 2000s, he became a TV legend as one of the men in Two and a Half Men. He's since even played Lex Luthor, in the Supergirl TV show. Somehow he also found the time to pop into an episode of NCIS playing a battlefield doctor. 

Drew Carey

He started in stand-up. Then had a hit show named after himself. Then he became a superstar of daytime TV as the host of The Price is Right. Drew Carey has done it all, including showing up for one episode of NCIS as a retired marine. Carey was a marine in real life, so the role is actually perfect.  

Michelle Obama

Okay, okay so technically Michelle Obama isn't an actress, but she did show up in one episode of NCIS while she was First Lady of the United States. She played herself of course, there's no way she could be anyone but herself, right? She welcomed Gibbs and others to the White in an episode called "Homefront."

Abigail Breslin

As one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever, at age 10, you might think that Abigail Breslin just burst on the scene in Little Miss Sunshine. That's not the case though. Breslin was already a working actor with a bunch of credits on her resume, including a supporting role in one episode of NCIS in the Season 2 premiere. 

Sterling K. Brown

The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning actor Sterling K. Brown was a veteran of prime-time TV long before his own show, This Is Us, made people cry every week. As he was coming up in Hollywood, he popped up on all kinds of network shows, including one episode of NCIS in 2013.

Dean Norris

Dean Norris is most famous for Breaking Bad, but he's been snagging roles for decades. One role was as a Marine in a very early episode of NCIS. In Episode 12 of Season 1, Norris plays a soldier with a past run-in with Gibbs when Gibbs was still an MP.

Zac Efron

Zac Efron became a huge star thanks to movies like High School Musical and Neighbors, but he was a child long before those movies exploded. One of his early roles came in a Season 3 episode of NCIS where he played a trouble-making kid that he was perfect for. 

Jesse Plemons

A quick glance at Jessie Plemons resume will show that the actor took the long road to fame. While he would eventually be leading men and key supporting characters in some of Hollywood's biggest movies, he started more humbly. One such example is his role as a teenager getting in trouble with the team at NCIS on the show. 

Colin Hanks

Tom Hanks is often called "America's Dad" and so that must make Colin Hanks our collective brother, right? Well, maybe not, but he is a great actor in his own right and he shows it in roles like the one he starred in on NCIS in two episodes at the end of Season 10. 

Sherilyn Fenn

As one of the breakout stars of Twin Peaks in the '90s, Sherilyn Fenn is no stranger to network TV. With over 100 credits to her name on IMDB, she's been on shows all over the dial over the last 30 years or so. One of those credits came in Season 1 of NCIS.

Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway's star shined the brightest when he starred as Sawyer in Lost starting in the fall of 2004. Just a few months before that, he played a local sheriff in Season 1 of NCIS. Since then, he's been a regular in shows like Yellowstone, Colony, and Intelligence. 

Frank Whaley

It's crazy to think that Frank Whaley's career goes all the way back to the '80s. IT's even crazier to realize he's over 60 years old now. The guy hasn't aged a day since Career Opportunities in 1991. Come to think of it, neither has his co-star in that movie, Jennifer Connelly. Connelly, however, hasn't been in an episode of NCIS and Whaley has, playing an escaped convict. 

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is most beloved for playing the hapless dean of the community college in Community, but he's been in tons of over shows. He's been in some quirky shows too, like a voice role in Mike Tyson's Mysteries and as a semi-regular on Reno 911!. He's a writer as well, co-writing the George Clooney movie The Descendants. He also found time to star in an episode of NCIS way back in it's first season. 

Julie Benz

Julie Benz's first big TV role was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and later its spinoff Angel, playing Darla. Later she was a regular on Hawaii Five-O and Defiance. In Episode 22 of Season 1 of NCIS, Benz played the grieving wife of a soldier. 

Emilie De Ravin

It turns out that NCIS was a good place for cast members of Lost to star right before they all got super famous on the ABC show. Emilie de Ravin is one of those stars who appeared in a Season 1 episode of the show just like her fellow Lost cast members Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. 

Bellamy Young

Before Bellamy Young became a regular on the hit show Scandal, she worked on a lot of shows on TV, including two early episodes of Law & Order, where she played two different roles, something it turns out a lot of actors did. Young played an undercover ATF agent in an episode in Season 1 of NCIS.

Daphne Zuniga

For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, Daphne Zuniga will always be Princess Vesper in Mel Brooks' classic Space Balls and Alison in The Sure Thing alongside John Cusack. In the 2020s she was still turning in great performances, like that of a Navy commander with very questionable motives in a Season 17 episode of NCIS.

Zoe Perry

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon's mother was played by the great Laurie Metcalfe. When the spinoff Young Shelton hit the airwaves. Zoe Perry took over the role and played it perfectly. She had a lot of experience at that point, including a guest spot as a police officer in two episodes of NCIS during the show's 13th season.

Ray Wise

Ray Wise is one of the great character actors of his generation. He's most famous for playing Leland Palmer, the father-turned-murderer in Twin Peaks, but his career stretches back to the 1960s. On NCIS he plays the father of a guy who thinks he's a superhero, which as you can imagine, he has no patience for in Episode 15 of Season 9. 

Tyler Ritter

Actor Tyler Ritter, who is the son of the beloved John Ritter, seems to pop up all over the place. He's played a detective in Arrow, he was in Homecoming, and he played  Abby Sciuto's (Pauley Perrette) brother Luca in an NCIS crossover event with NCIS: New Orleans when the spinoff began. 

Don Lake

You might not know his name, but you know his face, especially if you are a fan of the Christopher Quest-verse. Don Lake was a cast member in Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and even Mascots. Usually, he plays the straight man, but that doesn't mean he's not hilarious. Even in serious roles, like his in a Season 17 episode of NCIS, you can't help but crack a smile when he's on screen. 

Despite a limited number of seasons and episodes, Black Mirror has, since the beginning, killed it with its casting. The Charlie Brooker-led show has landed some of the biggest stars in the world for episodes and chooses some of the best character actors from both sides of the pond as well. Here are 32 casting examples that prove Black Mirror crushes it. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Before Daniel Kaluuya hit the really big time with break-out roles in Get Out and Black Panther, he had a role in just the second episode of Black Mirror, called "Fifteen Million Merits." Kaluuya played a low-level bike rider looking to escape his boring life by performing in a reality TV show. It's a powerful performance and helped set the tone for the series. 

Hayley Atwell

Season 2 of  Black Mirror started with a bang, with an episode called "Be Right Back" starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson in a real mind-bending episode about a couple with a classic Black Mirror twist. 

Jon Hamm

In between Season 1 and Season 2, Black Mirror aired a Christmas special featuring its first big American star, Mad Men's Jon Hamm. It's a super disturbing episode in a ton of ways, not the least of which is just how evil Hamm's character turns out to be. 

Bryce Dallas Howard

Season 3 marked a big change for the show when it moved to Netflix. It also started with a band with the episode "Nosedive" starring Bryce Dallas Howard. It felt a first like a different take on the general premise of Black Mirror, being brighter and seemingly more upbeat. But that didn't last long, of course, and Howard's performance made it all work perfectly. 

Kelly MacDonald

Kelly Mac Donald isn't often the star of her projects but she is consistently excellent in everything she is in. She does star in one episode of Black Mirror, the Season 3 episode "Hated In The Nation" which is the show's take on a police procedural, with  MacDonald playing the main investigator. 

Salma Hayek

There are few stars bigger than the great Salma Hayak and her role in the episode "Joan Is Awful" in the Sixth Season is just perfect. She plays a version of herself, playing the character Joan and her no-BS attitude is just pitch-perfect. 

Jesse Plemons

The first episode of Season 4, "USS Callister" often ranks among the best episodes of Black Mirror, and a big reason why is the performances of the actors in the episode. There is no character more important than manipulative Captain Robert Daly played wonderfully by Jesse Plemons. 

Andrew Scott

Andrew Scott elevates basically everything he is in. Whether it's shows like Sherlock and Fleabag or movies like 1917, he also turns in one of the most memorable performances. Black Mirror is no exception. While the episode he appears in, "Smithereens" isn't well regarded among fans, there's no denying that Scott's performance is excellent and even earned him an Emmy nomination. 

Anthony Mackie

Anthony Mackie has never shied away from playing Gay men, with his first breakout role coming as a Gay art student in the film Brother to Brother. His role in Black Mirror wasn't quite as clear cut, as he played a man clearly struggling with his feelings and identity in the Season 5 episode "Striking Vipers." 

Kate Mara

The Season 6 episode, "Beyond the Sea," is one of the more messed up episodes of Black Mirror and that's really saying something. Kate Mara stars in the show as a woman trapped in the middle of a love triangle by two astronauts, one her husband, and one her suitor. It's a polarizing episode, like many, but there's no question it's as disturbing as the show can get. 

Miley Cyrus

In the final episode of Season 5, Miley Cyrus stars as Ashley O, a pop star not unlike her real-life self. Of all the Black Mirror episodes, it's maybe the least disturbing, but that really makes it underrated, if anything. It still makes the viewer question modern culture and tech, it just doesn't end in tragedy. 

Topher Grace

In Smithereens, Topher Grace plays a Jack Dorsey-type tech CEO who leads a social media company. While the episode is often criticized for its simplistic social commentary, by Black Mirror standards, Grace's performance is actually pretty perfect. All the acting performances are great in this uneven performance. 

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright had been building a solid career in the U.K. before 2018 when she exploded on the world stage with her appearance in Black Panther. Prior to becoming a big part of the MCU, however, she starred in the Season 4 finale, "Black Museum." It's a fun episode with an almost greatest hits-type vibe, as it's filled with easter eggs to previous episodes. 

Benedict Wong

Benedict Wong has low-key become one of the most popular side characters in the MCU as... well... Wong. The same year he joined the MCU, in 2016's Doctor Strange, he also starred in the Season 3 episode "Hated in the Nation." He has a smaller role in the show compared to some of the other stars (like Kelly MacDonald) but he's great, as he always is in his many roles. 

Aaron Paul

Aaron Paul will likely forever be known first and foremost as Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. There's nothing wrong with that, but Paul has had an impressive career outside of the legendary AMC show as well. One very notable role came in Season 6 of Black Mirror when he appeared alongside Josh Harnett and Kate Mara in "Beyond the Sea." It wasn't Paul's first appearance on the show, however. He had a quick cameo in "USS Callister" during the show's 4th Season. 

Zazie Beetz

Zazie Beetz hit the big time as a member of the hit show Atlanta starting in 2016. She later gained an even larger fanbase as Domino in Deadpool 2. In 2023, she got to star in an episode of Black Mirror called "Mazey Day" which broke new ground for the show, dipping into the supernatural for the first time. Though it wasn't the most well-received episode of the series, Beetz put together a great performance as a paparazza. 

Josh Harnett

Over the last 25 years, Josh Harnett has quietly put together one of the most underrated careers in Hollywood. He's played all kinds of roles, from heartthrobs to nuclear physicists. Of course, he also appeared as part of the star-studded cast of "Under The Sea" in Season 6. 

Michael Cera

Michael Cera has never been afraid to play ridiculous versions of himself. Most notably, in This Is The End, but also in the Season 6 episode "Joan is Awful." Everyone in the episode is playing some sort of version of themselves and Cera, as the character Beppe is, of course, over the top in his performance and we're here for it. 

Tobias Menzies

As character actors go, they don't get much better than Tobias Menzies. The English actor seems to pop up constantly in "prestige" shows. He was Brutus in HBO's Rome, he was Edmund Tully in Game of Thrones and he won an Emmy for playing Prince Philip in two seasons of The Crown. In the second season of Black Mirror, he played a British politician running for office against an animated bear named Waldo in "The Waldo Moment."

Domhnall Gleeson

Sure, Domhnall Gleeson is part of two of the biggest franchises in film history as a member of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter movies and General Hux in the Star Wars movies, but he's also been one of the best actors around for a couple of decades now. He appeared in the first episode of Season 2, "Be Right Back."

Wyatt Russell

Even though he has two very famous actors as parents, Wyatt Russell originally strived to play professional hockey. When injuries cut his career short, he fell back on acting. Lucky, huh? Still, he's putting together a really nice career, one that includes an appearance in the 2016 episode "Playtest."

Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker made history when she became the first woman to play The Doctor in three seasons of the modern era of Dr. Who. That wasn't Whittaker's first dabble in  science fiction TV, however, as she appeared in the third-ever episode of Black Mirror called "The Entire History of You." She is excellent in the episode, which ranks tops all-time on quite a few rankings. 

Jerome Flynn

One of the most disturbing episodes of Black Mirror came in its third season. "Shut Up and Dance" is a complicated episode, as viewers are repulsed by the characters, including, most notably, the one played by Game Of Thrones vet Jerome Flynn. Viewers are also taken aback by what those terrible characters have to do. It's a polarizing episode, but that's part of what makes it so great. 

Rory Kinnear

There are two roles that Rory Kinnear is likely most recognized for. One is Bill Tanner in four of the Daniel Craig-era James Bond movies. He's one of the most important characters from the Craig-led Bond films. The second is from the now-legendary premiere episode of Black Mirror called "The National Anthem." His performance as the beleaguered Prime Minister forced to do unspeakable things in the episode is, frankly, legendary.  

Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett has been killing on screen for more than 40 years now and though his role in the second episode of Season 1 is small, he's brilliant. He plays a Simon Cowell-type on a dystopian version of Britain's Got Talent and he, like Cowell, steals the show as a judge. 

Cherry Jones

Season 3's first episode, "Nosedive" is a fantastic episode, and a big reason why is the acting performances, including from Cherry Jones, who appears in only one scene of the show, but it's the pivotal moment in the show. Jones is one of the more underrated character actresses in Hollywood, but she's probably best known for playing President Allison Taylor on 24 and Holly Maddox in two seasons of The Handmaid's Tale. 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin comes from a family of true film royalty. Her grandfather was the legendary Charlie Chaplin. She's carved out an impressive career as well. She's best known as Talisa Stark, the ill-fated wife of Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, where she was the first death at the infamous Red Wedding. She stars alongside Jon Hamm in the Christmas special of Black Mirror in a smaller role, literally and figuratively, but her performance is sure to freak out everyone who watches. 

Jimmi Simpson

It's hard to believe that Always Sunny In Philadelphia first hit the airwaves in 2005, but it did. Jimmi Simpson has been along for most of the ride, as the oddball frenemy to "The Gang" and member of the McPoyle family, Liam McPoyle. He also appeared one of the most star-studded casts of Black Mirror in the "USS Callister."

Annie Murphy

Annie Murphy is most famous for playing Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek and in 2023 she appeared as a strange version of herself playing "Joan" in "Joan in Awful" alongside Salma Hayek in the sixth season.  

Kirsten Dunst

"USS Callister" has one of the more star-studded casts and one of the stars you may not have even seen, Kirsten Dunst. Dunst's cameo in Black Mirror is truly a blink--and-you-miss-moment in the episode. She appears as a fellow office worker in the show and it's so brief most people missed it. 

Cristin Milioti

The multi-talented Cristin Milioti started her career on the stage on Broadway where she became a Tony-nominated actress, but made her on-screen breakthrough as "The Mother" in How I Met Your Mother. Since then, she's shined in shows like Fargo, The Resort, and The Mindy Project, as well as starring in "USS Callister" in Black Mirror. 

Will Poulter

Will Poulter seems to like showing in prestige TV shows. In addition to starring in the groundbreaking interactive "choose your own adventure" Black Mirror movie called Bandersnatch, he's also shown up in a cameo on The Bear. That's in addition, of course, to his film roles in The Revenant, Midsommar, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3., among many others. 

Spoilers for Kinds of Kindness are ahead! If you haven’t seen Yorgos Lanthimos’ entry on the 2024 movie schedule, you can catch it in theaters now.

When critics reacted to Kinds of Kindness, a lot of them noted the dark humor and extreme scenes in the movie. As is expected with any Yorgos Lanthimos film, this project is bonkers, ambiguous and visceral, and one scene that really made that notion clear was when Joe Alwyn’s character got shot in the hand and licked by Jesse Plemons' character. When I had the chance to chat with Alwyn about the movie, I had to ask about this shocking scene, and he broke it down for us.

For some context, during the second part of Kinds of Kindness called "R.M.F. is Flying" – which is a triptych – Jesse Plemons plays a police officer named Daniel who gets increasingly more paranoid as he starts to suspect that his wife is not really his wife. At one point, he pulls over a couple, and Joe Alwyn plays Jerry, one of the two people in the car. During this intense moment, tension rises super high, and it leads to Daniel shooting Jerry in the hand. Then, out of nowhere, he licks the bloody hand.

It’s a wild scene, and when I interviewed Alwyn and his castmates about Kinds of Kindness, and I had to ask about it. Here’s what he said:

It was great, and part of the reason why was because of how bloody and extreme it got. The Conversations with Friends star went on to tell me how they rigged up his hand and shot the scene, explaining:

He was also sitting next to his co-star Mamoudou Athie during this interview, who noted that “Jesse’s so strong,” and during the scene, he “couldn’t move him” off of Alwyn.

As you’ve likely deduced if you’ve seen the Kinds of Kindness trailer, and you know if you’ve seen the movie, this project is full of jaw-dropping moments. This was the one that caught me the most off guard because the last thing I expected after all that intensity was for Alwyn to get licked by Plemons.

This made me question whether the moment was scripted or improvised on the day. Joe Alwyn made it very clear that it was in the script the whole time, and he was always meant to be shot and then licked, as he said:

Our review of Kinds of Kindness gave the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars, and it’s partially because it’s “shocking, hilarious” and “upsetting” all at the same time. This moment between Joe Alwyn and Jesse Plemons is a prime example of all of that.

You truly never know what to expect from a Yorgos Lanthimos movie, and that’s why I love them. While this scene in question was intense and uncomfortable, it was also unexpected and jaw-dropping in the best way.

To see this moment – and all the other wild scenes in this film – you can catch Kinds of Kindness in theaters now.

We know Kinds of Kindness is an anthology of three short stories that aren’t connected (technically) but do share a few thematic throughlines. However, there’s also one common thread between all three parts of Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, because the character R.M.F. appears briefly in every story and each section title includes his name. However, his relevance to the greater project is quite ambiguous.

So, with that in mind, I decided to ask the stars of Kinds of Kindness – Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons – about this character played by Yorgos Stefanakos, and their answers only made me more confused…but, I think that’s the point.

Immediately after I asked about R.M.F.’s role in the critically acclaimed Kinds of Kindness, Willem Dafoe piped up to say he was going to let his co-star take the question. So, to the best of his abilities, Jesse Plemons explained who he thinks R.M.F. is and how his interpretation of him has changed over time to me, saying:

It’s not surprising that The Power of the Dog actor didn’t have a straight answer, Yorgos Lanthimos’ movies tend to leave you with more questions. His movie Poor Things, which won a ton of Oscars in 2024, was like that too. He’s great at making unique, thought-provoking and ambiguous art, and this movie and R.M.F’s role are another example of that.

Willem Dafoe, who decided to hop in and give his perspective too, agreed that Lanthimos wouldn’t have said what he thinks R.M.F.’s greater meaning is. He then went on to explain that that might be the point:

As our review of Kinds of Kindness states, the film is “like a puzzle,” and it takes time to put all the pieces together. For Plemons, his interpretation of the film and R.M.F. specifically has developed over time. He told me his most recent feelings about the recurring character, and they’re pretty wild:

I’ll admit it, when I walked out of my screening for this film, I had a similar thought. What if R.M.F. is some sort of immortal god-like figure? It’s certainly possible.

As you likely discerned if you watched the Kinds of Kindness trailer, this project on the 2024 movie schedule is bonkers, and it’s not trying to give you straight answers. It wants you to really think about the connections and draw your own conclusions.

