It is a tale as old as time. Two performers meet on the set of an acclaimed series and fall in love.
But the relationship between Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst is more heartwarming than the average Hollywood couple. The two met on FX’s anthology series, Fargo, and have loved working together ever since. During promotion for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, Plemons told ExtraTV that he enjoyed being able to share this experience with his partner, adding: “Aside from that, she’s my favorite actor to work with. There’s an easy element to it that makes it more fun.” Dunst was quick to concur with the statement.
“We’re good at jumping off the cliff together. Which is why we got along so well on Fargo. We were both like, no ego. We were creatively soulmates first.”
Fargo was not the only project they would share. The two have had an impressive shared resume of interesting films and television.
1. Civil War
Alex Garland’s new feature film appears to be more traditional than his disastrous film, Men. But when considering a Garland film, more traditional still means it promises to be a wild ride. A cautionary tale about American politics, ala The Purge, the upcoming film shows what a modern civil war would look like.
Dunst plays a journalist well versed in being on the battlefront, only this time it’s at home. With 19 states seceding from the union, she and fellow journalists try to make it to DC. This puts her at odds with her real-life husband, a soldier who aggressively backs the status quo. Plemons’ character asks what kind of Americans they are, putting the married couple in one of their most confrontational roles thus far. The film is just the most recent collaboration between the actors who have enjoyed a successful joint career in several other ventures.
2. The Power of the Dog
The 2021 Oscar contender is without a doubt a harrowing tale, but is one of the more romantic dynamics Dunst has had with her husband onscreen. Jane Campion’s Western follows a vicious cowboy, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch), who becomes at odds with his brother George’s (Plemons) new wife, Rose (Dunst). Phil psychologically tortures Rose, who falls deeper into alcoholism. But George unequivocally loves his new wife, and this dynamic is evident when watching the couple on screen. No matter how much Sam Elliott criticized the movie, Campion’s work is a masterclass in filmmaking. When speaking to Vanity Fair about her famous roles, Dunst gave a subtle wink to the audience when complimenting the onscreen chemistry she has with her husband.
“There’s something in acting you always chase, a feeling of like you’re flying in a scene. There’s no cameras, and it feels so free. And I’ve definitely felt that with certain actors, like Jesse Plemons for instance, where you’re just on the same page, and just trying things and it feels so alive.”
The film ends in triumph for the family. Ultimately, they are rid of Phil’s ruthless presence, completing a difficult journey for the characters.
3. Black Mirror
Fans of Breaking Bad are used to seeing Plemons as a sociopathic baddie. After a show-stealing arc as Todd, he used these skills in the futuristic anthology series, Black Mirror. In one of the rare episodes that awards viewers with a happy ending, the season 4 premiere posits Robert Daly (Plemons) as someone you may feel sympathy for.
This all goes away when it turns out he devises a virtual reality simulation where he clones his coworkers to play with them as he so chooses. The central figure is Nanette Cole (played by Cristin Milioti , another Fargo season 2 alum), whom Daly is romantically obsessed over. In the simulation, her clone becomes a self-actualized person of her own who strikes out to defeat Daly’s villainy. Also cast in the episode was Dunst, though you may have missed it upon first viewing. Director Toby Haynes told The Hollywood Reporter that they spontaneously put her in one scene.
“She was sitting on set with Jesse and was like, ‘Can I play? I said, ‘sure,’ and we placed her in the background.”
Dunst appears for two seconds as she walks through the shot of some of Daly’s coworkers socializing in the real world. With what a monster Daly is in the episode, it’s probably best that Dunst didn’t have a more substantial part.
4. Drunk History
Plemons has been a familiar face on Derek Waters’ educational series, but on one occasion, he shared an episode with his partner. On this very special episode, the series turns into Drunk Mystery, where some of the most famous puzzles are reenacted by talented performers.
Dunst appears as Agatha Christie, the famous mystery writer who goes missing, herself. Plemons appears as William Kenward, the constable tasked with searching for Christie. After 11 days, the mystery becomes only somewhat clearer when authorities discover Christie was living incognito at a hotel the entire time. The novelist never speaks about the event, and it becomes a story that would not be out of place in her own novels. As with all episodes of the series, the actors impersonate the real-life figures with a sense of glee and humor not often found in other fare.
5. Fargo
The project that started it all, Fargo was the start of Plemons and Dunst’s relationship. The two accomplished actors play a Minnesota couple in the late ‘70s thrown out of their element. After Peg (Dunst) accidentally hits someone with her car, she and her husband Ed (Plemons) get to work covering it up. Plemons shared with Variety that Noah Hawley’s immersive scripts drew him to the material.
“The first two scripts were just really great, easy reads, and you just wanted to know what happens to these people. I thought it would be a fun journey and a sad journey to take this guy, who is described in the script and by Noah as one of the good ones.”
Similarly, Dunst loved the material and was interested in bringing her character to life. The two supply an element of comedy to the dark material and through the show, started a successful partnership together, both on and offscreen.