Kirsten Dunst’s Civil War featured her husband Jesse Plemons in one of the most disturbing scenes in the film. Fans were terrified yet impressed by Plemons’ chilling performance, but director Alex Garland shared that the scene was meant for another actor. When the original actor became unavailable a few days before the shoot, it was Dunst who suggested Plemons for the role. Garland felt incredibly lucky to have the Breaking Bad actor on board the film.
Civil War received positive reviews from critics after its premiere at the SXSW Festival on March 14. The film also stars Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman. The film showcases the plight of journalists in a dystopian future when an American Civil War breaks out.
Kirsten Dunst Should Be Thanked For Jesse Plemons’ Civil War Appearance
A24’s latest film Civil War deals with some pretty hard-hitting themes and has already raked in $25 million after its release last weekend (via The Numbers). Kirsten Dunst leads this dystopian drama and plays the role of war photojournalist Lee Smith. Dunst is receiving high praise for her performance in Alex Garland‘s film, but fans should thank her for another reason too.
During an interview with the LA Times, Garland revealed that the film was lucky to have Jesse Plemons play a small role in the film. Plemons and Dunst met on the sets of Fargo in 2016, became engaged in 2017, and got married in 2022. It was the Spider-Man actress who suggested Plemons for the role at a critical time for the director.
Garland shared that the original actor intended for the role dropped out just a few days before filming the scene. He contacted Plemons after Dunst’s suggestion. He told the LA Times:
“I was standing out on the street when I got the call and I thought, ‘Oh sh*t. Now, now we’re in trouble.’ And so I went to the rehearsal and said ‘Bad news, guys, so and so can’t do it.’ And Kirsten said, ‘What? You should ask Jesse.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, that would be amazing.’”
Garland further added that it was pure luck that Plemons was just around to do the role. He admitted that he and the Civil War team were incredibly lucky to get Plemons to appear in the film. Garland shared, “That makes it sound like I’m being disrespectful to the other actor. I’m not at all. It’s just the film was very lucky to get Jesse.” Plemons recently starred in Martin Scorsese‘s Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon as BOI agent Thomas Bruce White Sr.
Who Is Jesse Plemons Playing In Kirsten Dunst’s Civil War? (Spoilers Ahead)
Jesse Plemons’ Civil War co-star Cailee Spaeny told EW that when the actor finally appeared on set, he was completely in character. Spaeny shared that he was improvising the whole time and the scene quickly became haunting for the actress due to Plemons’ exceptional performance. Spaeny shared with EW:
“Jesse was completely in character, improvising the whole time and just drilling me. I was just thinking, ‘Oh my God, Jesse, please stop!’ It was so haunting. He did such a brilliant job, but my God, after two days of that, it was a lot.”
Plemons played a racist American soldier who was not exactly friendly with the journalists. In a horrifying scene, the journalists discover that Plemons’ character was covering up a mass grave. Spaeny’s character Jessie falls into the grave and expects a grueling death at the hands of Plemons’ character. However, she’s saved by the heroic act of veteran journalist Sammy, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson.
Civil War debuted in the U.S. and U.K. theaters on April 12, 2024.