On that note, the Spider-Man actor followed up his co-star's comments with his own possible greater meaning for R.M.F., saying:

R.M.F. certainly did go through everything, and he was so present in every section of this movie because he was the one character who remained the same. Every other actor in this film played someone wildly different in each part, so when the same guy shows up every time as the same character, it’s something to ponder.

To try and come to a conclusion about R.M.F. yourself, you can catch Kinds of Kindness in theaters now.

Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos wowed audiences in 2023 with the help of Emma Stone in Poor Things, and the duo are back sooner than many expected for their third overall collaboration. Kinds of Kindness premieres June 21, and it sounds like moviegoers are in for a truly unique theatrical experience. Critics have had the opportunity to screen the absurdist comedy, and while the responses are mostly positive, the film promises to be polarizing with its bleak humor and exploration of human perversion.

Kinds of Kindness is a triptych anthology, featuring its stars — who include Emma Stone’s Poor Things co-stars Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, as well as Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and others — playing different characters in three separate but loosely connected stories. Let’s see what critics are saying.

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment gives it a user rating of 8 out of 10, noting the director’s return to pitch-black humor as he shines a light on the complexities of human relationships and varying forms of perversions through shocking and funny payoffs. The critic writes: 

Clint Worthington of Consequence grades the movie a B-, agreeing with the above opinion that fans craving the dirtier, nastier side of Yorgos Lanthimos will likely be satisfied by Kinds of Kindness, a “celebration of the ways we degrade ourselves/each other and enjoy it.” Worthington concludes: 

Nick Schager of The Daily Beast recommends audiences “See This” one-of-a-kind film that lets Emma Stone’s freak flag fly. The two-time Oscar winner and Jesse Plemons are Kinds of Kindness’ standouts throughout the genuine and consistently surprising triptych that is so thrillingly bizarre, you won’t want to miss it. Schager continues: 

It's already polarizing some critics as not everyone is as game for the experience as those above. Anna Smith of GamesRadar rates the movie 2 out of 5 stars, calling it “hollow” and saying the project feels misanthropic and at times misogynistic. Critics largely seem to be on board with the film, Smith says, but mainstream audiences may be a harder sell. In her words: 

Ryan Coleman of Slant echoes the above thoughts, calling Yorgos Lanthimos “anchored in the shallows,” as Kinds of Kindness contains the seeds for several good movies if Lanthimos had the patience to cultivate them. Coleman rates the movie just 1.5 stars out of 4, writing: 

Despite a nearly three-hour runtime and what sounds like some tough subject matter and bleak humor, more critics are leaving the movie with positive impressions than negative, and Kinds of Kindness so far has a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. How will audiences react? We’ll find out soon, as the film hits theaters on Friday, June 21. Be sure to check out our 2024 movie calendar to see what else is coming soon. 

There are many celebrities that get mistaken for another celebrity. Daniel Radcliffe gets constantly mistaken for Elijah Wood, while fans think Ben Stiller looks like Adam Sandler and even social media users go viral for looking like A-listers. Apologies to Matt Damon, but it looks like another celebrity gets mistaken for him and it’s Civil War’s Jesse Plemons.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the talk show host continues to rip into Matt Damon by jokingly having his comedy sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, hold Kimmel’s latest guest, Jesse Plemons, in a jail cell for being mistaken for his frequently jabbed-at celebrity. After Plemons was released, he came clean to Kimmel about a time one woman mistook the Black Mirror actor for Damon:

It's hilarious that a woman thought “Matt Damon” was lying to her about his identity! But hey, there are worse people to be mistaken for. I never would have compared the likeness of the two actors, but I can understand the confusion as they both have a similar smile and friendly demeanor to them. If you take a look at Damon's best movies, he's had a ton of film projects that have shaped his career like The Bourne Identity movies, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Martian, and most recently, Oppenheimer. 

And you can’t forget about Good Will Hunting. A cool behind-the-scenes fact about the movie would have to be the Hollywood actor writing the screenplay for a Harvard playwriting class put together with his childhood friend, Ben Affleck. Their collaboration got them Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars and their careers took off from there.

Jesse Plemons said he honestly doesn’t see the resemblance between him and Matt Damon. But, he mentioned that his mom after watching Good Will Hunting always felt her son would look like Damon when he gets older. Clearly, the crew behind one of the best Cormac McCarthy adaptations, All the Pretty Horses, saw an uncanny resemblance to the two as well casting Plemons as the younger version of Damon. Unfortunately, audiences wouldn't get to see their likeness in the Western flick. The Game Night actor talked about not knowing he was cut from the movie until he saw it himself:

The Fargo actor and Jimmy Kimmel joked around that Matt Damon must have had something to do with the cut scene! There’s no worries, though, as the talented actor didn’t need All the Pretty Horses to make it big in Hollywood. The Academy Award nominee has a prolific career coming ahead of him with his next three roles being in the same anthology film Kinds of Kindness. But, I’m sure he’ll always remember one of his earliest roles was playing a younger Matt Damon even if it didn’t make the final cut.

With apologies to Matt Damon, it looks like the fans confuse Jesse Plemons with the Saving Private Ryan actor. If you’re one of those fans confused by their likeness, remember that it’s Plemons you’ll be seeing in Kinds of Kindness and not Damon with the 2024 movie release coming to theaters on June 21st.

This past weekend Civil War set an A24 box office record as the studio’s first debut at the top of the box office charts. Writer/director Alex Garland’s contribution to the 2024 movie schedule has been raking in praise alongside that cash, and the internet can’t stop talking about how good Jessie Plemons is in his one pivotal scene. And as Garland himself revealed, the process of Kirsten Dunst’s husband landing that role was a very quick and surprising process at that.

The Internet’s Reaction To Jesse Plemons’ Civil War Role

Jesse Plemons has a reputation for being a memorable actor that can crush in a scene, and I’m totally in agreement with the world boosting that signal. I even highlighted the Killers of the Flower Moon actor in my Civil War review, as his presence was further proof that Alex Garland assembled a cast of absolute titans to deliver his electrifying war epic. So naturally, seeing this message on the internet brightened my day, as I’m not the only person who was impressed:

There’s plenty more where that came from too, as Civil War’s massive wave of positive responses only provided further opportunities for the Plemons Squad to plug his appearance. Admittedly, we should have probably seen this coming when his roughly 10 minute scene was featured prominently in the first Civil War trailer. Whether you called that shot or not, seeing responses such as these is still pretty exciting:

• @NikkoCaruso - *brings in chair and sits down* Jesse Plemons. Let’s just appreciate him. He elevates any scene he’s in. He can work as major supporting role, a cameo, etc. In the last 6 yrs he hasn’t been in a bad project. Guy has great talent & a great eye An actor you see & say “hell yea”
• @NewbyRichard3 - It’s wild. Regardless of the genre of the film, Game [Night], Killers of the Flower Moon, Judas and the Black Messiah, he comes on screen and it’s ‘oh shit, Jesse’s here. The vibe just shifted.’ I also think his performance in I’m Thinking of Ending Things deserves more praise.

With that sort of attention, you’d think that Jesse Plemons was baked into Civil War’s fabric right from the start. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth, as the Friday Night Lights vet was actually a last minute addition. One that writer/director Alex Garland was severely appreciative of when it happened.

How Jesse Plemons Landed His Civil War Role At The Last Minute

During his recent appearance on our in-house ReelBlend podcast, Garland spoke with co-host Jake Hamilton about the various ins and outs of this A24 blockbuster. So while discussing the importance of the scene where Plemons’ character is interrogating Kirsten Dunst and her group of fellow journalists, the man behind fellow tension builders like Ex Machina and Annihilation shared this story of last minute heroism:

Much like the internet love for Plemons’ Killers of the Flower Moon performance, the focus of this joy has come from a scant amount of screen time when compared to the film at large. Yet Jesse once again makes every moment count, and in another ensemble of actors that make Civil War’s Oscar potential something to keep in mind throughout the rest of the year.

Alex Garland certainly isn’t immune to Jesse Plemons’ talents as an actor, as he too threw some praise onto the pile. More specifically, the writer/director had this to say:

Yet another reason to see Civil War in its theatrical release is to watch Jesse Plemons do his chilling, terrifying thing on the big screen. And you can do just that, as Alex Garland’s picture is currently playing at a theater near you. As for Mr. Plemons, you can bet the world will watch eagerly to see where he pops up next, and how he continues to captivate the screen.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

The next upcoming A24 movie to look forward to is Alex Garland's thriller Civil War, a film about a team of journalists traveling across the United States while the country is going through a second civil war. While watching the trailer may make you feel like you're having a weaponized panic attack, on a nicer note, you’ll also get the chance to see real-life couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons work together again. Now, ahead of the film's release on the 2024 movie schedule, an insider dropped claims on how the married dynamic duo feels about working together.

It’s always adorable when you see real-life couples star in movies together, from Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep to Emily Blunt and John Krasinski in A Quiet Place. Married couple Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst are on this list too as they’ve been frequent collaborators on TV and film projects. And if you’re wondering how the Civil War duo feel about collaborating so much, an insider dropped a claim to US Magazine that should answer your question:

That’s so cute! That’s how you can tell a Hollywood A-list couple is feeling the love if they find every opportunity to be with each other. 

Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst first met when they joined Fargo's Season 2 cast. In their first collaboration, they played a young couple trying to cover up the hit-and-run of a crime family member. It was through playing a married couple that they felt the real-life chemistry existed. Plemons and Dunst got engaged in 2017, and they had two boys before having a secret wedding in 2022. 

These two lovebirds didn’t stop at Fargo in terms of more collaborations. Dunst and Plemons starred in one of the best recent Western films, The Power of the Dog in 2021. In this Oscar-nominated film (which is available with a Netflix subscription), wealthy ranch owner George (Plemons) marries widowed inn owner Rose (Dunst). While the marriage between the newlyweds gets complicated through the presence of George’s brother's cruel taunts, the two share sweet moments like when Rose teaches George how to dance. 

Jesse Plemons told People in 2021: 

Well, the Game Night actor got his wish by getting to work with his wife again in the dystopian film Civil War. When it comes to what we know so far about the A24 movie, Kirsten Dunst’s character is a journalist trying to survive in the second Civil War long enough to tell the public what’s happening. From the looks of the trailer, it appears that the Friday Night Lights star will be playing a dark military adversary. So, the off-screen lovebirds may not play husband-and-wife in this one or have any cute moments to be in awe over, but I’m sure they’ll still kill it in their roles.

According to US Magazine’s insider, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst reportedly love working together on projects. Hopefully, Civil War -- which comes out on April 12 --isn’t the last time we see of the two as they’re a real dream team, and their natural chemistry is enjoyable to see. 

Killers of the Flower Moon had a big opening this weekend, giving Martin Scorsese his biggest box office weekend since Shutter Island in 2010. This is a win for the 3.5 hour period drama, which still put audiences in seats despite its length and somber subject matter. It is also a win for audiences who were able to witness what critics are calling a masterpiece from the famed filmmaker. The film is being heavily discussed online, and it seems like everyone can agree on at least one thing, that Jesse Plemons is magnificent in the film. 

Many took to X (formally Twitter) to give their hot takes on the Leonardo DiCaprio-led epic, and while lots of actors are getting plenty of love for their work in the film, Plemons’ introduction two thirds of the way through was a welcome surprise for many audiences. He shows up with a little over an hour left, but uses his screen time to really shine, and this didn’t go unnoticed. Fans not only highlighted his performance, but also his costume that made his first scene incredibly memorable. One X user said:

Playing off of such a magnetic performer like DiCaprio is no easy feat, but Plemmons does so with ease, stealing the show for a chunk of the third act. For context, the character actor plays FBI agent Tom White, who goes to Osage territory in Oklahoma to investigate the mysterious murders happening throughout the film. He’s a commanding presence, and is a great juxtaposition to DiCaprio’s bumbling, easily manipulated “Earnest” character. Some even claimed he gave one of the best performances they’d ever seen, tweeting:

Another fan on X used a reaction meme from Top Gun: Maverick, to show how their interest was immediately captured when Plemons came on screen.

For some, this was their introduction to the Oscar nominee, who has become a staple of character dramas over the years. One fan, who seemingly was seeing him for the first time, was so captivated by the actor’s performance, that he became an instant favorite of theirs, tweeting:

• Me: I don't know who Jesse Plemons is. 
• Me: watches a movie where he has like ten minutes of screen time
• Me: I would *die* for national treasure Jesse Plemons. 

Lastly, one user echoed the point that even though Plemmons was a late entry to Killers of the Flower Moon, he still was able to showcase his acting chops in a big way. They said on X:

While his strength as an actor may have come as a surprise to those less familiar with his work, those who were already fans of Plemons were likely less surprised. He has been cast in the films of auteur directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Jane Champion, Steven Spielberg. And this is the second time he has worked with Scorsese. He even reportedly turned down playing a major role in Jordan Peele’s Nope to work on this film. He is an unstoppable force that is finally getting the attention he deserves, and even in a sea of Academy Award-worthy performances by DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, he still is able to stand out. His scenes alone are worth the price of admission. 

You can see Jesse Plemons, and the rest of the all-star cast of Killers of the Flower Moon, by checking out the film playing in theaters nationwide. The crime drama will also be available to Apple TV+ subscribers in the near future. Fans of the actor should also check out our feature on what else to watch if you like the Breaking Bad star. 

The distinguished Cannes Film Festival continues this weekend with more high-profile movie premieres, including Martin Scorsese’s latest movie, Killers Of the Flower Moon. And among the attendees at the glamorous red carpet event on Saturday were the leads of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Let me tell you, seeing the OG Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson pose for the same event had me in my feels about Spider-Man 3. 

Kirsten Dunst walked the carpet in the France city as a date to husband Jesse Plemons, who is among the stars in Killers of the Flower Moon alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser. Variety shared a video of the married couple happily posing in formal wear at the event along with sharing another post of Tobey Maguire in attendance. Maguire is a longtime friend of DiCaprio, and he apparently went to the premiere in support of his pal whom he's been friends with since their early days in Hollywood in the '90s. 

While the coverage of the premiere didn’t see Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire crossing paths, I'll be honest, I wistfully imagined that the Spider-Man actors interacted with each other at some point during the star-studded affair. Look I know the Spider-Man trilogy is fiction and very much separate from the lives of the two Hollywood stars, but seeing them attend the same event does remind this fan of the melancholic ending of Spider-Man 3. Remember how it had the ill-fated lovers slow-dancing without much closure about where their characters would go next? I'm not over it. 

It’s no secret Spider-Man 3 is a bit of a hot mess, but more than anything it was heartbreaking to see the relationship that was built across the trilogy fall apart. Thank goodness we got Spider-Man: No Way Home back in 2021, which finally gave Tobey Maguire a chance to step into the Spidey suit again and leave a sweeter taste in the mouths of fans regarding the fate of his character. Though Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson did not appear, the actress has shared that she thinks that reprising her iconic Marvel role “could happen.” 

Dunst and Maguire were both at Cannes in support of Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese’s upcoming book adaptation of the true-crime novel of the same name about the Osage Murders at a time when the FBI had been newly formed. Check out the Killers of the Flower Moon trailer that has us expecting thinking the movie is about to get all the Oscars:

While I’m bummed we didn’t see a face-to-face reunion between the Spider-Man stars, their appearance at the Cannes premiere does come as Sam Raimi’s trilogy recently arrived on Disney+. All three Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies are currently streaming along with The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Venom. Although Maguire and Dunst got to see the first showing of Scorsese’s movie Saturday, the rest of us will have to wait for Killers of the Flower Moon, which arrives in theaters on October 20. 

HBO is killing it these days. They have had success story after success story with many of their television series, whether it be the post-apocalyptic The Last of Us game adaptation, or the drama-heavy Succession, or even the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, HBO has put out so many amazing shows. And now, they are only going to continue their winning streak with HBO's Love and Death.

The miniseries, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons, follows the real-life story of Candy Montgomery, who was accused of the murder of her best friend, Betty Gore, who happened to be married to the man that Candy was having an affair with. The miniseries is full of stars, so here is where you’ve seen the Love and Death cast before.

Elizabeth Olsen (Candy Montgomery)

Starting off this list strong is Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Candy Montgomery in Love and Death and is the main character that we are following. Olsen has blown up over the last decade thanks to her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she plays Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as The Scarlet Witch. She took on this role for several movies, as well as a television series, and while we’re not sure about her future in the MCU, she was such a huge part of it. 

Other than that, Elizabeth Olsen has done so much in the world of movies and television. Some of the films that you might have seen her in besides the MCU would be Kodachrome, Martha Mercy May Marlene, Silent House, Godzilla, I Saw the Light, Very Good Girls, Kill Your Darlings alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Liberal Ats, Ingrid Goes West, and Wind River, among many others. 

Olsen has also done some work in television before this show. As stated before, she was in WandaVision, but she was also in the limited series, Sorry For Your Loss, which won her plenty of acclaim. 

Jesse Plemons (Allan Gore)

Next up on this list is Jesse Plemons, who plays Allan Gore in Love and Death. Plemons has been making a name for himself in television for some time, with roles in shows such as Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad really putting him in the spotlight. His part on that latter series was so influential that he reprised it in the sequel film, El Camino, several years later, in 2019. 

Other television shows that Plemons has been a part of include the second season of Fargo, as well as a guest role on Black Mirror, which got him an Emmy nomination. 

Plemons has also been very successful in film, as well, appearing in such movies like I’m Thinking of Ending Things, The Power of the Dog (which got him an Academy Award nomination), Judas and the Black Messiah, The Irishman, Other People, Jungle Cruise and more. Truly, someone who has exploded over the last several years. 

Lily Rabe (Betty Gore)

Lily Rabe plays Betty Gore in Love and Death, and she is someone you may be very familiar with from television. 

I primarily know Rabe from her time on the Ryan Murphy created show, American Horror Story, but she also recently had a major role in the Apple TV+ series, Shrinking. Other than that, some of her best TV includes The Undoing, The Underground Railroad (an excellent show on Amazon Prime), The First Lady and The Whispers. 

Rabe has also appeared in films like Vice, Miss Stevens, Pawn Sacrifice, All Good Things, What Just Happened, The Tender Bar and more. 

Patrick Fugit (Pat Montgomery)

Moving on, Patrick Fugit plays Pat Montgomery in Love and Death, and he’s primarily known for his roles in several movies. You might recognize him from films such as Almost Famous, Horseman, Spun, First Man, Queen of Earth, Alex and the List, White Oleander, Gone Girl, The Good Life, and most recently, 2022’s Babylon. 

Fugit has also had roles on television, including a recurring part in Treadstone, and a main role in Outcast. He also did motion-capture and voice work for The Last of Us Part II, which is getting an adaptation in The Last of Us Season 2.

Krysten Ritter (Sherry Cleckler)

Next up on the list is Krysten Ritter, who plays Sherry Cleckler. The actress is primarily known for her television work, and became really well-known when she played Jane Margolis in Breaking Bad, but received even more acclaim when she took on the role of Jessica Jones in Jessica Jones, a role she also reprised in The Defenders on Netflix. 

Other than that, she also had a lead role in the television show, Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23, as well as a recurring role in Veronica Mars and Gravity. Some of her best movies that she’s done include Slingshot, She’s Out Of My League, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Vamps, Big Eyes, The Hero, and the Veronica Mars movie.

Tom Pelphrey (Don Crowder)

Next up on the cast list is To Pelphrey, who plays Don Crowder in the show. Some of the movies that you might have seen him in before include The Girl is in Trouble, Tiger Lily Road, Mank, American Murderer and more. He was also in 2022’s She Said. 

Pelphrey is known more for his roles in television. He had a major role in the Netflix series Ozark, and has had main roles in shows such as Iron Fist, Outer Range, As The World Turns, Guiding Light and others. 

