Expected in theaters on June 26, presented and awarded at the last Cannes Film Festival, Kinds of Kindness is the new film by director Yorgos Lanthimos. Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe… Which stars are on display for this event project?
After the success of La Favorite and Poor Creatures, filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos returns to our screens this summer with Kinds of Kindness, a unique and provocative new feature film that he presented only a few weeks ago in official selection at the Cannes Film Festival . Be careful of shock(s)!
To be seen in cinemas from June 26, this triptych fable follows: a man without choices who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman worried because his wife who disappeared at sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a very specific person with a special power, destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.
Bringing together as usual an exceptional cast, Yorgos Lanthimos asked his actors to play a different role in each of the three stories that make up the film. Before finding them in this work that will get people talking, find out who the stars are on display in Kinds of Kindness!
Emma Stone
Searchlight Pictures
Kinds of Kindness marks the 4th collaboration between the American actress and the Greek director, notably after The Favorite and Poor Creatures, the second having allowed Emma Stone to win the Oscar for best actress in 2024 for her impressive performance.
Accustomed to working together, it was obvious for them to continue this flourishing momentum. “We have now acquired common experience that we can continue to develop, trying to push the limits each time. We love working with each other. It’s as simple as that,” says Yorgos Lanthimos.
Having become an essential actress of her generation, the star of La La Land, Cruella, Birdman and The Amazing Spider-Man plays three characters here “totally different in so many ways” : Rita, Liz and Emily.
Jesse Plemons
Searchlight Pictures
Winner of the Best Actor Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for this film, Jesse Plemons amazed the jury thanks to this very first collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos, who is full of praise for his actor.
“He is one of the greatest actors today. He has an incredible sense of humor and knows how to find the tone very well. He’s a hard worker and the way he subtly moves from one character to another is extraordinary. He is always ready to try something else,” enthuses the director.
Recently starring in Civil War and Killers of the Flower Moon, and after having played under the direction of big names such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Jane Campion, Jesse Plemons slips into the shoes of three men: Robert, Daniel and Andrew.
William Dafoe
Searchlight Pictures
We no longer present the actor who accompanies Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in this surprising adventure. If we were able to see him recently in Poor Creatures, where he already played opposite the 35-year-old actress, Willem Dafoe has also distinguished himself over the years in front of the cameras of Lars von Trier, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Sam Raimi, David Lynch and Guillermo del Toro.
A most remarkable career which makes him an actor particularly respected by those who work alongside him, thanks, among other things, to his immense professionalism. First to arrive and last to leave on a set, Willem Dafoe is greatly admired by Yorgos Lanthimos, who chose him to play Raymond, George and Omi in his triptych.
Margaret Qualley
Searchlight Pictures
In just a few years, Margaret Qualley has established herself as one of Hollywood’s rising stars. As proof, she was present at Cannes a few weeks ago to present no less than 2 films: the sensational The Substance with Demi Moore and the new film by Lanthimos.
Before Kinds of Kindness, the actress had also already shone under the direction of the director in Poor Creatures. “She is a great actress whose approach is very physical. I love the way he works, especially during rehearsals,” greets the filmmaker. Spectators were able to see her in the cinema in Stars at Noon and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, as well as in the series The Leftovers and Maid, among others.
She plays Vivian, Martha and twins Ruth and Rebecca.
Hong Chau
Searchlight Pictures
After cutting his teeth on television in series such as Treme, A to Z and Big Little Lies, Hong Chau made his way to the big screen with Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice. Also starring in The Whale, Le Menu and Asteroid City in recent years, the actress continues today to reveal the full extent of her talent in Kinds of Kindness.
“I love how serious she approaches her characters, which makes them even funnier,” explains Yorgos Lanthimos, who gave him the roles of Sarah, Sharon and Aka.
Mamoudou Athie
Searchlight Pictures
For his first collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos, actor Mamoudou Athie is particularly admiring of the director’s working methods: “What I like about him is that he gives body and soul to his vision. He doesn’t watch his back or play it safe, which doesn’t stop him from having enormous respect for the people he works with.”
Spectators have already seen him in The Front Runner, Jurassic World: The World Next, and the phenomenon series Archive 81.