Benedict Cumberbatch went full method acting on Power of the Dog – and "pissed" off Jesse Plemons

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons in The Power of the Dog
(Image credit: Netflix)

Jesse Plemons has revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch's method acting on the set of The Power of the Dog nearly crossed a line, with one particular moment "pissing" him off.

"There was one time he got under my skin," Plemons told Variety. "He was like, 'Hey, big boy.' It wasn’t 'fatso.' I feel like a few people in life have been like, 'Hey, big boy,' and I was like, 'Goddamn it. What the fuck.'"

Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, award-winning director Jane Campion's latest movie is set on a Montana cattle ranch in the '20s where a widow (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) come to live with her new husband, George (Plemons). However, things are complicated by the antagonistic presence of George's brother Phil (Cumberbatch). 

There are no hard feelings between the actors, though. Later the same day, Cumberbatch apologized when Plemons told him the remark "pissed me off." 

"He was like, 'I’m so sorry,'" Plemons added, imitating Cumberbatch's English accent, laughing. "I was like, 'No, don’t worry. It was great.'"

The movie recently won Best Motion Picture – Drama at this year's Golden Globes, while Campion won Best Director and Smit-McPhee won Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Along with Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, the movie picked up the most gongs at the awards ceremony, suggesting it's likely to be one of the Oscar frontrunners later this year. 

The Power of the Dog is available to stream on Netflix now. For more viewing inspiration, fill out your watch list with our picks of the best movies of 2021

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Doctor Strange wearing cape
Benedict Cumberbatch's new horror movie is splitting critics with some saying that it "wastes" the Marvel and Sherlock star
Dune 2
Dune star Josh Brolin reacts to Denis Villeneuve Best Director snub at the Oscars: "Apparently, I am going to quit acting"
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
Adrien Brody and the cast and director of The Brutalist on their Oscar-nominated movie: "To make great cinema, you have to be vulnerable"
Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette in Mickey 17
Although the Mickey 17 cast were at first baffled by the unique way Parasite director Bong Joon Ho works, now they want it no other way
Christopher Abbott in Bring Them Down
Poor Things' Christopher Abbott on his new thriller with Barry Keoghan that's "like a mafia movie with sheep"
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin on their bittersweet new movie A Real Pain and resisting advice from "a big Hollywood director" to "make a billion dollars" with a happy ending
Latest in Drama Movies
Claire Danes as Juliet and Miriam Margolyes as Nurse in the movie Romeo + Juliet.
The 33 greatest movies based on Shakespeare
Bloodsport
The 32 greatest '80s action movies
Cosmo Jarvis
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey adds Shogun star to its massively star-studded cast, and I'm getting Oppenheimer vibes all over again
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
This year's Best Actor Oscars speech broke a record that was over 80 years old
Adrien Brody as László Tóth in The Brutalist
Oscars 2025 live coverage: All the winners, red carpet, and the 97th Academy Awards' biggest moments – as it happens
The Last Showgirl
Beneath the glitz and glam of The Last Showgirl is a heartbreaking story about what mothers give up
Latest in News
Limbo
"You can't rewrite the past just because of a bad breakup": Legendary indie devs' feud is going public
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson doubles down on never coming back as Black Widow: “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?"
Image of the Blade Runner board game box
Rare Blade Runner board game prototype is being auctioned for over $500 but there’s a far cheaper way to bring the neo-noir classic to your tabletop
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds dev says the game's success is thanks to an "emphasis on the story," but I think that's only a tiny aspect of it
Agricola: Dead Harvest zombie farming board game artwork
Legendary farming board game Agricola just announced a zombie-fueled horror standalone, but fans seem to think it's an early April Fools joke
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"