Keir Gilchrist (Pastor Ron Adams)

Keir Gilchrist plays Pastor Ron Adams in Love and Death, and was in plenty of movies and TV shows beforehand. Some of his biggest filme roles thus far have been in Dead Silence, Just Peck, It Follows, Castle in the Ground, An Intrusion, Flashback, and more. 

Gilchrist also had several main roles in shows such as The Winner and United States of Tara, but is primarily known for his main role on Atypical.

Elizabeth Marvel (Pastor Jackie Ponder)

Last but not least is Elizabeth Marvel, who plays Pastor Jackie Ponder. Some of the films you might recognize her from include Holy Rollers, You Hurt My Feelings, Dark Waters, Gifted, Swallows, Aloha, Pretty Bird and The Congressman, among others. 

She’s also had main roles in shows such as The Dropout, House of Cards, Helstrom, The District, Fargo, and she can currently be seen on Peacock's Mrs. Davis. 

With such an impressive cast, it would be no wonder if you've seen each of them in several other shows or movies. I can’t wait to see what they do next after Love and Death.  

It has been a week filled with good news for film fans patiently awaiting the release of Martin Scorsese’s next picture, the hotly anticipated Killers of the Flower Moon. Initially, Apple Original Films gave audiences something to cheer when the announced that Scorsese’s picture would enjoy a proper theatrical presentation, opening in theaters worldwide, in partnership with Paramount Pictures, limited on Friday, October 6, and wide on Friday, October 20, before streaming globally on AppleTV+. Right after that, though, we learned that Killers of the Flower Moon would be making its debut much earlier than October, helping to increase the hype for the drama.

One of the reasons why we are extremely excited for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is his cast. He’s reteaming with both Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio – his two main “muses” over the years – and bringing along Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons and Cara Jade Myers. That ensemble must have been enough firepower to attract Cannes, because the second shoe to drop for Flower Moon this week is Variety’s report that the movie will make its bow at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20. 

Just need to figure out how to get to the Croisette by then.

It’s not just Scorsese’s tremendous cast for Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s the subject matter, which feels like it’s precisely in the director’s wheelhouse. Scorsese is co-writing the script for Flower Moon with Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Dune, The Insider, Munich) for a story about the birth of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The official Synopsis from Apple Original Films will make you very excited:

That gives us Shutter Island vibes, and we personally consider that chilling murder mystery to be one of the director’s most overlooked and underappreciated works. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with Flower Moon.

A Cannes bow for Killers of the Flower Moon is a significant vote of confidence for Scorsese’s latest, his first with Apple Original Films after doing The Irishman with Netflix. And the fact that the movie landed a limited theatrical run, as well as a wide theatrical opening, before heading to the streaming platform is significant. It shows that filmmakers still have the opportunity to work with streamers to get their films into theaters, and that theater chains are warming up to the idea that they’ll carry streaming pictures, so long as a proper window is determined. 

Or, maybe you just have to be Scorsese. That definitely helps. 

Look for Killers of the Flower Moon in May if you happen to be in France. Or in October, when the movie starts to screen on October 6.

The 2022 Academy Awards will go down in history as one of the most controversial years of the ceremony, specifically because of the viral moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith on the Oscar stage. But that’s not the only moment that left viewers talking and getting a little mad. Many people were not amused by a joke Amy Schumer told seemingly at the expense of Kirsten Dunst, so much so that the comedian has shared that she received “death threats.” 

Following the telecast, Amy Schumer took to her social media to clarify for the Oscars audience that a moment between her, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons during the show was a “choreographed bit.” Now that more time has passed since the show, the comedian recently shared on The Howard Stern Show that she did that specifically due to all the death threats she was getting about the joke. 

During the interview, Amy Schumer shared that people were really not happy at the part during the show where she had The Power of the Dog actress get out of her seat, after accusing her of being a “seat-filler,” to sit next to Kirsten Dunst's co-star and husband Jesse Plemons. As Schumer shared: 

In the segment toward the end of the show, Amy Schumer gave a shout-out to the seat fillers that come to the Oscars and often briefly take the spots of famous guests while they go to the bathroom or “to cry” for those who don’t win. Schumer approached a table where Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst were sitting, watch what happened from there: 

Amy Schumer escorted Kirsten Dunst before taking her spot and telling her real-life husband that she “loved” him in The Power of the Dog. Plemons let her know that Dunst is his wife, to which she delivers the punchline “You’re married to that seat filler?” During the telecast, it did play as a bit awkward, and audiences may not have known that Dunst and Plemons were totally in on it.

During Schumer’s post-Oscars interview with Howard Stern, the comedian said that she actually ran her jokes by those she was making fun of prior to co-hosting the show. She shared that she asked Leonardo DiCaprio about his trend of dating younger women, to which he said “go ahead.” She also reached out to Will Smith in regards to the joke about Hollywood making a movie about Serena and Venus Williams’ dad after years of ignoring women’s stories as well. 

In regards to the Will Smith moment, Amy Schumer called the moment “traumatizing” for everyone. Wanda Sykes, who co-hosted the event with Schumer and Regina Hall, previously shared her wishes for Will Smith to be escorted out of the event after the altercation, but instead he won his first Oscar shortly after to a standing ovation. Smith has since resigned from the Academy and been banned from future Oscar ceremonies for the next decade. Additionally, two two movies Smith was set to star in have been placed on pause. 

If you're still in the awards season mood, you can check out how to stream all the 2022 Best Picture nominees here on CinemaBlend. 

2021 wasn't quite the "back to normal" year at the movies that we were all hoping it would be, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. If nothing else, most of the 2022 Oscar nominees were at the very least released in actual movie theaters. And 2021 was a solid year for movies with strong contenders expected to do well tonight including The Power of the Dog, West Side Story and Dune.

While this year's Academy Awards broadcast will be dealing with some degree of controversy following the decision to not give out all the Oscars live, it should nonetheless be an interesting show. Follow along with us live as we update the list below as the awards are given out.

Best Picture

• Belfast
• CODA
• Don't Look Up
• Drive My Car
• Dune
• King Richard
• Licorice Pizza
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Best Directing

• Belfast, Kenneth Branagh
• Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
• Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson
• The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion
• West Side Story, Steven Spielberg

Best Actress In A Leading Role

• Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
• Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
• Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
• Kristen Stewart, Spencer

Best Actor In A Leading Role

• Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
• Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... BOOM!
• Will Smith, King Richard
• Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

• Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
• Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
• Judi Dench, Belfast
• Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
• Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

• Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
• Troy Kotsur, CODA
• Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
• J.K Simmons, Being the Ricardos
• Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

• Belfast
• Don't Look Up
• King Richard
• Licorice Pizza
• The Worst Person in the World

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• CODA
• Drive My Car
• Dune
• The Lost Daughter
• The Power of the Dog

Best Animated Feature Film

• Encanto
• Flee
• Luca
• The Mitchells vs. The Machines
• Raya and the Last Dragon

Best International Feature Film

• Drive My Car, Japan
• Flee, Denmark
• The Hand of God, Italy
• Lunana: A Yakin the Classroom, Bhutan
• The Worst Person in the World, Norway

Best Documentary (Feature)

• Ascension
• Attica
• Flee
• Summer of Soul(...Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
• Writing With Fire

Best Production Design

• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• West Side Story

Best Cinematography

• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• West Side Story

Best Costume Design

• Cruella
• Cyrano
• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• West Side Story

Best Film Editing

• Don't Look Up
• Dune
• King Richard
• The Power of the Dog
• Tick, Tick...BOOM!

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

• Coming 2 America
• Cruella
• Dune
• The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• House of Gucci

Best Music (Original Score)

• Don't Look Up
• Dune
• Encanto
• Parallel Mothers
• The Power of the Dog

Best Music (Original Song)

• "Be Alive," King Richard
• "Dos Oruguitas," Encanto
• "Down To Joy," Belfast
• "No Time to Die," No Time to Die
• "Somehow You Do," Four Good Days 

Best Sound

• Belfast
• Dune
• No Time to Die
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Best Visual Effects

• Dune
• Free Guy
• No Time To Die
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best Short Film (Animated)

• Affairs of the Heart
• Bestia
• Boxballet
• Robin Robin
• The Windshield Wiper

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

• Audible
• Lead Me Home
• The Queen of Basketball
• Three Songs For Benazir
• When We Were Bullies

Best Short Film (Live Action)

• Ala Kachuu - Take And Run
• The Dress
• The Long Goodbye
• On My Mind
• Please Hold

Did your favorite film of 2021 take home an Oscar?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our society and culture, locked door thrillers and dramas have proven to be an interesting outlet for filmmakers. It’s logical, both psychologically and practically. While following social distancing protocols and being health conscious, people around the world have experienced movie-worthy drama in their own lives while in lockdown, and as a result, the ability for any of us to relate to characters’ circumstances increases. It’s also just a hell of a lot easier to make a film in general when you are only using one location and a limited number of principal characters.

When film critics and historians eventually create an entire field of study around the mid-pandemic era of moviemaking, I can imagine Charlie McDowell’s Windfall being held up as a perfect model case – not only because of the limitations that inspired its creation and execution, but also because of its poignant and sharp examination of the wealth gap in our society (an issue which has only been magnified since the global spread of COVID-19 began).

Windfall was initially conceptualized by Charlie McDowell, Jason Segel, Justin Lader and Andrew Kevin Walker out of the desire to remain creative during the pandemic, and with the filmmakers knowing that they could have access to shoot at a specific house on an orange grove in Ojai, California. What they hatched was the idea for a peaceful home invasion that quickly spirals into a tense hostage situation, with four unnamed, complex characters providing absorbing perspectives as they all try and work toward a peaceful conclusion to the drama.

As we first enter the aforementioned Ojai property, its lavish amenities are being enjoyed by Nobody (Jason Segel). He sits in the sun drinking a glass of orange juice, eats fruit right off the branch in the orchard, and while rifling through drawers finds a fair amount of cash to fill his pockets. Of course, it’s quite apparent that he is not supposed to be there – and panic sets in when the actual owners, CEO (Jesse Plemons) and Wife (Lily Collins), arrive for a spur-of-the-moment getaway weekend.

Nobody at first tries to slink out the door without being noticed, but everything goes sideways when Wife spots him. At first, the home invader’s plan is to keep CEO and Wife confined in an on-property steam room and escape with a head start – confident that he has left no trace of himself at the house and that they won’t be able to remember him – but that idea goes out the window when he discovers that there is a security camera right above where he parked his car.

Pivoting, Nobody understands that he can’t destroy the security footage, and decides that his only out is to take enough money from CEO that he can disappear and live his life on the run. Of course, that quantity of cash can’t be summoned instantly, and they learn that the money won’t be delivered until the following night. With Nobody keeping hold of a gun that he finds in a drawer, the trio spends a tense 36 hours together, with patience wearing thin and tensions slowly rising.

Windfall's compelling characters keep you hooked as the clock ticks down.

A reflection of the characters’ namelessness, few details are provided about Nobody, Wife, and CEO as people beyond their present circumstance, with Windfall keeping a tight lid on exposition. They don’t present as bland abstracts, however, as the movie has a way of providing just enough information about them so that you can see the situation through their specific points of view.

Nobody is obviously a criminal, but he also has a compelling eat-the-rich hunger with which it’s exceptionally easy to empathize. CEO is a victim of a theft, but he is also an egotistical, classist jerk with no recognition of his privilege and advantages. Between these respective id and superego-driven personalities is Wife, who didn’t grow up with money, but knew the life-changing choice she was making when she agreed to marry the one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Their individual perceptions of the world instantly drive divisions between them, and sly deceptions stirred into the mix see loyalties shift and become questionable. It’s a slow burn with an explosive finish.

There's a slowdown in the middle of Windfall, but it finds a (no pun intended) second wind.

Pulling off a slow burn with a story as intimate and confined as Windfall’s is tricky business, but the film is mostly successful. There is a drag in the second act when the characters are ironically killing time until the money arrives, but the movie is reenergized with the introduction of the fourth character in this tale: a talented and enterprising Gardner (Omar Leyva) who tries to grasp at opportunity when he finds himself in the position of having face time with CEO. This new player winds up having a fascinating impact on the socio/economic themes of the plot – though I unfortunately can’t dig too far into details without brushing against key spoilers.

This also happens to be one of those magical thrillers packing an ending that makes one reconsider everything that precedes it, and instantly inspires rewatch curiosity.

Jesse Plemons, Jason Segel, and Lily Collins all deliver terrific, dynamic performances.

Like any talk-heavy, theatre-like drama, performances are vital, and all three stars here are doing tremendous work. Jesse Plemons, who just keeps proving himself one of the most impressive talents of his generation, is the standout, putting on a slick and sinister turn that is comical while never making CEO likable (a thin line to walk). Jason Segel, meanwhile, succeeds in the sinister, using his natural charisma to counterbalance his skuzzy appearance and behavior. Between the two men, Lily Collins’ work is more subtle, but also surgical and intriguing.

While film as a medium allows creatives to change the rules of time and reality, I will forever be fascinated by a movie that can retain my attention for 90 minutes with a handful of characters and one enclosed space – and Windfall gives my constant itch a through scratching. It’s a stylish, well-crafted Hitchcockian thriller, a smart modern commentary, and a great actor showcase.

With Oscar nominations right around the corner, CinemaBlend is taking a look at which films and performances are likely to be in contention for nominations. Let’s look at a the Supporting Actor race. 

Locked In

Kodi Smit-McPhee has surprisingly emerged as a potential winner in the category for his role in The Power of the Dog, with over 20 critics awards and a Golden Globe win now to his name. McPhee’s skilled, understated performance doesn’t fit the typical mold of an Oscar winner, but strong praise for the film as a whole will carry him far. 

The other near-lock in this category is Troy Kotsur for his heartwarming performance in CODA. Earlier in the year, many speculated that the actor would be too much of an unknown to snag a nomination. Now, him and McPhee are the only actors with Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG nominations. He’s likely to be the second deaf actor ever nominated for an Academy Award, 35 years after his co-star Marlee Matlin got her lead actress nomination, and win, for Children of a Lesser God.

Likely Bets

What to do about the Belfast boys? Jamie Dornan and Ciaran Hinds were both widely expected to share the category in a similar fashion to Kaluuya and Stanfield in last year’s Judas and the Black Messiah, DeNiro and Pacino in The Irishman, and Rockwell and Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. However, SAG threw an unexpected curveball by nominating neither performer. The debacle recalls that of 2015’s Spotlight, where both Keaton and Ruffalo missed SAG, despite both securing Critics Choice nominations. Only Ruffalo went onto an Oscar nomination. This town may not be big enough for the two, and if one performer is to triumph over the other, it’ll likely be Hinds, who has more traction from critics awards. Dornan may still be overcoming his Fifty Shades reputation whereas Hinds is a long under-appreciated veteran character actor.

Then there’s Jared Leto for House of Gucci who, despite receiving mixed reactions from critics, has remained in the conversation due to the sheer volume of his performance. It’s capital A acting at its… most. SAG and Critics Choice voters had no problem with that.

Bradley Cooper’s extremely limited screen-time in Licorice Pizza seemed for a while like it would prevent the Academy favorite from securing another nomination. The Screen Actors Guild disagreed, giving him a crucial nomination that has thrown him back into the conversation. It also helps that he is riding the wave of a Best Picture contender.

Dark Horses

Ben Affleck now has a SAG and Golden Globe nomination for his performance in The Tender Bar, though his role is really the only buzz coming out of that film. I feel his path recalls that of Bill Murray in On the Rocks, or Jared Leto in The Little Things last year. He has some key nominations, but I am doubtful that he’ll make it to the finish line. His absence from the BAFTA longlist confirms that suspicion for me. 

J.K. Simmons could benefit from Kidman’s strength in the Best Actress race for his role as William Frawley in Being the Ricardos, but he only has a Critics Choice nomination to his name so far. Mike Faist earned a BAFTA nomination but has missed pretty much everything else, despite being a major standout in West Side Story. The film is such a heavyweight, however, that we can’t count him out entirely. I could also see a world where Jesse Plemons rides The Power of the Dog’s momentum to a supporting actor nomination alongside McPhee.

Unfortunately, Robin de Jesús’s role in Tick, tick… Boom! doesn’t have much traction despite the film’s strength in Best Picture. Jeffrey Wright in The French Dispatch, Colman Domingo in Zola, and Jason Isaacs in Mass have picked up their share of critics nominations but there’s not much to indicate that they’ll show up at the Oscars. 

Currently, I’m predicting McPhee, Kotsur, Hinds, Leto, and Cooper for the nomination. Check back here at CinemaBlend for more category breakdowns.

No actor wants to be typecast as a villain, but Jesse Plemons is just too damn good at playing them. Thus, ever since his sinister turn in the Breaking Bad cast as Todd, he has practically made a living playing characters that range from morally questionable (such as Agent Roy Mitchell in Judas and the Black Messiah) to stereotypically mustache-twirling (Prince Joachim in Jungle Cruise).

Believe it or not, the two-time Emmy-nominated former child actor has played a few roles that are worthy of empathy, which we will highlight in our following picks of the best Jesse Plemons movies and TV shows to watch right now. However, we cannot help but start with his biggest, baddest, and (arguably) most iconic role.

Breaking Bad (Netflix)

Desperate to be able to provide for his family after learning he is terminally ill, a high school chemistry teacher (five-time Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston) teams up with his former student (Aaron Paul) to start manufacturing and selling crystal methamphetamine, which sparks a slow, dramatic change to his morality.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: For how despicable Walter White became over the course of Breaking Bad’s groundbreaking five seasons from 2008 to 2013, he is a freaking angel when compared to the cruel, inhumane, and soulless Todd, whom Jesse Plemons began playing on its final season and would reprise in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, through harrowing flashbacks to Jesse Pinkman’s time under his captivity.

Stream Breaking Bad on Netflix.
Buy Breaking Bad on Amazon.

Also try streaming El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix.

Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister (Netflix)

A charismatic space traveler (Jesse Plemons) bravely, wisely, and compassionately leads his loyal crew on a dangerous journey through the farthest reaches of space… or so it seems.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Similarly to how he portrayed Todd, Jesse Plemons lures you in with a seemingly harmless, almost sympathetic demeanor before pulling the rug right from under you in one violent jolt with his Emmy-nominated performance in one of the best Black Mirror episodes, “U.S.S. Callister” - a stunning ode to old school Star Trek with a disturbing, technophobic twist.

Stream Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister on Netflix.

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things (Netflix)

An unnamed young woman (Irish actress Jessie Buckley) joins her new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) on a trip to meet his mother (Toni Collette) and father (Dave Thewlis) at his secluded childhood home, where bizarre circumstances cause her to question the nature of her relationship and her own life as she knows it.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Another Netflix original in which Jesse Plemons’ moral compass and trustworthiness are put into question is the 2020 movie, I’m Thinking of Ending Things - an impeccably strange and thoroughly unnerving adaptation of Ian Reid’s novel, that writer and director Charlie Kaufman adapts into one of his most defining works. 

Stream I’m Thinking Of Ending Things on Netflix.

Game Night (Amazon Rental)

A married couple (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams) who regularly have friends over for evenings to play harmless games are in for their most memorable instance of such an occasion (if they can survive it), when the husband’s brother (Kyle Chandler) offers to be the host this time.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams’ characters question the moral compass and trustworthiness of the creepy cop who lives next door (Jesse Plemons, who also gets to reunite with Friday Night Lights’ Kyle Chandler) in 2018’s Game Night - a surprisingly clever and uproariously funny dark comedy, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.

Rent/Buy Game Night on Amazon.

Like Mike (HBO Max)

An orphaned teenager (Shad “Bow Wow” Moss) becomes an NBA star with the help of a pair of shoes that once belonged to Michael Jordan which, after a freak electrical accident, magically give him extraordinary athletic abilities.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Jesse Plemons was “breaking bad” even as a child actor, when he played the resident bully at Lil Bow Wow’s orphanage in 2002’s Like Mike - one of the best sports movies for kids that the whole family can enjoy.

