Jesse Plemons
Encyclopedia
Jesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC
's Friday Night Lights
.
and All the Pretty Horses
, and guest-starring on Walker, Texas Ranger
and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
, Plemons' first prominent role was in the 2002 film Like Mike
alongside Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki
. He later went on to appear in Children on Their Birthdays
and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
, with guest roles on the television series Judging Amy
, The Lyon's Den
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
and Grey's Anatomy
between 2003 and 2006.
In 2006, Plemons joined the ensemble cast
of NBC
's television series Friday Night Lights
, detailing the fictional events surrounding a high school football
team in Dillon, Texas
. In the show's first season, his character Landry Clarke provided comic relief
as the best friend of football quarterback
Matt Saracen
, though Landry himself was not on the team. He says that, among the cast and crew, it was a joke that Plemons played football better than most of the other actors even though his character was one of the few that did not play. Landry joined the football team in the second season, and Plemons, having played high school football before, told director Jeffrey Reiner
that he would do his own stunts. In his first football scene, Plemons as Landry had to "get the crap beat out of [him] over and over and over again". When hit by co-star Taylor Kitsch
, his chin split open and he had to have 11 stitches. He is the second-youngest main cast member on the series, behind Aimee Teegarden
.
. He currently resides in Austin. In 2007, he graduated from the Texas Tech University Independent School District
, a distance learning program, which allowed him to earn his high school diploma. Plemons' three favorite books are To the Actor by Michael Chekhov
, Building a Character by Constantin Stanislavski and Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
. His favorite films are On The Waterfront
, Waiting for Guffman
and Lonesome Dove. His favorite songs are "Love in Vain
" by Robert Johnson, "The Light
" by Common
and "Carolina in my Mind
" by James Taylor
. He also plays guitar and sings in the band Cowboy and Indian.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
.
Career
After appearing in the films Varsity BluesVarsity Blues (film)
Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their...
and All the Pretty Horses
All the Pretty Horses (film)
All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz...
, and guest-starring on Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
, Plemons' first prominent role was in the 2002 film Like Mike
Like Mike
Like Mike is a 2002 film, directed by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki and Brenda Song. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars...
alongside Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan Lipnicki
Jonathan William Lipnicki is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, and Like Mike.- Personal life :...
. He later went on to appear in Children on Their Birthdays
Children on Their Birthdays
Children on Their Birthdays is a 2002 American independent film directed by Mark Medoff. The screenplay written by Douglas Sloan is based on "Children on Their Birthdays", the short story of the same title by Truman Capote.-Plot:...
and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a 2003 children's movie starring Jonathan Lipnicki and Cody Linley, based on the children's book of the same name by Kimberly Willis Holt.-Plot:...
, with guest roles on the television series Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
, The Lyon's Den
The Lyon's Den
The Lyon's Den is a 2003 television series set in Washington, D.C. The legal drama starred Rob Lowe as a lawyer called Jack Turner, newly appointed as partner of a long-established law firm that, as the plot revealed, harbored some dark secrets...
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
between 2003 and 2006.
In 2006, Plemons joined the ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's television series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, detailing the fictional events surrounding a high school football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team in Dillon, Texas
Dillon, Texas
Dillon was a town in Hopkins County, Texas, located four miles south of Saltillo. The town was named after E. F. Dillon, who started operating the post office in his store in 1903. The post office closed in 1906, and in the mid-1930's the town disappeared from highway maps....
. In the show's first season, his character Landry Clarke provided comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
as the best friend of football quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Matt Saracen
Matt Saracen
Matthew "Matt" Saracen is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama series Friday Night Lights portrayed by the actor Zach Gilford...
, though Landry himself was not on the team. He says that, among the cast and crew, it was a joke that Plemons played football better than most of the other actors even though his character was one of the few that did not play. Landry joined the football team in the second season, and Plemons, having played high school football before, told director Jeffrey Reiner
Jeffrey Reiner
Jeffrey Reiner is an American film director, editor, television director and producer.Since the late 1980s, he has amassed a number credits in the film and television industry...
that he would do his own stunts. In his first football scene, Plemons as Landry had to "get the crap beat out of [him] over and over and over again". When hit by co-star Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch
-Early life and modeling career:Kitsch was born in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has two older brothers and two younger half sisters. Originally set to become a professional hockey player, he played for the Langley Hornets in the Canadian BCHL before a bad knee injury ended his career...
