Since beginning his acting career as a child actor, Jesse Plemons has played several iconic roles in movies and television. Although Hollywood is filled with child actors struggling to sustain their fame and success, Plemons has had a relatively successful career. While he has played the lead in several movies, Jesse Plemons has earned a reputation as a character actor.
Jesse Plemons’ breakout role was playing Landry Clarke on the sports drama series Friday Night Lights. Almost two decades later, as at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024, Plemons has starred in seven movies nominated for Best Picture. Through the years, Plemons has also portrayed several historical figures. Here are 5 times Jesse Plemons portrayed notable historical figures in movies.
Kevin Weeks in Black Mass (2015)
The Scott Cooper-directed biographical crime drama Black Mass (2015) is one of Johnny Depp’s most underrated movie performances. While Depp led the cast with his portrayal of Winter Hill Gang crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, Jesse Plemons portrayed one of Bulger’s right-hand men and friend, Kevin Weeks. Black Mass was adapted from Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill‘s 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.
The movie centered around James “Whitey” Bulger’s unholy relationship with the FBI after he became an informant. The unwholesome relationship, which led Bulger to run amok in South Boston, was made public in 1999. After Kevin Weeks was arrested and held at Rhode Island prison, it took Weeks about two weeks before he chose to cooperate with the authorities. Kevin Weeks was sentenced to 5 years in prison for racketeering/narcotics trafficking. Weeks was released in 2005.
Floyd Landis in The Program (2015)
The Program is a biographical drama about former American professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong (portrayed by Ben Foster). Directed by Stephen Frears, The Program generally received mixed to average critical reviews, with several critics criticizing its pace and direction. Jesse Plemons portrayed his second historical figure in movies in 2015. Plemons was cast as Floyd Landis, former Mennonite road racing cyclist, and Lance Armstrong teammate. Floyd Landis first name-dropped Lance Armstrong in 2010 as one of the sport’s top cyclists that was doping. Investigations would later lead to stripping of all seven consecutive Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France titles. As always, Jesse Plemons was phenomenal in his portrayal of Floyd Landis.
Watch The Program on Apple TV+
Roy Mitchell in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
Although Roy Mitchell isn’t revealed as the real name of the FBI Special Agent handler, the figure did exist. Shaka King’s 2021 biographical crime drama Roy Mitchell in Judas and the Black Messiah was about the rise, betrayal, and death of Illinois’ Black Panther Party chapter chairman Fred Hampton (portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya). Plemons’ Roy Mitchell offers Bill O’Neal (portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield) a deal to become an FBI informant to escape jail time. As an informant, Bill O’Neal infiltrated the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. As a mole, Bill O’Neal’s activities and information led to the death of Fred Hampton. Jesse Plemons’ portrayal of the faceless FBI agent helped tell the historical accounts of the agency’s involvement in the death of Fred Hampton. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) received critical acclaim and blessings from the real Fred Hampton’s family.
Watch Judas and the Black Messiah
Prince Joachim in Jungle Cruise (2021)
In the same 2021, Jesse Plemons’ portrayal of historical figures in movies saw him get cast in the Walt Disney-produced Jungle Cruise. While based on the Walt Disney Jungle Cruise Theme Park, Jungle Cruise’s screenplay is based on events in an alternate history. Although the story is largely fictitious, Jesse Plemons portrayed a real historical figure, Prince Joachim. In history, Prince Joachim of Prussia was the youngest son and sixth child of German Emperor Wilhelm II. His mother was Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. In Jungle Cruise, Plemons’ Prince Joachim is one of the antagonists. Like the protagonists, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), he is searching for Lágrimas de Cristal Tree for himself and Germany.
Watch Jungle Cruise on Disney+
Tom White in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
In 2023, Jesse Plemons portrayed another historical law enforcement officer, Tom White. Jesse Plemons joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) in a supporting role. With the movie set in the 1920s, Killers of the Flower Moon centers on the events leading to and after the murder of certain prominent members of the Osage Nation. After Mollie Burkhart (portrayed by Lily Gladstone) lobbies then-President Calvin Coolidge, the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) sends Agent Thomas Bruce White Sr. (Jesse Plemons) and assistants to investigate the murders. Tom White’s investigation helped solve the murder mysteries and, ultimately, the arrest of William King Hale (portrayed by Robert De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio). If you enjoyed reading about Jesse Plemons‘ historical figure portrayals in movies, check out the 7 things in Outlander that are historically accurate.
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