Stream Like Mike on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Like Mike on Amazon.

Friday Night Lights (Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Tubi)

A Texas high school football team and their dedicated head coach (Kyle Chandler) struggle to stay on top while falling under the pressures of life and from being one of the nation’s top-ranking academic athletics programs.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Speaking of sports, Jesse Plemons’ first major role on a hit series came when he was hired for the Friday Night Lights cast as high school football player Landry Clarke - one of the most likable characters (a rarity for the actor now) on one of TV’s most beloved athletic dramas.

Stream Friday Night Lights on Netflix.
Stream Friday Night Lights on Hulu.

Stream Friday Night Lights on Peacock.
Stream Friday Night Lights on Tubi.

Buy Friday Night Lights on Amazon.

Fargo, Season 2 (Hulu)

A deadly shooting at a local diner has a tangentially life-changing effect on a State Trooper (Patrick Wilson), a seemingly innocent married couple (Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst), and a small criminal organization in 1970s Minnesota.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: In his first Emmy-nominated TV role, Jesse Plemons plays a meek butcher’s assistant who becomes embroiled in a different kind of bloody mess with his wife (Kirsten Dunst, who became Plemons’ real-life romantic partner) in the second season of Fargo - FX’s arresting anthology crime series loosely inspired by Joel and Ethan Coen’s Oscar-winning 1996 masterpiece.

Stream Fargo, Season 2 on Hulu.
Buy Fargo, Season 2 on Amazon.

The Irishman (Netflix)

An elderly man (Academy Award winner Robert De Niro) reminisces about the decades he spent loyally working as a hitman for the mafia and how that career tragically intersected with his friendship with labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Academy Award winner Al Pacino).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Jimmy Hoffa’s unofficial “adopted son” (and unwitting accomplice to his mysterious disappearance), Chuckie O’Brien, in the allegedly fact-based 2019 Netflix original movie The Irishman was Jesse Plemons’ first role as directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, who would later cast the actor in his upcoming historical crime drama, Killers of the Flower Moon.

Stream The Irishman on Netflix.

Judas And The Black Messiah (HBO Max)

To avoid serving time in prison and to make some good cash, a young thief (Oscar nominee Lakeith Stanfield) accepts an offer from a shady FBI agent (Jesse Plemons) to be an informant for Chicago’s chapter of the Black Panther party, and unexpectedly comes to admire the chairman, Fred Hampton (Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: While he is not exactly playing a criminal this time, you will not remember Jesse Plemons’ role as Roy Mitchell too fondly by the Judas and the Black Messiah ending - director Shaka King’s powerful, Oscar-winning retelling of a shocking and unjustly overlooked tragedy in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Stream Judas And The Black Messiah on HBO Max.
Buy Judas And The Black Messiah on Amazon.

Other People (Netflix)

After recently breaking up with his boyfriend, a New York comedy writer (Jesse Plemons) must confront his dysfunctional relationship with his conservative family when he moves back in with them to help care for his terminally ill mother (former Saturday Night Live cast member Molly Shannon).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: In 2016, Jesse Plemons gave one of the most honest and heartfelt performances of his film career in Other People - a deeply emotional, but effectively funny, story loosely inspired by writer and director Chris Kelly’s own life experiences.

Stream Other People on Netflix.

Vice (Hulu)

Politician Dick Cheney (an almost entirely unrecognizable Christian Bale in Oscar-winning makeup) rises to unprecedented power in the United States government from his discreet position as Vice President of the administration headed by George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Other than the fact that Jesse Plemons plays him, I suppose it is not too surprising that the most likable and sympathetic character in writer and director Adam McKay’s Vice is a fictional character named Kurt, who also narrates this dazzling, inventive 2018 satire for reasons I will not give away.

Stream Vice on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Vice on Amazon.

The Power Of The Dog (Netflix)

A charming, yet domineering, ranch hand (Benedict Cumberbatch) ungraciously taunts his brother’s (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her feeble son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), until he and the young man begin to grow unexpectedly close.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Jesse Plemons: Jesse Plemons reunites with his real-life love, Kirsten Dunst, onscreen and has the advantage of not being the most brutally antagonistic character in the 2021 Netflix original, The Power of the Dog - a stunning return for The Piano director Jane Campion, based on Thomas Savage's Neo-Western novel.

Stream The Power Of The Dog on Netflix.

In addition to Martin Scorsese’s aforementioned Killers of the Flower Moon, set for a 2022 release on Apple TV+, Jesse Plemons is also starring opposite Jason Segel and Lily Collins in the home invasion thriller, Windfall, which is expected to come out that same year. He is also currently filming the HBO Max exclusive true crime miniseries, Love and Death.

Scott Cooper’s Antlers is a movie with a good head on its metaphorical shoulders, and a healthy appreciation of the greatness that exists in horror filmmaking. It’s not overly invested in cheap scares, earning its bigger moments with atmosphere instead of quick reveals and score crescendos, and it’s smart enough to unlock the allegorical power of the storytelling style by rooting itself in real world monstrosity. It has engaging characters, brought to life by a talented cast, and when appropriate, it has a willingness to really let it rip with shocking gore and violence.

For all of these reasons, it’s a feature that genre fans are going to want to love – but unfortunately it’s an experience that isn’t totally able to hold together before the end credits roll. While the movie has a number of good ideas, it isn’t able to totally take advantage of them with proper coalescence by the third act, leaving you with a pervasive feeling of wishing that there was more to it. There’s still plenty to like, but it falls short of meeting its full potential.

Based on a script by Henry Chaisson, Nick Antosca and Scott Cooper, Antlers balances its Oregon-set story between two protagonists: a small, bullied 12-year-old boy named Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas); and his elementary school teacher, Julia (Keri Russell), who has recently returned to her hometown after years away and is temporarily living with her brother/the local sheriff, Paul (Jesse Plemons).

Having personally experienced abuse at the hands of her father when she was her students’ age, Julia takes a special interest in Lucas, and believes that he may be having serious troubles at home – her suspicions only growing greater as she discovers sincerely disturbing artwork in his desk, and learns that the child’s dad (Scott Haze) is a single parent with a criminal record. From an outsider’s perspective, all of the red flags are waving, and it has every appearance of being a terribly typical case.

These suspicions are warranted, but the case is anything but typical. As we follow Lucas home, we learn that he’s living a life of struggling self-sufficiency – his house a dark mess and each meal is catch-as-catch-can with no money and resources. But he’s not alone. Behind a heavily locked door is a mysterious, feral being that Lucas cares for by providing it animal carcasses that he finds on his way coming back from school. The boy hopes he can care for it and continue living his life, but horrors await as the secret is uncovered and the truth of the circumstance is revealed.

Antlers tries to use horror to say something about abuse, but the metaphor doesn’t totally track.

Above all else, the easiest thing to appreciate about Antlers is its allegorical intent and attempt at being more than just a cool monster movie. Some of the best examples in the genre root themselves in the terrors of non-supernatural reality, lending the material deeper resonance and verisimilitude, and there is an earnest attempt made by Scott Cooper to establish a link between the film’s fiend and the trauma of child abuse. The problem is that while this work stands up through the first two acts, it withers away in the third and leaves the experience feeling unsatisfying – with one’s initial admiration of the setup dissipating in light of the lacking resolution.

This is tricky material to discuss in what is intended as a spoiler-free review, but too significant not to acknowledge. Analyzing the beginning and middle of the film, one can draw one-to-one lines between real world horrors and the movie’s fantastical interpretations – especially because of the unfolding story about Julia’s experiences – but those connections fall away as Antlers ascends towards its climax, and really disappear altogether in the final moments in aim of including some form of “twist.”

The story in Antlers leans towards messy when the monster is unleashed… and not in a good way.

It’s not just the cracking metaphor that hurts the third act of Antlers, though; there is a point where the script seems to be unsure of how to proceed forward beyond just barreling towards a final confrontation. After spending an hour or so establishing characters and dynamics, and slowly ladling exposition that allows audiences to put pieces together, it just goes into plot mode and starts putting everything out on the table. You no longer have to question how Lucas ended up in his position, as there is a series of blunt flashbacks that spell everything out. And you no longer wonder about the supernatural side of the story, as Julie and Paul are able to get a full, no-doubts lowdown on the situation from the town’s Native American former sheriff (played by Graham Greene), who spells out the mythology for them.

The movie gives the impression that at some point in pre-production the writers were told to cut 20 minutes out of the script, forcing a lot of material to be condensed, and it’s ultimately very much to the final product’s detriment.

There is a great monster featured in Antlers, and it is savage.

Antlers may lose what makes it most interesting in its third act, but what it is supplemented is some solid straight monster-driven horror, and that material certainly is effective for what it is. Scott Cooper’s dark, somber aesthetic throughout the film effectively lends it a haunting, creepy atmosphere that sets the stage for all kinds of bloody mayhem, and he doesn’t pull punches when it comes time to shred human beings apart into jagged chunks of muscle and bone. For being Cooper’s first intentioned step into horror, the movie effectively demonstrates the director’s impressive genre instincts, and suggests it’s a world and tone in which he should continue to play around in the future.

Given its promise and everything it does right, Antlers winds up being a frustrating experience. It’s always exciting to see horror taken seriously and constructed with detailed purpose, but the movie’s aim falters at exactly the wrong time, and the issues badly undermine the best aspects. There is plenty to appreciate in its crafting, as it looks terrific, has bold style, and features quality performances, but it’s let down by its disappointing conclusion.

It's time for a 10-year reunion. It's hard to believe that a full decade has passed since NBC's acclaimed football drama series, Friday Night Lights, left the air. Starring Kyle Chandler in the Emmy-winning role of Coach Eric Taylor, this television adaptation of H.G. Bissinger's best-selling non-fiction book, which also inspired the 2004 film, featured acclaimed performances from Connie Britton and Aimee Teegarden. It also launched the careers of future big-league stars like Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, Taylor Kitsch, Adrianne Palicki, and Jurnee Smollett. With its 10-year anniversary crossed, let's see what Friday Night Lights' star-studded cast is doing now.

Kyle Chandler (Eric Taylor)

As Eric Taylor, the head coach of the Dillon Panthers, Kyle Chandler won an Emmy playing the protagonist of NBC's Friday Night Lights. Prior to his time on this show, Chandler starred in Early Edition, Homefront, What About Joan?, and The Lyon's Den. Following his time on Friday Night Lights, Chandler gave a two-time Emmy-nominated performance in Bloodline. He was also Emmy-nominated for his guest turn in Grey's Anatomy. His other TV credits include Catch-22, Robot Chicken, and King of the Hill.

Away from TV, Kyle Chandler played Hamilton Jordan in Argo. He was also seen in Super 8, The Wolf of Wall Street, Manchester by the Sea, King Kong, Game Night, First Man, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Additionally, the actor appeared in The Kingdom, The Spectacular Now, Zero Dark Thirty, Carol, and The Midnight Sky. Most recently, Chandler starred in Godzilla vs. Kong. Currently, he's filming Slumberland.

Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)

In the role of Tami Taylor, a guidance counselor at Dillon High and the wife of Eric Taylor, Connie Britton gave a two-time Emmy-nominated performance in Friday Night Lights. Away from this series, Britton gave an Emmy-nominated performance as Rayna Jaymes in Nashville. She also received an Emmy nomination for her work in American Horror Story. Additionally, Britton starred in 9-1-1, Dirty John, and Spin City.

Away from television, Connie Britton appeared in Friday Night Lights (2004), Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Bombshell, Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The To Do List, This Is Where I Leave You, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), and Beatriz at Dinner. Most recently, Britton was seen in Promising Young Woman. She was also heard in Pandemica. Next, Britton will appear in Joe Bell and The White Lotus.

Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor)

Playing the part of Julie Taylor, the eldest Taylor daughter, Aimee Teegarden is a liberal-minded character in Friday Night Lights. Following her time in this show, Teegarden starred in the short-lived Star-Crossed, as well as Notorious. Her other television credits include The Ranch, 90210, Robot Chicken, CSI, Legend of the Seeker, Hannah Montana, CSI: Miami, and Cold Case. Away from TV, Teegarden starred in Prom and Rings. Her other film credits include Call of the Wild, Love and Honor, A Change of Heart, and For Sale by Owner. The actress also produced and starred in Beneath the Darkness, Beautiful Wave, and Bakery in Brooklyn. Last year, she appeared in Guest House.

Most recently, Aimee Teegarden guest-starred on The Rookie. Next, the actress will be seen in The Road to Galena.

Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)

As Vince Howard, a troubled teenager who becomes the football team's leader through Coach Taylor's guidance, Michael B. Jordan played a primary part on Friday Night Lights for the show's final two seasons. Discovering his breakout role in The Wire, Jordan found fame after Friday Night Lights with his star performances in Chronicle, Fruitvale Station, Just Mercy (which he produced), and the Creed movies. The actor also stole the show as Erik Killmonger in Marvel's Black Panther. His other film credits include That Awkward Moment, Fantastic Four (2015), Red Tails, Hardball, and Black and White. Additionally, Jordan can be seen in All My Children, Parenthood, and Raising Dion.

Most recently, Michael B. Jordan produced and starred in Tom Clancy's Without Remorse. The actor also lent his voice for Love, Death & Robots. Next, he'll be heard in What If. Currently, Jordan is filming a role in Denzel Washington's A Journal for Jordan. He'll also expected to star in Danny Boyle's Methuselah. Additionally, Jordan reprises his titular role in Creed III, which serves as the actor's directorial debut.

Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke)

In the role of Landry Clarke, a well-studied student-turned-football standout, Jesse Plemons plays a transformative character in Friday Night Lights. Shortly after his time in this show, Plemons played Todd Alquist in Breaking Bad, which is a role that he reprised in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. He also received an Emmy nomination for playing Ed Blumquist in Fargo Season 2. Furthermore, Plemons received another Emmy nomination for his performance in Black Mirror. Plemons' other TV credits include Olive Kitteridge and Drunk History.

Away from television, Jesse Plemons starred in Other People. He also appeared in The Irishman, Game Night, Vice, Bridge of Spies, Black Mass, The Master, Observe and Report, Varsity Blues, and The Post. Last year, Plemons starred in I'm Thinking Of Ending Things. Most recently, Plemons appeared in Judas and the Black Messiah. Next, he'll be seen in Jungle Cruise, Antlers, and The Power of the Dog. Currently, Plemons is filming the lead role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. He's also signed on for Love and Death.

Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)

Playing the part of Tim Riggins, the party-loving fullback of the Dillion Panthers, Taylor Kitsch found his first brush with fame in Friday Night Lights. Following this NBC series, Kitsch played the titular role in John Carter and starred in Battleship, Savages, Lone Survivor, The Grand Seduction, and Only the Brave. His other film credits include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, American Assassin, 21 Bridges, John Tucker Must Die, Snakes on a Plane, and The Covenant. Additionally, Kitsch appeared in HBO's The Normal Heart.

Away from film, Taylor Kitsch played Paul Woodrugh in True Detective Season 2. Later, the actor earned acclaim for portraying David Koresh in Waco, which Kitsch produced. Most recently, Kitsch starred in Shadowplay. Currently, Kitsch is filming Amazon Prime's The Terminal List. Additionally, he's signed on to star in Neill Blomkamp's Inferno.

Jurnee Smollett (Jess Merriweather)

As Jess Merriweather, the East Dillon Spirit Squad leader and the former girlfriend of Landry Clarke and Vince Howard, Jurnee Smollett played a primary character in the last two seasons of Friday Night Lights. Away from this NBC series, Smollett played Nicole Wright on True Blood. Additionally, the actress was a series regular on Underground, The Defenders, Wanda at Large, and On Our Own. Her other TV credits include Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Do No Harm, and Full House. She's also heard in Sofia the First.

Away from TV, Jurnee Smollett played Eve Batiste in Eve's Bayou. She also starred in Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. Her other film credits include The Great Debaters, Gridiron Gang, Hands of Stone, Roll Bounce, and One Last Thing. Most recently, Smollett starred in HBO's Lovecraft Country. She also appeared in Birds of Prey and The Twilight Zone. Next, Smollett will be seen in Escape from Spiderhead.

Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)

In the role of Lyla Garrity, a smart, bubbly cheerleader infatuated with Jason Street, Minka Kelly played a primary character in Friday Night Lights for four seasons. Away from this show, Kelly played Gaby in Parenthood, Valerie Stahl in Almost Human, and Eve French in Charlie Angels (2011). Her other TV credits include What I Like About You, Jane the Virgin, and Drunk History. Currently, Kelly plays the part of Dawn Granger/Dove in HBO Max's Titans. The actress also starred in Hallmark Channel's The Beach House.

Additionally, on the big screen, Minka Kelly starred in The Roommate. She also played Jackie Kennedy in The Butler. Her other notable film credits include (500) Days of Summer, The Kingdom, Papa: Hemingway in Cuba, Just Go With It, Searching for Sonny, and Naked. Next, Kelly will be seen in Lansky, She's in Portland, and Titans Season 3.

Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)

Playing the part of Tyra Collette, a self-thinking woman who doesn't care about football in a sports-obsessed town, Adrianne Palicki is a strong-willed girl in Friday Night Lights. Outside of this series, Palicki plays Barbara "Bobbi" Morse in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Commander Kelly Grayson in The Orville. Her other notable TV credits include Supernatural, Robot Chicken, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, and Supernatural.

Away from TV, Adrianne Palicki played Ms. Perkins in John Wick. She also appeared in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege, Legion, Elektra Luxx, and Red Dawn (2012). Most recently, Palicki was seen in the short film, Thoughts and Prayers. Next, Palicki is expected to appear in The Orville Season 3, which was picked up by Hulu, and With/In.

Scott Porter (Jason Street)

As Jason Street, a quarterback for the Dillion Panthers, Scott Porter plays a protege player in NBC's Friday Night Lights. Outside of this show, Porter played George Tucker in Hart of Dixie. He also played Blake Calamar in The Good Wife and Nestor Williams in Caprica. His other television credits include Scorpion, Why Women Kill, and As the World Turns. Additionally, the voice actor has a recurring role in Harley Quinn. He can be heard in Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man.

Additionally, Scott Porter's film credits include Bandslam, Dear John, Speed Racer, Music and Lyrics, 10 Years, Prom Night, The Good Guy, and The To Do List. Currently, the television actor plays a main role in Ginny & Georgia. He was also seen in Lucifer.

Gaius Charles (Brian “Smash” Williams)

In the role of Brian "Smash" Williams, the confident running back for the Panthers, Gaius Charles played a joke-loving, career-driven star athlete on Friday Night Lights. Following this show, Charles played Dr. Shane Ross in Grey's Anatomy. He was also a series regular on Taken and Aquarius. Additionally, he had a recurring role in God Friended Me.

Additionally, in film, Gaius Charles can be seen in Salt, The Messenger, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Takers. Most recently, the television actor provided a recurring role in Roswell, New Mexico. Next, Charles will be seen in Land of Dreams and Alice.

Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty)

Playing the part of Luke Cafferty, a newcomer to the East Dillion team, Matt Lauria is a hard-working personality in Friday Night Lights. Outside of this series, Lauria played Ryan York in Parenthood, Ryan Wheeler in Kingdom, and Ben Newton in Dickinson.

Additionally, Matt Lauria played main roles in Tell Me a Story, Little Birds, Traitors, and The Chicago Code, as well as a recurring role in Lipstick Jungle. In film, he appears in Miss Bala (2019), Ma (2015), and Shaft (2019). Next, Lauria is seen in CSI: Vegas and To Leslie.

Dora Madison (Becky Sproles)

As Becky Sproles, Luke's girlfriend, Dora Madison, a.k.a. Madison Burge, played a recurring role in Season 4, followed by a lead part in Season 5, in Friday Night Lights. Elsewhere, Madison starred in Chicago Fire. She was also a series regular on What Would Diplo Do? and a recurring player on Dexter, Star-Crossed, and Chicago Med.