, his chin split open and he had to have 11 stitches. He is the second-youngest main cast member on the series, behind Aimee Teegarden
Aimee Teegarden
Aimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...
.
Personal life
Plemons was raised in Mart, TexasMart, Texas
Mart is a city in Limestone and McLennan Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,273 at the 2000 census.The McLennan County portion of Mart is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He currently resides in Austin. In 2007, he graduated from the Texas Tech University Independent School District
Texas Tech University Independent School District
Texas Tech University Independent School District is the only accredited distance learning kindergarten through twelfth grade program in Texas offering high school diplomas. It is operated by Texas Tech University, which is located in Lubbock....
, a distance learning program, which allowed him to earn his high school diploma. Plemons' three favorite books are To the Actor by Michael Chekhov
Michael Chekhov
Michael Chekhov was a Russian-American actor, director, author, and theatre practitioner. His acting technique has been used by actors such as Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, and Robert Stack. Constantin Stanislavski referred to him as his most brilliant student...
, Building a Character by Constantin Stanislavski and Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
by Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
. His favorite films are On The Waterfront
On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront is a 1954 American drama film about union violence and corruption among longshoremen. The film was directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. The soundtrack score was composed by Leonard...
, Waiting for Guffman
Waiting for Guffman
Waiting for Guffman is a mockumentary starring, co-written and directed by Christopher Guest that was released in 1997. Its cast included Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Parker Posey and others who would appear in several of the subsequent mockumentaries directed by Guest.The title of...
and Lonesome Dove. His favorite songs are "Love in Vain
Love in Vain
"Love in Vain" is a 1937 blues song written by Robert Johnson.The song is noted for its sad lyrics, tone, and style. In the 1991 documentary film The Search for Robert Johnson, John P. Hammond plays Robert's recording of "Love in Vain" for the elderly Willie Mae Powell, the woman for whom it was...
" by Robert Johnson, "The Light
The Light (Common song)
----"The Light" is the Grammy-nominated second single off Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It is produced by Jay Dee and features keyboards performed by James Poyser. It samples "Open Your Eyes" as performed by Bobby Caldwell and the drums from "You're Getting a Little too Smart" by...
" by Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
and "Carolina in my Mind
Carolina in My Mind
"Carolina in My Mind" is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor, which first appeared on his 1968 debut album, James Taylor. Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for The Beatles' label Apple Records, and the song's themes reflect his homesickness at the time. Released as...
" by James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
. He also plays guitar and sings in the band Cowboy and Indian.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Paul Paul (film) Paul is a 2011 science fiction comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It stars Pegg, Frost, and the voice of Seth Rogen as the title character... |
Jake |
| 2009 | Observe and Report Observe and Report Observe and Report is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Jody Hill, starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and Ray Liotta.-Plot:... |
Charles |
| 2009 | Shrink Shrink (film) Shrink is a 2009 American independent film about a psychologist who treats members of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, California. It stars an ensemble cast headed by Kevin Spacey as Dr. Henry Carter. Filming took place in Los Angeles under the direction of Jonas Pate using a script... |
Jesus |
| 2003 | When Zachary Beaver Came to Town When Zachary Beaver Came to Town When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is a 2003 children's movie starring Jonathan Lipnicki and Cody Linley, based on the children's book of the same name by Kimberly Willis Holt.-Plot:... |
Jay (trailer bully) |
| 2003 | The Failures | Boe |
| 2002 | Children on Their Birthdays Children on Their Birthdays Children on Their Birthdays is a 2002 American independent film directed by Mark Medoff. The screenplay written by Douglas Sloan is based on "Children on Their Birthdays", the short story of the same title by Truman Capote.-Plot:... |
Preacher Star |
| 2002 | Like Mike Like Mike Like Mike is a 2002 film, directed by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki and Brenda Song. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars... |
Ox |
| 2000 | All the Pretty Horses All the Pretty Horses (film) All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz... |
Young Grady |
| 1999 | Varsity Blues Varsity Blues (film) Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their... |
Tommy Harbor |
External links
- Jesse Plemons at NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
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