On the big screen, meanwhile, Dora Madison starred in Bliss. Also, Madison appeared in Everybody Wants Some!!, The Loft, Song to Song, Divine Access, and Night of the Babysitter, which she also produced. Most recently, Madison appeared in VFW. Next, the actress will be seen in Lapsis.

Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen) 

Playing a main role in Friday Night Lights' first three seasons and a recurring role in the final two, Zach Gilford portrayed Matt Saracen, a rising quarterback for the Dillon Panthers. He was also a love interest to Julie Taylor. While Friday Night Lights wasn't Gilford's first screen credit, it was certainly one of the roles that took his career to the next level. Since the NBC drama wrapped up, Zach Gilford has gone on to take on a number of TV roles, the most recent of which include Good Girls and the part of Ben Walker on L.A.'s Finest. 

On the big screen, Zach Gilford appeared in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Last Stand, and played a starring role in The Purge: Anarchy.  Coming up, he's among the cast of the Netflix horror series Midnight Mass.

You can stream Friday Night Lights on Peacock.

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Elizabeth Olsen delighted audiences with her most recent performance as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in Marvel’s WandaVision. While Olsen has played the role for years, the Disney+ series truly allowed her to expand her range and show off what she can do as a performer. Now, she’s set to venture into even more dramatic territory with HBO Max’s Love and Death limited series. While Olsen is set to take the lead, it now looks like she’ll be starring alongside some major talent in the form of Breaking Bad alum Jesse Plemons!

HBO Max formally announced that Jesse Plemons would be starring opposite Elizabeth Olsen in Love and Death. The limited series centers on the true story of Candy Montgomery (played by Olsen), who murdered neighbor Betty Gore with an ax in 1980s Wylie, Texas. Plemons will play the role of Allan Gore, Betty’s husband who was engaged in an affair with Montgomery. And the logline for the show subtly teases an intense story:

Love and Death is inspired by the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs as well as a collection of articles from Texas Monthly (Love & Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I & II). Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley will write the series and executive produce under his own production banner alongside Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through Blossom Films. Lesli Linka Glatter, of True Blood and Homeland fame, is set to direct the series.

Jesse Plemons has emerged as one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, and he’s become a fan favorite due to his roles in both TV and film. The actor had his big break when he was cast in the critically acclaimed NBC drama Friday Night Lights. But he would gain even more recognition for his acclaimed role as the villainous Todd Alquist during the final season of Breaking Bad. He also starred in the FX anthology series Fargo, which earned him rave reviews and a slew of award nominations. And in the world of film, he’s had roles in movies like Game Night, The Irishman and last year’s Judas and the Black Messiah.

Given the actor’s body of work he’s definitely a great fit for this project. Jesse Plemons is more than familiar with intense material, and he himself is able to bring a certain level of intensity to a role. All in all, he’s incredibly subtle, but his performances hit hard. It’ll be interesting to see what he and Elizabeth Olsen can bring to Love and Death when it eventually premieres on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to The Irishman is on the way, and it will mark the filmmaker’s sixth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio on a film. The Oscar-winning actor has been attached to star in Killers of the Flower Moon with Scorsese for some time, but as was reported late last year, he will no longer be playing the same role he originally signed on for. The film’s screenwriter, Eric Roth, has cleared things up regarding the decision for the actor to switch characters.

In the process of getting Killers of the Flower Moon ready to start production, the Forrest Gump and A Star Is Born writer and Leonardo DiCaprio apparently had some arguments with one another regarding the script. Eric Roth commented at the time that he “won half” of them, but some rewrites were ultimately made. Now everything is in place and the movie is expected to begin production next week. Roth said this about the process:

Killers of the Flower Moon is an adaptation of the 2017 book by David Grann, which tells the true story of the Osage Murders that took place in 1920s Oklahoma and inspired a major FBI investigation. Considering the movie will follow a real event, Eric Roth and the other filmmakers involved spent a lot of time fine-tuning the script. As a result, DiCaprio backed out of his previous role, which was given to Jesse Plemons. Roth continued with these words to Collider:

According to Eric Roth, DiCaprio and Plemons’ role will have about equal screen time as well. Instead of the Wolf of Wall Street actor playing the “hero” of the story, he will play a more complicated character in Killers of the Flower Moon. Jesse Plemons will play Tom White, a special agent on the Osage murders case, whilst Leo DiCaprio is reportedly playing Ernest Burkhart, who is directly connected to the crimes.

Killers of the Flower Moon is reportedly budgeted at $200 million and will be produced for Apple TV+ following Martin Scorsese’s work with Netflix for The Irishman in 2019. Also joining the project is Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal and Sturgill Simpson. Eric Roth is boasting the movie as a massive Western project that will be “one for the ages.”

Leonardo DiCaprio’s last film was 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and he recently wrapped his work on Netflix’s Don’t Look Up with Jennifer Lawrence, which is expected to come out later this year. Killers of the Flower Moon is likely to be released in late 2022.

It was only a matter of time before Martin Scorsese returned to the big screen (and, subsequently, the small screen, too). The revered Oscar-winning filmmaker found his follow-up to The Irishman with Killers of the Flower Moon, another period drama that'll be co-produced between Paramount Pictures and Apple TV+. The expensive epic will be yet another daunting task for the Academy Award winner, but the legendary veteran movie maker loves a challenge. 

Set to star Jesse Plemons, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who'll also produce, there are many reasons to look forward to Scorcese's next spin in the director's chair, and we're here to tell you what we know about this upcoming book-to-screen adaptation. Here's the latest on Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon! 

What Is The Killers Of The Flower Moon Release Date?

In March 2023, Variety reported that the theatrical rollout for Killers of the Flower Moon will get underway with a wide release on October 20th.

The true crime movie will eventually join the ranks of other Apple TV+ original movies, but neither Apple nor Paramount Pictures have revealed exactly when that will happen. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is a matter of when, instead of if, as Apple TV is co-producing Scorsese’s latest epic.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, And Jesse Plemons Lead The Killers Of A Flower Moon Cast

The Killers of the Flower Moon cast could very well be one of the best greatest groups of actors ever assembled for a Martin Scrorsese production, which is quite a statement considering the top-notch talent in the filmmaker’s body of work. Leading things off is Leonardo DiCaprio, who will take on the role of Ernest Burkhart, the nephew of the powerful rancher William Hale, played by Robert De Niro, according to Vanity Fair. The two long-time collaborators with Scorsese will also share the screen with Jesse Plemons, who will take on the role of police officer Tom White, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.  Plemons has been on the rise the past decade, including a memorable performance in Scorsese’s most recent picture, The Irishman, in 2019.

Even outside of the top three, the movie features an incredible cast, including Lily Gladstone, Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, and musicians Jack White, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson. And, that’s just the beginning of the list…

The Killers Of The Flower Moon Trailer Is Full Of Greed, Violence And Mystery

After what seemed like years of hearing about the movie, and seeing a handful of still photos from the production, we finally get to see a piece of the action with the Killers of the Flower Moon trailer in May 2023. This short teaser is full of greed, violence, and mystery surroudning the murder of severl high-ranking Osage tribe members and the FBI investigation into the crimes.

The trailer, which includes some cryptic narration by Leonardo DiCaprio, also introduces several members of the movie's all-star cast and the characters they will play throughout this epic historical drama. 

Killers Of The Flower Moon Centers On The Murders Of Several Members Of The Osage Tribe

This film will follow the mysterious murders of members of the Osage tribe in the 1920s, which sparked a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover, as well as local lawmen, trying to make sense of the brutal crimes. Promising to be another expansive historical account, Scorsese doesn't ever keep things simple.
 

Killers Of The Flower Moon Is Based On The Book By David Grann

Based on the non-fiction book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, written by David Grann, the newest film from director Martin Scorsese will follow the investigations of a series of murders of wealthy people in Osage County, Oklahoma in the early 1920s.

Best known as the author behind The Lost City of Z, which inspired the acclaimed film of the same name in 2017, Grann has a journalistic career exploring obsessive personalities and the lengths they'll go to uncover the truth. Certainly, David Grann's well-acclaimed Killers of the Flower Moon follows that tradition, and it's easy to see how screenwriter Eric Roth (Munich) was inspired to tell this tale — though he was met with his decent share of challenges in bringing it to the screen. Nevertheless, if the movie follows the book's success, it should be another winner for both the director and the Oscar-winning screenwriter. 

Martin Scorsese And Leonardo DiCaprio Consulted With Osage Cultural Leaders In Preparation For This New Movie

As their movie finally moves forward after an extended pre-production process, Scorsese and DiCaprio reached out to the Osage community to gain feedback. As Osage News reported in February 2021, the collaborators met with Osage cultural leaders at the Woolaroc wildlife preserve and museum to discuss the project, their intentions with this story, and what they hope to accomplish with it.

As it was reported, Scorsese "spoke of his plan to include details of Osage culture to paint a full, truthful picture of the time and the people." Additionally, he and his team were "working with advisors from the community" as they "plan to engage with more as the preparation work gets seriously underway.” Details remain limited, especially since everyone signed an NDA, but "several members of the community spoke, sharing their concerns, stories, and thoughts," while DiCaprio asked several questions which sparked "thoughtful conversation" that will inform his work. 

Killers Of The Flower Moon’s Budget Is Reported To Be Over $200 Million

Scorsese doesn't work on the cheap. For the past decade or so, the Oscar-winning filmmaker has made films with budgets that range from $50 million (Silence) to $225 million-plus (The Irishman). Now, the director will make one of his priciest movies yet with Killers of the Flower Moon, which reportedly cost upwards of $200 million.

As you'd expect, this humongous budget — especially in an era where studios are hesitant to green-light movies that don't feature famous superhero characters — made several executives balk, though Apple TV+ agreed to foot the bill alongside Paramount Pictures. It's not clear why the budget is so sizable. It's a lavish period piece, but it's otherwise unclear why he had such a hefty receipt. Nevertheless, now that Apple TV+ gave it the go, Scorsese has the funds to get his next project to theaters around the world.

Expect to hear much more about Killers of the Flower Moon in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 movie schedule to see what will be coming out before and after the latest film from Martin Scorsese.
 

There are few movies receiving as much as attention as Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah thanks to the biographical drama’s heartbreaking retelling of the events that led to the assassination of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton and the struggles of the African-American community in late 1960s. The Judas and the Black Messiah cast, which includes Daniel Kaluuya as impassioned activist and LaKeith Stanfield as the criminal-turned-informant who provided the FBI with information on the Black Panthers, is another reason the movie is receiving so much buzz.

And outside of the two main leads, Judas and the Black Messiah has a cast that is absolutely stacked with actors who have appeared everywhere from The West Wing to Fargo and from Atlanta to The Wire. But with so many faces — both the known and unknown — being featured throughout the tense drama, keeping up with everyone isn’t the easiest of tasks. That being said, we’ve put together a list of the cast and where you’ve sen them before.

Daniel Kaluuya (Fred Hampton)

Daniel Kaluuya’s portrayal of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah has already earned the British actor several awards nominations with more surely on the way. This, however, isn’t anything new for Kaluuya, who has previously received recognition for his roles in Get Out and Queen & Slim, with the former earning him an Oscar nomination at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. In addition the those roles, Kaluuya has also shown up in movies like Black Panther, Sicario, and Widows, which happened to be set in Chicago.

LaKeith Stanfield (William O’Neal)

Prior to showing up as William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the Black Panther Party in the in order to get a lightened sentence, LaKeith Stanfield made a name for himself in movies like Selma, Dope, and Straight Outta Compton, but his turn as Darius Epps on the FX series Atlanta and appearance in Get Out kicked things up a notch. Since then, Stanfield has given outstanding performances in everything from the surrealist dark comedy Sorry to Bother You, the anxiety-inducing Uncut Gems, and farcical whodunit Knives Out.

Jesse Plemons (Roy Mitchell)

You can’t have a movie about the FBI taking advantage of someone’s misfortune without having an overbearing handler like Jesse Plemons’ Roy Mitchell in Judas and the Black Messiah. Plemons’ career has taken him from Paul Walker’s younger brother in the 1999 football drama Varsity Blues which he followed with a big role on the 2006 television adaptation of Friday Night Lights. Since then, Plemons has had roles on shows like Breaking Bad and Fargo, as well as in movies like The Irishman and I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Dominique Fishback (Deborah Johnson)

Dominique Fishback has said that taking on the role of Deborah Johnson, the fiancée of Fred Hampton and mother of his son, was a transformative experience that changed her life. And if buzz surrounding her performance is to be believed, this is the start of the next chapter in the young actresses’ already successful career. Since making her acting debut on The Knick in 2013, Fishback has gone on to have a major role on the HBO series The Deuce as well as Jamie Foxx’s 2020 superhero drama Project Power.

Ashton Sanders (Jimmy Palmer)

Ashton Sanders shows up as Jimmy Palmer, a member of the Black Panther Party in Judas and the Black Messiah, but you wouldn’t be wrong if you thought you’ve seen young actor before. Sanders appeared in Straight Outta Compton in 2015, but he properly entered the spotlight the following year with a career-making performance as the teenage version of Chiron in the Academy Award-winning coming-of-age drama Moonlight. Sanders has since gone on to become a series regular as The RZA on Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which follows the rise of legendary hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan.

Martin Sheen (J. Edgar Hoover)

Under all that makeup is Martin Sheen playing former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in Judas and the Black Messiah. Perhaps the most prolific name attached to Shaka King’s moving drama, Sheen has appeared in hundreds of movies, shows, documentaries, and other productions over the course of his decades-spanning career. From Apocalypse Now to The Departed and The West Wing to Grace and Frankie, Sheen has been a longtime fixture of Hollywood, one who continues to turn out great performances even as he turns 80 years old.

Darrell Britt-Gibson (Bobby Rush)

It is rare to see a movie these days that doesn’t feature at least one member of the cast of The Wire, and Judas and the Black Messiah is no exception. Portraying Black Panther Party Chicago chapter co-founder (and future U.S. Congressman) Bobby Rush is Darrell Britt-Gibson, who took on the role of Darius “O-Dog” Hill on David Simon’s crime series in the show’s final two seasons. More recently, Britt-Gibson has shown up in movies like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Just Mercy, and The Unicorn, as well as shows like Barry and You’re The Worst.

Lil Rel Howery (Wayne)

If you didn’t know any better, you would think Judas and the Black Messiah was a reunion for the cast of Get Out considering the presence of the film’s two leads as well as Lil Rel Howery, who played Rod Williams in Jordan Peele’s 2017 socially-charged horror drama. Prior to taking on the role of Wayne in the 2021 biographical drama, the actor and comedian found success in movies like Bird Box, Bad Trip, and Good Boys, as well as roles on shows like Insecure, Lip Sync Battle, and his own 2018 comedy Rel.

Algee Smith (Jake Winters)

Algee Smith, who plays Black Panther Party member Jake Winters in Judas and the Black Messiah has been on a role as of late with his leading role of Chris McKay on the HBO drama Euphoria. This has been a long time in the making for the singer and actor who found success with his portrayal of Ralph Tresvant in the 2017 miniseries The New Edition Story and its 2018 followup The Bobby Brown Story. Besides that, Smith has given outstanding performances in The Hate U Give and Detroit.

Jermaine Fowler (Mark Clark)

Portraying Mark Clark, the other member of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago chapter caught in the crossfire of the December 1969 raid is Jermaine Fowler, the up-and-coming comedian and actor who has been making a name for himself in recent years. Starting with Guy Code in 2012, Fowler has shown up on everything from Crashing to Superior Donuts, and will soon have a role of a lifetime when he portrays Lavelle, the son of Eddie Murphy’s Akeem in Coming 2 America.

Dominique Thorne (Judy Harmon)

Prior to her appearance in the Judas and the Black Messiah, in which she plays Black Panther Party member Judy Harmon, Dominique Thorne only appeared in one movie: If Beale Street Could Talk. The world will soon see much more of the young actress as she is set to take on the role of Riri Williams, aka Ironheart in the upcoming Disney+ original series Ironheart.

Robert Longstreet (Leslie Carlyle)

Robert Longstreet takes up the role of FBI Agent Leslie Carlyle in Judas and the Black Messiah, but you were probably busy wondering if that was the same guy from Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House whenever he was on screen. Spoiler alert: that was him. Over the years, Longstreet has been a part of the cast of movies like Pineapple Express and The Old Man & the Gun as well as countless smaller roles on shows like Matlock and Dawson’s Creek.

Terayle Hill (George Sams)

Judas and the Black Messiah is full of portrayals of some of the Black Panther Party’s most notable members, including George Sams, who is portrayed here by Terayle Hill. Probably best known for portraying Trey on Cobra Kai, Hill has spent much of the past six years showing up on shows like The Quad and Step Up: High Water.

Amari Cheatom (Collins)

Amari Cheatom, who plays Collins in Judas and the Black Messiah is another member of the film’s cast that has appeared in a number of culturally significant movies over the years. With credits that include Django Unchained, Crown Heights, Detroit, and Night Catches Us to his name, Cheatom has made a name for himself in hard-hitting dramas based on historical events or set in pivotal times in American history.

Caleb Eberhardt (Bob Lee)

Caleb Eberhardt, who plays Bob Lee in Judas and the Black Messiah, only kickstarted his career within the past decade but has already earned roles in some pretty big productions. With roles in movies like The Post and Black Christmas as well as television shows like The Deuce and Happy!, the young actor is making his mark.

With a cast as talented as the one that brings the characters (both real and imagined) to life in Judas and the Black Messiah it is shocking that they weren’t nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. But hey, the movies that were nominated, including The Trial of the Chicago 7 more than earn their recognition.

After 17 seasons on the air (so far?), it really should come as no surprise that Grey’s Anatomy can boast a countless number of impressive guest stars, including many stars who can call the sexy medical drama one of their first gigs before becoming a household name. We decided to take on the challenge of identifying as many notable celebrities who appeared on the Shonda Rhimes hit before their big break or in a role small enough to have since fallen into obscurity. We came up with a staggering tally of 23 actors, starting with one beloved Emmy winner who knows a thing or two about playing a medical professional.

Sarah Paulson (Dr. Ellis Grey)

One year before American Horror Story’s 2011 premiere, Sarah Paulson appeared on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Ellis Grey (Meredith’s mother) in an ‘80s flashback episode that sees her treat an AIDS patient at Seattle Grace when the disease was still new to the public. More recently the actress has played a psychiatrist from hell in Glass, a nurse from hell in Ratched, and also a mom from hell in the hit Hulu original Run.

John Cho (Dr. Marshall Stone)

To lead his acclaimed feature-length debut, Searching, Run director Aneesh Chaganty cast John Cho - also known as Sulu in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies. However, when he appeared on Grey’s Anatomy as a surgical intern in need of surgery after falling asleep at the wheel, the Korean-born actor’s defining role was Harold Lee in the 2004 cult comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, whom he would reprise in two sequels.

Keke Palmer (Sheryll Jeffries)

Also known primarily for comedies (especially for children) was Keke Palmer, when she played a pregnant teen on Grey’s Anatomy’s tenth season. The 27-year-old actress and singer has since gone on to find darker work on horror series like MTV’s Scream and Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens and played a con artist stripper in Hustlers opposite Jennifer Lopez.

Alanna Masterson (Hillary Boyd)

Another “scream queen” to appear on Grey’s Anatomy in her early days is Alanna Masterson, who is best known for playing Tara Chambler for five seasons of The Walking Dead. Her young, seemingly mature, one-off role on the medical drama put her through a different kind of horror when she took psychedelic mushrooms, tried to fly off her roof, and broke 52 bones.

Tessa Thompson (Camille Travis)

Like Alanna Masterson, Tessa Thompson is best known for a comic book role (Valkyrie in the MCU), as well as the Creed franchise, absurdist satire Sorry to Bother You, and high-concept sci-fi thriller Annihilation, to name just a few. Much earlier, in 2006, she played Richard Webber’s niece Camille Travis (later recast in Season 4 by Camille Winbush) before showing up in a different role on the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice, in 2009.

Dylan Minnette (Ryan)

Actor and musician Dylan Minnette also appeared on a second Shonda Rhimes hit (Scandal) years after he played a 9-year-old born without external ears on Grey’s Anatomy’s fourth season. The now 24-year-old star would go on to appear in horror movies of a light variety (Goosebumps) and a bleak variety (Don’t Breathe), as well as lead the cast of the teen drama 13 Reasons Why for Netflix.

Sydney Sweeney (Erin Weaver)

Speaking of dark teen dramas, the Emmy-winning HBO series Euphoria is 23-year-old Sydney Sweeney's biggest claim to fame yet, following her role opposite Amy Adams on Sharp Objects and a recurring spot on The Handmaid's Tale for Hulu. Earlier, in a heartbreaking Season 11 episode of Grey's Anatomy, she played the daughter of a man who discovers what he thought was heartburn is actually much worse.

Elisabeth Moss (Nina Rogerson)

Speaking of The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss won an Emmy for her lead role on the dystopian drama after receiving several nominations for playing Peggy Olson on Mad Men. The star of acclaimed 2020 horror flick, The Invisible Man, previously appeared on Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy as a woman whose mother suffers from a strange condition that causes her bones to grow when experiencing trauma.

Justina Machado (Anna Nyles)

Also appearing on Grey's Anatomy's third season was actress Justina Machado as a new mother who initially assumes her breast cancer tumor was a clogged milk duct. The 48-year-old former Six Feet Under star later became better known as a nurse and mother on the cancelled Netflix sitcom One Day at a Time and more recently competed as a finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

Jesse Plemons (Jake Burton)

Netflix is also the home of several recent films starring Jesse Plemons, such as the Oscar-nominated The Irishman, Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and El Camino, in which he reprised his sociopathic Breaking Bad character, Todd. Right before landing his first starring role on Friday Night Lights, Plemons was almost completely unrecognizable in his Grey's Anatomy guest spot as a teen with a deadly brain tumor caused by a rare bone disorder.

Dean Norris (Vince)

Fellow Breaking Bad alum Dean Norris also made an early appearance on two episodes of Grey's Anatomy as a mechanic whose friend and colleague is injured in a ferry crash during Season 3. The 57-year-old acting veteran was later cast in the series adaptation of Stephen King's Under the Dome, landed a recurring spot on Shonda Rhimes' Scandal, and is currently preparing to reprise his role from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for the upcoming sequel.

Abigail Breslin (Megan Clover)

Dean Norris also briefly appears in acclaimed indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine, which earned then 10-year-old Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination in 2007. Between her 2002 film debut in Signs and that later star-making moment, the future star of the Zombieland movies played a girl whose repeat visits to Seattle Grace brought up suspicions of her foster parents' treatment of her, before it was discovered that her insensitivity to pain was to blame for her frequent accidents.

Leslie Odom Jr. (P.J. Walling)

2020 Was a big year for Leslie Odom Jr. with Hamilton coming to Disney+, the animated musical series Central Park premiering on Apple TV+, and One Night in Miami hitting theaters in December. The actor and singer was still on his way to stardom when he appeared in a Grey's Anatomy episode with an intriguing DC connection as an, initially reluctant, donor in a domino kidney transplant, which Justice League Unlimited voice actors George Newbern (Superman) and Carl Lumbly (Martian Manhunter) are the recipients of.

Maggie Siff (Ruthie Sales)

Like most actors your can think of, Leslie Odom Jr. also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, much just like Maggie Siff did after playing a woman suffering from osteoporosis on Season 4 of Grey's Anatomy. It would be one of the last of her many early TV guest spots before becoming a notable presence on series like FX's Sons of Anarchy, AMC's Mad Men, and most recently, Showtime's Billions.

Theo Rossi (Stan Giamatti)

Maggie Siff's Sons of Anarchy co-star Theo Rossi, who would go on to play Marvel villain Shades on Netflix's Luke Cage series, has also been a guest on Grey's Anatomy. In a tearjerker two-part episode from Season 4, he played a paramedic, and husband of a Seattle Grace radiologist, who becomes trapped with his partner and best friend after their ambulance collides with another once they've dropped off a patient.

Danielle Panabaker (Kelsey Simmons)

Speaking of TV comic book adaptations, The Flash star Danielle Panabaker was relatively well-known for movies like Disney's teen superhero comedy Sky High, and the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th before she starred in one Grey's Anatomy episode. In Season 6, her character is forced to spend Thanksgiving at Seattle Grace, where she becomes engaged to her boyfriend after successfully receiving a heart transplant.

Jurnee Smollett (Beth Monroe)

Speaking of DC adaptations, Birds of Prey star Jurnee Smollett was probably best known as Michelle Tanner's friend Denise Frazer on Full House years before she played the first survivor of a clinical tumor trial run by Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd, unlike her ill-fated boyfriend, in a two-part Grey's Anatomy episode. Today, the 34-year-old actress has numerous notable credits to her name, most recently the supernatural period drama, Lovecraft Country, on HBO.

Jamie Chung (Trina Paiz)

Jurnee Smollett's Lovecraft Country co-star Jamie Chung has also starred in several comic book adaptations, including Batman prequel series Gotham, the animated Big Hero 6, and its sequel series on Netlflix, the 2014 sequel to Sin City, and the infamous Dragonball Evolution, from 2009. The following year, the Korean actress (also a veteran of MTV's The Real World) played a newlywed forced to spend her honeymoon at Seattle Grace after she and her husband fall 100 feet into a ravine while mountain climbing.

Rachel Brosnahan (Brian Weston)

Her impressive recurring spot on House of Cards, and Emmy win for playing a female comedian in the 1960s in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has made Rachel Brosnahan one of the most sought after actresses of her generation. Much earlier in her career, the star of the new Amazon Prime original film I'm Your Woman played a young transgender man seeking to complete his sex reassignment surgery at Seattle Grace in Grey's Anatomy's ninth season.

David Denman (Rick Jacobs)

When David Denman appeared on Grey's Anatomy in 2007 as the victim of a faulty parachute, most audiences probably recognized him best from The Office, where he played former Dunder Mifflin employee and the ex-fiancé of Pam Beesly, Roy Anderson. He would later reunite with his old onscreen romantic rival John Krasinski in Michael Bay's 13 Hours, play the father of a Power Ranger, star in Steven Soderbergh's country-fried heist comedy Logan Lucky, and will next appear opposite Kate Winslet in the upcoming HBO mini-series Mare of Easttown.

Millie Bobby Brown (Ruby)

One of the most successful child stars in Hollywood today is British teenager Mille Bobby Brown, who most recently played the title role of Enola Holmes, and will soon reprise her Godzilla: King of the Monsters character in a film that pits the atomic reptile against King Kong. Just one year before first playing young psychokinetic, Eleven, on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Brown guest starred on Grey's Anatomy as a young girl receiving medical advice from Seattle Grace over the phone after an earthquake leaves her mother incapacitated at their remote cabin.

How many of these Grey's Anatomy appearances do you remember? Let us know in the comments below!

Few shows have found the same success as Breaking Bad. Creator Vince Gilligan's masterful, addictively compelling exploration of a seemingly mild-mannered man transformed into a coldly calculating drug kingpin was an early favorite during the rise of Peak Television, resulting in what's widely considered one of the best shows ever. While the praise is high, it's also warranted. Commanded by Bryan Cranston's excellent, multi-Emmy-winning lead performance, AMC's acclaimed drama series proved to be an excellent showcase for its long-working lead actor, while also bolstering the careers of all its outstanding supporting talents, including Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jesse Plemons.

After the show's incredible success, which continues with the prequel series Better Call Saul and last year's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, what has the award-winning Breaking Bad ensemble been up to now? Let's take a look and see.

Bryan Cranston (Walter White)

At the forefront of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston's transformative performance provided the actor with his most celebrated performance in an already exceptional career. Previously best known for his roles in Malcolm in the Middle, The X-Files, and Seinfeld, this intense drama series turned Cranston into one of the most revered, well-sought actors working today. The show's success saw him playing roles in Drive, Contagion, The Lincoln Lawyer, Argo, Total Recall, John Carter, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and more. Following Breaking Bad's run, Cranston starred in The Upside, Godzilla, Wakefield, Why Him?, The Infiltrator, Power Rangers, Last Flag Flying, Isle of Dogs, Kung Fu Panda 3, and Trumbo, for which he was Oscar-nominated.

Most notably, Bryan Cranston took to Broadway to star in All The Way, where he won a Tony award. He also played Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO's 2016 film adaptation.

Most recently, Bryan Cranston starred in The One and Only Ivan. He also co-created Amazon Prime's Sneaky Pete (which he also acted in) and The Dangerous Book For Boys. Additionally, in 2016, Cranston published his memoir, A Life in Parts. Next, Cranston stars in Showtime's new drama series, Your Honor. He also reprised his role as Walter White in El Camino.

Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman)

Introduced in the pilot for Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman was once meant to be killed off by Season 1's end. However, Vince Gilligan and the show's other creatives had the good sense to keep the character on, and it's a very good thing they did. It's hard to imagine what Breaking Bad would be without Jesse Pinkman, Walter White's former student and drug-making accomplice, and it's harder to imagine what the character would be without Paul's astounding, Emmy-winning performance.

Previously in Big Love, Van Wilder, Mission: Impossible III, and Veronica Mars, Breaking Bad was Aaron Paul's star-making role, resulting in lead roles in Smashed, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Eye in the Sky, Triple 9, Need for Speed, A Long Way Down, and Fathers and Daughters. Following Breaking Bad, Paul led Hulu's The Path. He also provided his voice to BoJack Horseman.

Last year, Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman became the focal point of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, a two-hour epilogue for his long-troubled character. Recently, he starred in Truth Be Told and Westworld Season 3. He was also seen in the long-delayed Adam earlier this year. Next, he'll star in Dual.

Anna Gunn (Skyler White)

As the vigilant and concerned Skyler White, Anna Gunn gave a phenomenal performance in Breaking Bad, for which she won two consecutive Emmys. While her performance was widely critically acclaimed, she was also the subject of intense online bullying and harassment, quite unfortunately, as she detailed in an op-ed for The New York Times. Previously seen in Down to Shore, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Junior, Enemy of the State, and Deadwood, Breaking Bad remains her most well-known and most prestigious role.

During her time on the program, Anna Gunn also starred in Red State, Sassy Pants, and Law & Order. Following the show's finale, Gunn took a lead role in Fox's limited series, Gracepoint. She also starred in Shades of Blue, Sully, Being Frank, Equity, and Portlandia. Most recently, Gunn appeared in Deadwood: The Movie. Next, she'll star in Land of Dreams.

Dean Norris (Hank Schrader)

In the role of Hank Schrader, a DEA agent and Walter White's brother-in-law leading an investigation for the city's new drug kingpin without realizing how close his target truly is, Dean Norris became one of Breaking Bad's most complex and dynamic characters. Previously seen in movies like Total Recall, Hard to Kill, Lethal Weapon 2, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Starship Troopers, and The Firm, as well as shows like NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Walker Texas Ranger, and 24, Norris was typically typecast as certain law enforcement personalities prior to his work in this acclaimed series, which paved the way for more unique parts in his future.

Near Breaking Bad's conclusion, Dean Norris starred in Under the Dome and Claws. He was also seen in Girlboss, The Big Bang Theory, Scandal, The Book of Henry, The Hustle, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Recently, he reprised his role as Hank in Better Call Saul. He'll next be seen in Nova Vita, El Tonto, and Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark 2. Norris also recently launched his own version of Schraderbräu.

Jonathan Banks (Mike Ehrmantraut)

Previously meant to be a brief substitute for Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman whenever he was unable to commit to the Season 2 finale, Jonathan Banks' steely-eyed Mike Ehrmantraut became a pivotal personality in the Breaking Bad universe, proving himself to be one of the most long-standing characters in this expanding narrative. As an established film and TV actor best known for his breakthrough role in CBS' Wiseguy and his work in Airplane!, 48 Hours, and Beverly Hills Cop, Breaking Bad still proved to be a monumental Emmy-nominated role for the hard-working TV actor.

Following his time in Breaking Bad, Jonathan Banks was seen in Community, Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses 2, Mudbound, and The Commuter. He also lent his voice to Incredibles 2. Now, Banks reprises his role as Mike in Better Call Saul. Most recently, he starred in Showtime's The Comey Rule.

RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr.)

As Walter White Jr., sometimes known simply as "Flynn," RJ Mitte played Walter White's teenage son, who has cerebral palsy. With the exception of an episode of Hannah Montana, Breaking Bad was the actor's first screen credit, and it was his breakthrough role. During his time on the show, Mitte was also seen on Switched at Birth. Following Breaking Bad, Mitte continued to bounce between film and television, notably with appearances in Robot Chicken, Chance, and Now Apocalypse. He's also been seen in Dixieland, The Recall, Rivers Run Red, Standing Up For Sunny, All the Little Things We Kill, Carol of the Bells, and Time Share (which is quite underrated, in my view).

Most recently, RJ Mitte starred in The Oak Room, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival. He'll next be seen in Triumph, Isaac, and Escape from Paradise — all of which he'll produce.

Betsy Brandt (Marie Schrader)

In the role of Marie Schrader, Skyler's sister, Hank's wife, and Walt's sister-in-law, Betsy Brandt didn't get as much time to shine compared to her co-stars, but she always made the most of her appearances on this acclaimed series. As a performer on the stage and screen, Brandt was seen in Without a Trace, Judging Amy, ER, Boston Legal, The Practice, and NCIS prior to this AMC series. During the show's success, the actress played parts in Magic Mike, Private Practice, and Parenthood.

When Breaking Bad came to a close, Betsy Brandt starred in NBC's short-lived The Michael J. Fox Show, then CBS' Life in Pieces. She also appeared in Masters of Sex, Flint, Pearson, The Unicorn, Claire in Motion, Run Sweetheart Run, and Straight Up. Brandt recently acted in A Million Little Things. Next, she'll star in Killing Eleanor.

Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman)

Previously meant to be a comedic side character in the midst of this intense drama, Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman became a key player in the expanding Breaking Bad universe. Now, he's the focal point of the acclaimed spin-off series, Better Call Saul. As a well-established actor, writer, and director in the comedy world, Odenkirk is best known for co-creating and starring in HBO's Mr. Show with Bob and David. He also wrote for Saturday Night Live, The Dana Carvey Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and more.

Following Breaking Bad's success, Bob Odenkirk continued expanding himself as an actor. He was seen in Nebraska, The Spectacular Now, The Post, Long Shot, and Little Women, as well as heard in Incredibles 2 and Hell & Back. He also wrote, produced, and starred in Girlfriend's Day.

In 2015, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross briefly revived their cult-favorite HBO sketch comedy series with Netflix's W/ Bob and David. He was also the director for the short-lived sketch comedy series, The Birthday Boys. Next, Odenkirk produces and stars in the upcoming thriller, Nobody.

Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring)

As the politely-spoken chain restaurant owner operating a vast underground drug operation, Giancarlo Esposito played a stealthy cruel, ruthless Machiavellian character who became one of Walter White's greatest foes in Breaking Bad's incredible fourth season. Prior to this Emmy-nominated role, Esposito was known for Do the Right Thing, School Daze, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, The Usual Suspects, Sesame Street, Homicide: Life on the Street, Rabbit Hole, The Electric Company, and Law & Order.

Following this award-recognized performance, Giancarlo Esposito played a lead role in NBC's short-lived Revolution, and he appeared in The Get Down, Allegiance, Once Upon A Time, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Okja, The Jungle Book, and Money Monster. He was also seen in Unpregnant and Stargirl earlier this year, while he also played main roles in Jett and Godfather of Harlem last year.

Currently, Giancarlo Esposito can be seen in The Mandalorian and The Boys, while he's also part of the main cast for Dear White People and Better Call Saul, in which he reprises his role as Gus Fring. Additionally, in 2017, Esposito produced, directed, and starred in The Show. He has upcoming roles in Beauty and The Long Home. He's also appearing in Far Cry 6.

Laura Fraser (Lydia Rodarte-Quayle)

In the role of Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, the woman who supplied methylamine to Gus Fring before working with Walter White, Laura Fraser played an intriguing late-in-the-game addition to Breaking Bad. Previously, the Scottish actress was seen in Neverwhere, Lip Service, Vanilla Sky, and A Knight's Tale. Following Breaking Bad's run, Fraser starred in Retribution, The Missing, The Loch, Traces, Black Box, I Am Not A Serial Killer, In The Cloud, and Beats. She also reprises her role as Lydia in Better Call Saul. Most recently, Fraser starred in an episode of Doctor Who earlier this year.

Jesse Plemons (Todd Alquist)

As the quietly menacing Todd Alquist, Jesse Plemons was a late addition to Breaking Bad, but he made quite an impression. After finding his breakthrough role with NBC's Friday Night Lights, in addition to his strong turn in 2012's The Master, Plemons only continues to establish himself as an excellent rising actor following Breaking Bad's finale. Notably, Plemons starred in the second season of FX's Fargo, and he was seen in Bridges of Spies, Black Mass, The Post, Game Night, Other People, The Irishman, Vice, Hostiles, Black Mirror, and American Made.

Most recently, Jesse Plemons starred in Netflix's I'm Thinking Of Ending Things. He also reprised his role as Todd in El Camino last year. Next, he'll be seen in Antlers, Judas and the Black Messiah, Jungle Cruise, and The Power of the Dog — all expected in 2021.

Do you love Breaking Bad? Who is your favorite character? Be sure to let us know in the comment section!

With nearly 400 episodes (and counting!) on CBS, NCIS is undoubtedly one of the most popular, prominent shows in the station's long history. Since its premiere back in 2003, the action police procedural series has welcomed several bright, talented actors into its ever-growing cast list. Sure enough, there are many future celebrities who had their humble beginnings on the show, while a few other hard-working actors made brief guest appearances on the show before they moved on to their own projects. Looking back on all the actors and actresses who've graced the small screen with this show, it is an astonishing line-up. Now, we're here to list only 13 famous actors you might've forgotten were once featured on this popular network TV series.

Melora Hardin (Erin Toner)

Before she became Jan Levinson in The Office, Trudy Monk in Monk, or received an Emmy nomination for her performance as Tammy Cashman in Transparent, Melora Hardin played Erin Toner in a 2003 episode of NCIS titled "The Curse." A villainous character from the CBS' show's first season, Toner was a character who would flaunt her beauty and use her connections to commit a series of crimes during her brief run on the popular series. It was a standout role that likely paved the way for her strong television work shortly thereafter. In addition to the shows mentioned above, Hardin has recently been seen in A Million Little Things and The Bold Type, to name only her two most recent television credits.

Jim Rash (Dr. Joel Sanderson)

Before he turned into an Oscar-winning screenwriter for The Descendants, the co-director of The Way Way Back and this year's Downhill, and became the scene-stealing Dean Craig Pelton in NBC's Community, Jim Rash was an actor/comedian who appeared in several smaller roles in film and TV, and that includes his 2004 role of NCIS, where he played Dr. Joel Sanderson. In the episode, titled "Left For Dead," Rash didn't have a huge presence, and it's probably amusingly strange to see such a prominent performer in such a minor role in this popular TV series. Alas, he's one of several performers who climbed up the ladder in Hollywood, and it was certainly a big break to get even a small role in this prominent network series.

Dean Norris (Gunnery Sergeant Vestman)

Before his acclaimed turn as Hank Schrader in Breaking Bad turned the actor into a household name, Dean Norris worked consistently as a character actor, with a memorable appearance in the original Total Recall once serving as his most notable role. In 2004, a few years before Breaking Bad would air its pilot on AMC, Norris played Gunnery Sergeant Vestman in the first season of NCIS. It was a commendable role for the hard-working actor, but it is easy to see why some folks might've forgotten about this early-in-the-game appearance from Norris. Nevertheless, Norris has continued to bounce between movies and TV, notably with roles in Under the Dome, Claws, The Big Bang Theory, Scandal, The Book of Henry, Death Wish (2018), Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, and a recent reprisal of his role as Hank Schrader in Better Call Saul.

Zac Efron (Daniel Austin)

In 2006, the same year that he would become a superstar with Disney Channel's High School Musical, Zac Efron made a guest star appearance on NCIS in an episode titled "Deception." He played the part of Daniel Austin, a teenage boy who bought a phone from a Navy Commander. Certainly, it was a minor role compared to his leading man part in the Disney Channel movie, and it's especially slight compared to how big his profile got shortly after this episode aired. Since NCIS, Efron starred in two more High School Musical movies, Hairspray, The Greatest Showman, The Beach Bum, 17 Again, Me & Orson Welles, Neighbors, Baywatch, and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. He'll next be heard as Fred in the new movie, Scoob!

Jesse Plemons (Jason Geckler)

Funny enough, Zac Efron wasn't the only future star who appeared in the NCIS episode "Deception." If you watch this installment of the prolonged series, you'll also find an early appearance from Jesse Plemons, the rising film/TV actor best known for his versatile work in Breaking Bad, Fargo Season 2, Game Night, Vice, The Irishman, and several other titles. In this Season 3 episode, Plemons plays Jason Geckler, the teenager who gave Daniel, i.e. Efron's character, the cell phone. Similar to Efron, Plemons only played a minor role in this NCIS episode, but it was another TV credit that helped the talent actor rise in growing fame. Next, Plemons will be seen in Antlers, Jungle Cruise, I'm Thinking About Ending Things, and The Power of the Dog.

Sterling K. Brown (Elijah Banner)

Before he won Emmys for playing Christopher Darden in FX's American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson and Randall Pearson in NBC's This Is Us, Sterling K. Brown was a hard-working actor who appeared in a number of movies and shows. One of his early credits includes a 2013 episode of NCIS titled "Devil's Triad." In the part of Elijah Banner, Brown played a dark role in the popular series, as a character who leads a few characters to their untimely demises. His stay on NCIS didn't last long, but this appearance came only a couple years before he would find fame with his aforementioned award-winning roles. Since NCIS, Brown has notably been seen in Black Panther and last year's Waves. Additionally, Brown has appeared in Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He also starred in The Rhythm Section earlier this year and lent his voice to Frozen II.

Millie Bobby Brown (Rachel Barnes)

Before she became one of the youngest Emmy nominees ever through her celebrated performance as Eleven on Netflix's Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown was a child actor who made appearances in a variety of TV shows, including Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, Modern Family, and Grey's Anatomy. One of Brown's earliest credits was on NCIS. In the 2014 episode, titled "Parental Guidance Suggested," Brown played Rachel Barnes, a young girl who is later revealed to be the person responsible for killing her psychiatrist mother. That's a dark turn for a young performer, though the precocious talent proved herself in this early television appearance. It'd only be a couple years later when Netflix premiered Stranger Things, thus paving the way for Brown to star in last year's Godzilla: King of the Monsters and the upcoming Godzilla Vs. Kong and Enola Holmes, which she also produced.

Glen Powell (Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott)

Before he'd become a heartthrob through performances in Everybody Wants Some!!, Hidden Figures, Scream Queens, Set It Up, and the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, Powell was an up-and-coming actor splitting his time between movies and TV. One such show was NCIS, where Powell played Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott, the son of marine captain George Westcott, in the two-part NCIS episode, "Shell Shock Part 1" and "Shell Shock Part 2." Appearing in these two episodes in 2012, the same year he also starred in The Dark Knight Rises, these appearances helped to build the actor's growing portfolio. Since his time on NCIS, in addition to the movies mentioned above, Powell has also starred in Ride Along 2, The Expendables 3, and Netflix's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Cameron Monaghan (Nick Peyton)

Before he became Jeremiah Valeska, i.e. an iteration of The Joker, in Fox's Gotham, and the same year that the up-and-coming TV actor would break out by playing Ian Gallagher in Showtime's long-running Shameless, Cameron Monaghan appeared in a 2011 episode of NCIS where he played the role of Nick Peyton, a teenager suspected of murdering his father. The episode, titled "Out of the Frying Pan," gave young Monaghan a fine chance to show his growing talents on a major network show. Sure enough, while it was only a limited appearance, the actor made the most of his time on NCIS, continuing to prove himself as a performer — even from a young age. Since NCIS, Monaghan has bounced between film, television and video games, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Giver, Mercy Street, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, among others.

Eric Stonestreet (Harvey Ames)

On Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet finally got his big break playing the part of Cameron Tucker. The two-time Emmy-winning actor appeared in several films and TV shows before he finally got this major role, and that includes an appearance in a 2008 episode of NCIS titled "Silent Night." He played the part of Harvey Ames, a security guard who finds a bunch of victims in his tracks before he's arrested. Though this role was more dramatic than what many viewers might expect from the comedic performer, it does showcase his tremendous range. Since appearing on NCIS, in addition to his time on Modern Family, Stonestreet has also starred in the first season of American Horror Story, Monk, Identity Thief, Bad Teacher, and The Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2.

Rico Rodriguez (Travis Buckley)

Speaking of Modern Family, the same year that Rico Rodriguez became known as Manny to viewers nationwide in that award-winning hit ABC series, the young TV actor also made a guest appearance on a 2009 episode of NCIS titled "Hide And Seek." In the role of Travis Buckley, Rodriguez did not have a major role in the episode, though the child actor was soon set to become a household name when this episode aired on television. 2009 was a big year for the young actor, as it paved the way for the role that he would play for 10 more seasons on the popular ABC mockumentary sitcom. Before he starred on NCIS or Modern Family, Rodriguez also appeared on ER, Nip/Tuck, My Name Is Earl, and Cory in the House, to name only a few credits.

Zoey Deutch (Lauren)

Everyone gets their start somewhere. When it comes to the beginning of Zoey Deutch's career as a professional actress, the future Set It Up/Before I Fall actress first appeared in an episode of NCIS titled "One Last Score." As a character known solely as Lauren, Deutch's appearance in NCIS is a limited one; the beginning, she plays a girl who discovers a cadaver. But it got the ball rolling on her acting career. Later on, she'd fill her resume with The Suite Life on Deck, The Amazing Spider-Man, Dirty Grandpa, Everybody Wants Some!!, Why Him?, Flower, The Year of Spectacular Men, The Politician, Zombieland: Double Tap, and most recently, Buffaloed, which Deutch also produced. Hopefully, she'll have a long, continuously promising career ahead of her.

Jaleel White (Martin Thomas)

Unlike the other names on this list, Jaleel White didn't find his fame after his appearance on NCIS. Rather, White was already a well-established actor and voice actor by the time he stepped on the set of NCIS. He was most famous for playing Steve Urkel in Family Matters, and his voice was instantly recognizable to many fans of Sonic the Hedgehog. But when he appeared in "A Desperate Man" in the role of Martin Thomas, viewers were forgiven if they didn't recognize the performer. It's an understated and nuanced performance, which might be different than what people might be used to seeing from White as an actor. Nevertheless, this brief-but-strong role on NCIS gave the TV actor another chance to showcase his dynamic, overlooked range.

Which NCIS appearance from a future superstar surprised you the most? Let us know in the comment section!

The fifth season of Better Call Saul lies tantalizingly just over the horizon, with audiences having waiting intently for ages to see how things will shake out for the newly monikered Saul Goodman and other characters destined for Breaking Bad's timeline. In the meantime, AMC has given fans another insightful peek into this dark world with a new video featuring everyone's favorite child-murdering neo-Nazi, Todd.

The video, likely a deleted scene from the feature-length El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story, is a bite-sized look at a blithely infatuated Todd putting together his creepy Lydia snow globe, complete with an awkward phone call. Grab a tarantula-sized snack and check it out!

As it always goes with a Todd scene, almost all of my reactions from beginning to end amounted to uncomfortable chuckles. Something Breaking Bad has in common with the recently ended BoJack Horseman, perhaps, beyond sharing Aaron Paul as a co-star.

Todd's more-than-fondness for Laura Fraser's Lydia was evident in Breaking Bad, despite the fact that Lydia was pretty much all business any time she dealt with anyone from the drug world. Considering it's Todd, he probably enjoyed how hard she was to woo, as it were. After all, his unwarranted attraction to her led him to the point of putting a snow globe together with the two of them inside. And it's only presumed that the tiny Lydia is in there consensually.

El Camino viewers will probably remember seeing that snow globe show up whenever Scott Shepherd's Casey was poking around Todd's home. It wasn't fully confirmed within that moment that it was a Lydia figure sitting in that hat, but her blue coat made it pretty easy to assume, even if the real Lydia's neck isn't as thick as her entire head.

The Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short clip drives that confirmation home, though, with the snow globe inspiring (the exceedingly crafty) Todd to give Lydia a call. He says that he was calling to confirm a meeting, as well as to sweet-talk her by agreeing with her suggestion to produce more product. But what he REALLY wanted to was to ask her on a date to watch an orchestra that he heard about on the radio, although he'd be perfectly fine with leaving after a few songs if she wasn't impressed. That Todd really hits all the angles, doesn't he?

As any normal-ish human being would do in a situation where Todd is leaving a long-ass message, Lydia first assumed something was very wrong, and then ended the call as soon as she understood Todd was trying for a more personal connection. There isn't a time or place in the universe where it makes sense to have small talk with a psychopath.

Not that her instant dismissal reaches its proper mark. Todd brushes that aside and assumes she ended the call because someone could always be listening in on their phone calls. Even though things didn't go all that smoothly for Lydia, at least Todd got strangled to death before he had a chance to advance on her further. Unless, of course, another video shows up later that says otherwise, but I really hope not.

Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short was released to coincide with the linear TV premiere of El Camino, which hit AMC on Sunday, months after making its big debut on Netflix. Here's hoping there's a Blu-ray and DVD release coming soon that has even more of these one-off scenes that wouldn't have a home elsewhere.

Check out the Breaking Bad stars that are returning for Better Call Saul Season 5, which will premiere on AMC on Sunday, February 23, before moving to its normal Monday night time slot at 9:00 p.m. ET.

When taking on various roles, actors are often required to learn different skills and habits in order to best embody the characters that they play -- and this even extends to silly comedies. Take, for example, the cast of the new movie Game Night. Prior to the making of the film, most of the stars didn't really know each other, but they found a way to bond, and as you might have guessed, their chosen method was game nights. As I learned during the Los Angeles press day for the film,

I had the pleasure of sitting down with the stars of Game Night earlier this month, and one question that I asked everybody was in regard to the games that the cast actually played together during the making of the film. It turns out that there wasn't any kind of regular thing going with the full ensemble, but some of them did get together to play the murder mystery game Clue. Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury, who play couple Kevin and Michelle in the film, were the ones who told me about the cast events, and they made it sound like they had a great time.

Unfortunately, not everybody was always available during these sessions, as I learned during my interviews. For example, the owner of the special Clue board, Billy Magnusson, was excited to talk about the get-togethers, but sadly his partner in the film, Sharon Hogan, was never around to play:

The same kind of split was featured in the room when I sat down with stars Jesse Plemons and Kyle Chandler. Plemons, who plays the creepy neighbor Gary in Game Night, was a part of the Clue games, but Chandler, who plays Jason Bateman's outsider brother, Brooks, never made it. They told me,

From my interviews, I gleaned that Billy Magnusson, Larmorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, and Jesse Plemons were all in on the Clue games -- but who won the most? Magnusson told me that there were no consistent winners, but Bunbury and Morris disagreed:

Obviously those game nights happened behind closed doors, but audiences will soon be able to see all of the stars gather together for some murder mystery action on the big screen. Game Night, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and also starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, is arriving in theaters this Friday, February 23rd.

NBC's beloved high school drama Friday Night Lights took a shocking turn in Season 2 when it featured a murder plotline centered around Landry and Tyra, which kicked off in the season premiere. Now we know how series star Jesse Plemons, who played Landry, feels about it as he looks back at that time.

Jesse Plemons is certainly correct that the Landry of Season 1 Friday Night Lights would never have gone as far as his character did in Season 2. And, while it absolutely gave him something brand new to deal with as an actor, it's also true that he feels the story was clear evidence that NBC was messing with the show and trying to bring in sexier action in order to lure in more viewers.

If you were a fan of Friday Night Lights, you might remember that at the end of Season 1 Tyra was sexually assaulted and nearly raped by a stranger as she waited for Landry to show up for their study date in the Alamo Freeze parking lot one night. Landry showed up in time for the man to run off that night, but in the Season 2 premiere the same man has been following her and tries to attack Tyra again (as she waits for Landry...again). This time, Landry shows up and is able to confront him, but he's unable to subdue him in a regular fight. As the man is walking away, an angry Landry picks up a pipe and hits him over the head with it (twice), killing him. Landry and Tyra are then tasked with hiding the body by dumping it in the river.

Friday Night Lights dealt with a lot of intense stories that many teens (and their parents) might have dealt with in real life, and one of the reasons the show was so loved by its fans was how realistic it was. So, as you might imagine, this whole sweet-nerdy-Landry-kills-a-dude-for-Tyra-and-they-hide-the-body plot left a lot of fans and critics confused at the course the show was taking. Not to put too fine a point on it, but folks hated it.

And, it sounds like viewers weren't alone, as Jesse Plemons also revealed in his chat with Yahoo that the actors were none to pleased with the many attempts to sex up their show. It turns out that they figured out a simple way to take a stand against all those newly implemented shower scenes, too.

Well, that is one way to get what you want when you can tell the direction of your show is changing for the worse. Luckily for fans, NBC and the producers seemed to get the point, and Friday Night Lights was back on track before too long.

You can catch Jesse Plemons right now in the Black Mirror Season 4 premiere on Netflix. For more on what you can catch on the small screen in the coming weeks, be sure to head over to our midseason premiere guide.

With both actual Star Trek prequels and parodies getting television renewals, it appears the franchise is all the rage once again. Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville aren't the only shows getting in on that action, however, as Black Mirror teased months ago that it too would be taking a jab at the franchise with their own twisted take on the beloved original series. Now, the show has unloaded the full trailer for the episode, and it looks totally bonkers:

If there's a dark twist to this episode of Black Mirror, it certainly can't be seen in the trailer. In fact, this trailer is only slightly campier than an actual episode of the original Star Trek, although it's pretty close to the original product. The only hint that something may be amiss is the fact that Lieutenant Cole seems generally aware of the campy nature of the U.S.S. Callister, which might indicate that this reality she's in isn't actually real. Perhaps this is where the creepiness begins?

If things begin there, one has to imagine it gets darker with Captain Daly, a.k.a. actor Jesse Plemons. Plemons has played a somewhat twisted character in both Breaking Bad and Fargo, so it wouldn't be crazy if he's on board to engage in something similar for this episode. While Plemons is a likely suspect for whatever darkness is lying in wait (but not at all present) in this trailer, Jimmi Simpson (who is featured as a blue shirt) is also a guy to watch out for given his roles on Westworld, House of Cards, and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

That's all assuming this is a dark and twisted episode of Black Mirror and not some crazy love letter episode to Star Trek. If it were the latter, it would be a weird direction for the episodic anthology series to head, and some might even say Black Mirror is "boldly going" in a direction it's never gone before. While the series is typically known for episodes with rather dark plotlines with twisted endings, it did find acclaim and an Emmy win for its episode "San Junipero," which had a rather happy ending given the show's usual themes. Hopefully, this episode gets some attention from award shows in a scenario where it, Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville are all competing for the same award. And, that's an idea which sounds almost too good for words.

Black Mirror Season 4 is coming to Netflix, although no release date has been given at this time. For other upcoming programming that probably won't be as dark but might be as good, visit our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide. For a look at some shows that probably should've referenced Star Trek to keep their show alive, head on over to our cancellation guide.

Netflix has one of the creepiest shows on television in its library with Black Mirror. Although the show originated in the U.K. on the British network Channel 4, Netflix commissioned the third season that brought a new batch of episodes to streaming. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Season 4 for almost a full year now. We still don't have an official release date for Season 4, but Netflix has finally released a first look at what's to come in the next six episodes, and it seems that Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad fame will be channeling his inner Captain Kirk for a Star Trek-esque special. Take a look!

Jesse Plemons will apparently appear in the episode entitled "USS Callister," which seems to look an awful lot like an episode of original recipe Star Trek. If the ship -- presumably the titular Callister -- is laid out like the good old Enterprise, we can surmise that Jesse Plemons' character will be the captain. Of course, if "USS Callister" follows the tendency of the original Star Trek series to kill off its characters in red shirts, Plemons' character may not survive to the end of the episode. Then again, maybe on the Callister, blue shirts or yellow shirts are the ones who are always dying. Stranger things have happened.

We only see a few seconds of footage in the trailer from "USS Callister," but it seems that something is going on aboard the ship that leads to glowing body parts. The woman who is affected by the glowing looks pretty terrified by it, so the affliction may be painful on top of seriously scary. Then again, who among us wouldn't be tempted to scream if we suddenly saw our hands lighting up? We're not all Iron Fist.

"USS Callister" appears to be the only episode set in the Star Trek-esque world. The other five look quite different. "Crocodile" is evidently set out in the snowy wilderness somewhere, which is not what I would have expected from an episode named after a creature that definitely prefers warmth. "Arkangel" features an adorable blonde girl getting up to unnatural exploits, so it'll probably be terrifying. It's hard to guess what might be going on in "Hang The DJ," although the title makes me think any disc jockeys in the episode probably won't come to happy endings.

"Metalhead" seems to have been shot in black and white, which should definitely add to the creepiness of the story. "Black Museum" looks very suspenseful, and I already cringed at the split second shot of somebody stepping directly onto a pronged plug. Sure, the person is probably an android of some kind getting ready to charge his/her batteries for the evening, but still.

Hopefully we don't have to wait too much longer for Black Mirror Season 4 on Netflix. The trailer says "coming soon," so we can cross our fingers that we'll get the next batch of episodes sometime before the end of the year. Only time will tell. For all the shows you can definitely watch in the not-too-distant future, swing by our fall TV premiere schedule.

Steven Spielberg is already deep in production on his next film, The Papers, and while we knew that two huge stars had joined the cast, it's now been revealed that even more famous faces are going to be a part of the movie. The movie, which will center on the Washington Post's publication of the classified Pentagon Papers in 1971, is going to boast quite the packed cast. Read on to see who's involved in the The Papers.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is on board to play Washington Post publisher Kay Graham in The Papers. Along with the Post's editor Ben Bradlee, she challenged the federal government over their right to publish the Pentagon Papers. Streep, who's often hailed as the greatest actress of her generation, is coming off her 20th Oscar nomination for her performance in Florence Foster Jenkins last year. She will also be seen soon in the Mamma Mia sequel and Mary Poppins Returns.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is set to portray Post editor Ben Bradlee in Spielberg's drama. While this will mark the first time that Hanks and Streep have shared the screen together, this will be the actor's fifth time working with Spielberg. The two-time Oscar winner was recently seen in Sully, Inferno and The Circle, and is also currently working on his voice part as Woody for Toy Story 4.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson has become a TV mainstay over the past few years, mostly due to her work with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story, Feud and American Crime Story, for which she won a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe for her portrayal of lawyer Marcia Clark. She'll also be seen on the big screen in next year's Ocean's Eight with another all star cast.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk is best known to TV audiences as Saul Goodman on the hit Breaking Bad, and in that show's prequel series Better Call Saul. Odenkirk is also known for his work in comedy, and has written for shows like Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O'Brien and W/ Bob and David, which he also starred in with David Cross.

Matthew Rhys

Actor Matthew Rhys is currently known as America's favorite undercover Soviet spy after spending five seasons on the FX hit The Americans. He's also appeared in ABC's Brothers & Sisters and the mini-series Death Comes to Pemberley, and can next be seen on the big screen in Jungle Book.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons had his breakout role on Friday Night Lights from 2006-2011, and since then the actor has gone on to a number of notable TV and film projects. Among other things, he can be seen in The Master, Breaking Bad, Bridge of Spies and Fargo, which saw him receive an Emmy nomination in 2016. Other upcoming projects include American Made, Game Night and The Bell Jar.

David Cross

Audiences usually associate David Cross with comedy, and that's for good reason. He spent four seasons as never-nude Tobias on Arrested Development, and also created and starred in Mr. Show with Bob and David with Bob Odenkirk, and reunited with him for W/ Bob and David. Most recently, he was seen on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Carrie Coon

Actress Carrie Coon has been making waves since her work in Gone Girl in 2014. Since then, she's had critically acclaimed turns in The Leftovers and Fargo, and she'll soon be seen in the horror film The Keeping Hours.

Bradley Whitford

Many people can't think about Bradley Whitford without being reminded of his wonderful turn as Josh on The West Wing for seven seasons, but the actor has done much more than that. He's brought his talents to over 100 film and television projects, including The Cabin in the Woods, Transparent and the recent horror hit Get Out.

Alison Brie

After first coming to the attention of most people on NBC's meta comedy Community, Alison Brie has made quite a career for herself. Along with appearing on screen in Mad Men, How to be Single and the upcoming Netflix series GLOW, she's lent her voice to BoJack Horseman and The Lego Movie.

Bruce Greenwood

After 40 years on the big and small screens, it would be highly unusual if you hadn't seen something that Bruce Greenwood has starred in. St. Elsewhere, Knots Landing, I, Robot, the rebooted Star Trek films, Mad Men and American Crime Story have all seen his talents. He most recently appeared in the Dirty Dancing remake.

Tracy Letts

Tracy Letts is a writer and actor who's appeared in Judging Amy, Prison Break, Homeland, Elvis & Nixon and Divorce. He's also adapted several of the stage plays he's written for the big screen or TV, including Superior Donuts and August: Osage County.

Michael Stuhlbarg

Michael Stuhlbarg has made a name for himself in films and television shows like A Serious Man, Blue Jasmine, Men in Black 3, Boardwalk Empire and Doctor Strange. He can currently be seen in Fargo.

Zach Woods

Zach Woods has filled his resume with work in a lot of notable projects, including The Office, The Other Guys, Kroll Show, Veep and The Good Wife. He's been a major player on HBO's Silicon Valley since it started in 2014.

According to Variety, the film is currently on the fast track and the filmmakers are looking to have it ready for this year's awards season, with The Papers seeing a limited release on December 22 and then going wide on January 12, 2018.

Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons are taking their romance from the screen to the real world. The actors who played husband and wife on the most recent season of Fargo are now making wedding plans for themselves!

Rumors of Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons' engagement arose on Tuesday, after Page Six published claims that the two stars got engaged over Golden Globes weekend. Dunst's mother then confirmed the happy news via her private Facebook page, according to E! News, and Dunst swept away any remaining doubt by showing up at the Palm Springs Film Festival with a brand new diamond ring on her ring finger.

The engagement came as a surprise to most fans of the actors, especially since Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons had been keeping their relationship extremely quiet. The pair met at the very beginning of 2015 when filming for the second season of FX's hit anthology series Fargo began, but Dunst was still dating her On the Road costar Garrett Hedlund at that time. It wasn't until a little over a year later that Dunst and Hedlund decided to end things after four years together. A month after her breakup, photographers for Us Weekly spotted Dunst kissing Plemons. That was back in May of 2016, and the low-key couple was only seen together in public a few times since then.

It isn't difficult for Fargo fans to see why the relationship moved so quickly --- Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons convinced the world of their love before they ever dated, playing high school sweethearts Peggy and Ed Balmquist in Season 2 of Fargo. According to Plemons, the spark between the two of them was obvious right when he met her. The actor gushed about first meeting Dunst at a Paleyfest panel for Fargo back in 2015.

They are also both actors who are catching the eyes of critics with some very well-reviewed roles recently. Jesse Plemons transitioned from child star to a respected adult actor with major roles in beloved television shows like Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad, along with blockbuster movies like Bridge of Spies and The Master. Kirsten Dunst similarly began her acting career young in now-classic films like Jumanji and Interview with the Vampire, and grew into a Hollywood mainstay, most recently appearing in the critically beloved new release Hidden Figures.

As for bringing their love to the screen again, we have no idea whether Kirsten Dunst is planning on working with her soon-to-be hubby in a professional sense anytime soon or not. Since Fargo is an anthology series, we likely won't see Peggy or Ed Balmquist rekindle their complicated marriage in the show's upcoming third season.

But I'm sure Kirsten and Jesse are more concerned about their upcoming real marriage than their fake one right now.

Molly Shannon is almost exclusively known for her comedic background, including a long stint as a primary cast member on Saturday Night Live, and lead and supporting roles in a lot of big screen comedies. The first trailer for Other People, however, shows Shannon in a completely new light, and it could mean picking up some award attention in the near future.

Other People, which is written and directed by filmmaker Chris Kelly as his first feature, had its premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Now that it's prepping for release in the fall, Vertical Entertainment has received the movie's first trailer. And it looks fantastic.

A semi-autobiographical film, Other People stars Jesse Plemons (of Breaking Bad and Fargo fame) as David, a gay comedy writer who makes the decision to move back home so that he can take care of his mother - who has been diagnosed with cancer. Playing the mom role, Molly Shannon has received accolades for her performance, but as you can see in the trailer, the cast is incredible on beyond it's two impressive leads. Watching closely, you probably spotted Bradley Whitford, June Squibb, Kerri Kenney, Retta, and Zach Woods - all of whom also happen to be talented comedians. Given the subject matter, we expect this movie to go into some pretty dark places, but given the footage and the ensemble, the audience will also be laughing quite a lot as well.

Molly Shannon has been working a lot recently, with notable roles in the fantastic Wet Hot American Summer Netflix series, Hotel Transylvania 2, and the upcoming Sarah Jessica Parker series Divorce. She's also in writer/director Nathan Adloff's indie comedy drama Miles, which is currently on the festival circuit.

It's a bit of a cliche that Hollywood loves to give Oscars to actors portraying the sick and handicap - but it's a cliche because it's so common, and it's why Molly Shannon might get Other People some Academy Award attention. If you're now looking forward to seeing the film as much as we are, the good news is that it will be out in theaters on September 9th. For those that don't want to wait that long, and live in Southern California, however, you may have the opportunity to see it sooner, as it will be screening as the closing night film at the LGBT Film Festival OUTFEST in Los Angeles on July 9th.

In the meantime, what did you think of the trailer for Other People? Is this something you're planning to go see? What do you make of Molly Shannon's Oscar chances? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, feelings and opinions!

We all probably tell ourselves that we would exhibit adroit social skills when meeting a beloved celebrity, but there are a lot of people out there who are not so mentally sharp in the heat of the moment. Former Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad star Jesse Plemons knows all about how weird some fans can get. Here, he describes two scenarios, both involving Breaking Bad fanatics.

Well, if that person’s goal wasn’t actually getting a picture taken but rather “cementing himself inside the memory banks of Jesse Plemons, so that he may speak about the incident on a late night show,” then I have to conclude it was a success. Many congratulations, person.

Now, those requests are definitely understandable, to a certain extent, if you’ve watched Breaking Bad the whole way through. (Spoilers follow, if not.) Plemons’ character, the dutiful Todd, was killed off in the series finale as Jesse choked him out with shackles and snapped his neck, thus the strangle request; although I have to wonder if those people happened to have some heavy duty shackles with them when they asked. And then as far as a picture of Plemons making a gun-hand at them, one can never forget the classic episode ”Dead Freight,” in which he shoots a child who stumbles upon Todd, Walt and Jesse doing bad things.

Gah, that scene. Who would want to relive that in a personal photograph? WHO, I ASK YOU? Or maybe that person was referencing another scene where Todd shot something. Whatever.

To contrast these kinds of requests, Plemons also told Seth Meyers about how Friday Night Lights fans don’t do that kind of thing at all. They just kind of expect him to be himself, because Landry Clarke = Jesse Plemons, and vice versa. We will not accept a reality where this is not true. You can check out the entire interview clip below.

You can catch Late Night with Seth Meyers every weeknight on NBC, and Plemons is currently starring as one-half of the extremely awkward Blumquist couple on Season 2 of FX’s Fargo. I wonder if fans will ask him to take a picture where he’s acting like he’s scrubbing the blood out of the ground.

Tom Cruise has his stature just as strong as ever, as the evergreen Hollywood behemoth has lined up an all-star cast for his impending suspense-comedy, Mena. And when I say all-star cast, I really do mean it. Because Cruise will pop-up opposite a number of rising Hollywood starlets for the Doug Liman-directed flick.

But exactly who will be sharing the screen with Tom Cruise for the adventure? Well, luckily for you we’ve assembled a nifty guide that will get you immediately up-to date with the cast of Mena’s previous exploits, as well as their facial features.

Tom Cruise

The Edge Of Tomorrow duo are reteaming for Mena, which will see Tom Cruise star as Barry Seal, a pilot and a hustler who is recruited by the CIA to oversee one of the largest operations in U.S. history. Based on a true story, Deadline are reporting that Cruise will once again do his own stunts, and along the way he’s going to be joined by a cavalcade of stars.

Domhnall Gleeson

The above good man is Domhnall Gleeson. And if you don’t recognise the Irishman from his turns in About Time, Frank, or Unbroken, then you’ll have probably heard of the critically acclaimed Ex Machina, which he starred opposite Oscar Isaac in, and is currently wowing audiences. Still haven’t got a clue? Then just give it a few months, because he’s popping up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens too.

Sarah Wright

Admittedly, Sarah Wright’s cinematic efforts aren't quite as impressive as Gleeson’s. However they’re still nothing to snicker at as her enchanting beauty has lit up the likes of The House Bunny, Celeste And Jesse Forever, 21 & Over, and Walk Of Shame, while she’s also appeared in Mad Men, Happy Endings, and Parks and Recreation too. Not too shabby.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons continues to be on the most sought after young actors in Hollywood. His small screen appearances on Breaking Bad and Friday Night Lights showcased his versatility and presence, and he’s since shone in small roles in Battleship, The Master, and The Homesman, which is why he has a prominent part opposite Johnny Depp in Black Mass.

Caleb Landry Jones

Cruise will be going up against his very own X-Man in Mena thanks to the addition of Caleb Landry Jones, who appeared as Banshee in X-Men: First Class. Despite being just 25 years old, Landry Jones has already developed an eclectic CV that includes the Neil Jordan thriller Byzantium, the Mark Wahlberg-led Contraband, God’s Pocket (the last ever film to star Philip Seymour Hoffman), and John Boorman’s Queen and Country. That’s better than most Hollywood veterans could even dream of. Kudos.

Jayma Mays

Despite appearing in the likes of Glee, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The Smurfs, and The Smurfs 2 there’s still something innately lovable about Jayma Mays which means you can’t quite hate her. Even though her CV begs you to. Hopefully Mena signifies that she’s moving onto more serious fodder.

Mena is clearly shaping up rather nicely already with this neat ensemble. But the main attraction is still the pairing up of Doug Liman and Tom Cruise, as the director not only drew the best performance out of the actor since Magnolia with Edge Of Tomorrow, but created arguably the most underrated blockbuster of the millennium too. We’ll expect more of the same when Mena hits on January 6, 2017. No pressure there then.

Fargo is finally getting Season 2 off the ground. We’ve known for a while that the new season of FX’s hit event drama would follow some strong female characters and this morning the network announced that one strong woman and one well-known TV actor will be joining the second season of Noah Hawley’s drama. Kirsten Dunst and Breaking Bad’s Jesse Plemons will be joining the second season of the dark drama.

Today’s big announcement fleshes out a few more details related to the series. Kirsten Dunst is set to play Peggy Blomquist, a beautician with big city dreams whose shop actually happens to be in a small town. She’ll be married to a man named Ed, who will be played by Jesse Plemons. Plemons is a butcher’s assistant who spends a lot of time dealing with his troubled wife, who will be having trouble dealing with societal expectations. I’m not sure how either character will relate to overarching “true crime” premise of the show, but I can’t wait to find out.

So far, we know a lot more about Fargo’s basic Season 2 outline than its cast. We know that the show is looking more at the Coen brothers’ other film Miller’s Crossing for inspiration, rather than Fargo, which informed the first season. The series will also be a blast to the past, following a set of events that occurred in 1979 in Sioux Falls, Minnesota—the same setting featured in Fargo’s first season, just in a different decade. The show will also follow some of the same characters from Season 1, including Lou Solverson, his daughter, Molly, and Duluth policeman Ben Schmidt. Remember these guys?

Obviously, since the show is hopping back in time several decades, each of the actors are being recast, although there’s no word on who will play those characters, yet. We do know that Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman (aka Ron Swanson), Burn Notice actor Jeffrey Donovan and newcomer Rachel Keller are in negotiations to play other characters on the show. (Unfortunately, none of those characters happen to be any of the aforementioned ones.)

We should be hearing plenty of other casting details, soon. While FX’s Fargo isn’t expected to hit the TV schedule until next fall, production is set to begin in January, so the show needs to have all of its ducks in a row sometime before then. Filming will occur in Calgary and 10 brand new episodes will be produced for Season 2. I’m not sure how FX could possibly top a season starring Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton and featuring the awesome talent of Colin Hanks, Key and Peele and newcomer Allison Tolman, but Fargo is definitely off to a good start with today's big casting news.

Almost everyone loves a good crossover/mash-up. Particularly when they see two very good things come together, like in the Jason Katims-a-palooza that is Friday Night at The Luncheonette. It’s here, it’s here! Just like we told you it would be. A 4-part web series mash up of Katims’ two biggest shows — Friday Night Lights and Parenthood — arrived online today with a sneak peek to satiate the needs of Parenthood fans until it returns to NBC on February 27th. Not to mention seriously excite those among us with clear eyes and full hearts that just can’t seem to let Dillon, Texas go.

Clocking in at 2:32, the first part of the four-part web series gives us but a glimpse into what’s to come, but does set the stage a bit for how a California to Texas crossover could occur. The whole thing begins with Amber working after hours at The Luncheonette recording studio while simultaneously watching Max and his camera phone bug her both literally and figuratively. After a truly enlightening conversation about cockroaches, there’s a knock on the door and suddenly: Landry Clarke! Who, natch, Amber calls “Lance,” which was all-in-all too much (in the best way).

And there are so many tiny, FNL centric details in the clip, including the mention that Jesse Plemons (the actor otherwise known as Landry) was “Becky [Sproles]’s friend.” To say nothing of the wardrobe choices: matching cardigans aside, Amber’s wearing an East Dillon High School t-shirt, another nod to the previous Katims series.

In what we hope will be explained in parts 2 – 4, Landry and his band Crucifictorious are, for some reason, in Berkeley for a bit of a recording session. Beyond that, details are scarce. Though, we do know that Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) is slated to appear as well, which is sure to be fun (especially if they tap Matt Lauria who has appeared on both series to somehow get in on the mix, too) and probably a bit disastrous to boot.

And just in case you’ve somehow forgotten the musical stylings of Crucifictorious, allow us to remind you with a clip from their first time playing live on Friday Night Lights — it’s a doozy if you’re unaware of their particular genre, so just be prepared.

Now hurry up and give us the next installments, Katims!

Actor Jesse Plemons has impressed a hell of a lot of people over the last few years, putting on acclaimed performances on both Friday Night Lights and the final two seasons of Breaking Bad, but more recently Plemmons has managed to impress the man at the helm of one of the biggest upcoming blockbusters in Hollywood: J.J. Abrams. The Wrap is now reporting that the filmmaker was so impressed with Plemons' audition tape for Star Wars: Episode VII that the young actor is being called in to meet with Abrams face-to-face and try out in person.

Because of the insane level of secrecy surrounding the project, we have absolutely no idea who Plemons could potentially play in the highly-anticipated sci-fi sequel, but sources say that he is currently "in contention for a lead role." Disney/Lucasfilm had no comment on the story, but The Wrap uses words like "favorite" and "frontrunner" to describe Plemons' current status in the casting process. While it seems to be entirely speculation, the site notes that the actor does bear at least some resemblance to original series star Mark Hamill and suggests that being 25 could make him a perfect candidate to play the son of a 60+-year-old Luke Skywalker.

Plemons has spent most of his career on the small screen, also previously starring on the short-lived series Bent and taking single episode roles in shows like Children's Hospital, NCIS, CSI and Grey's Anatomy, but he has managed to get some big screen experience as well. Most recently he played Phillip Seymour Hoffman's non-believer son in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, but other credits in his filmmography include Greg Mottola's Paul, Peter Berg's Battleship and Jody Hill's Observe and Report. Personally, I'm among the fans who know him best as "Meth Damon" - the psychotic young neo-nazi from Breaking Bad - but landing a role in Star Wars: Episode VII could change that completely.

What do you guys think about this development? Given how many incredibly talented actors auditioned for Star Wars: Episode VII, do you think that Jesse Plemons would be a good choice to play one of the show's leads? Answer our poll and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

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For a while, Jesse Plemons was - to many Friday Night Lights fans - best associated for his role as the trusted, reliable and occasionally adorable Landry Clarke on FNL. But his recent appearances on Breaking Bad may have marred that image for some of us. That's hardly a complaint, as creepy Todd was a welcome addition to the already fantastic cast of the AMC drama. Still, my smile comes a little less easily when I see his face. I'm willing to get over that for a bit of great casting news, which is what we have here.

Deadline reports that Plemons has joined the cast of The Missionary, the HBO drama pilot starring Benjamin Walker. The pilot comes from Charles Randolph and is produced by Mark Wahlberg and Malcolm Gladwell. It's described as a Cold War spy drama, set in Berlin during the late 60s. Walker plays Roy, "a young American missionary who gets caught up in Cold War intrigue while helping a young woman escape East Berlin." Meanwhile, Plemons is set to play Sherwood Elbridge, who's described as "a young coca-cola executive who helps smuggle defectors out of the Eastern Bloc."

We know and love him from Friday Night Lights and now know he can make uncomfortable thanks to his performance as the unsettling Todd in Breaking Bad. At the very least, Plemons has range and that should serve him well in this new role. Hopefully things turn out well for The Missionary, which sounds like an interesting project. It'd be great to see Plemons back in a regular role on TV, especially since things didn't work out so well for the NBC comedy Bent (I'm still not over that show's brief run and cancellation).

Paul Thomas Anderson is directing another movie. Sure, we've known about it for a couple weeks now, but I feel like celebrating whenever I hear that bit of news. The project, formally titled The Master, already stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in the lead roles, but now the cast has received a few additions.

Variety says that Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons and David Warshofsky have joined the film, which is set to begin production on June 13. Anderson's first film since 2008, the unnamed project tells the story of an L. Ron Hubbard stand-in named Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) who, after coming back from World War II begins his own church. Dern's role is unspecified, but Plemons will play Dodd's son while Warshofsky will be a detective. While both Dern and Plemons will be working with Anderson for the first time, Warshofsky played H.M. Tilford in There Will Be Blood.

I know fans are disappointed that Friday Night Lights has ended, but it looks like the cast is doing just fine. Between Plemons being cast in this film and Kyle Chandler having a major role in Super 8, which comes out next week, they seem to be doing quite well for themselves.