Yahoo Lifestyle Russell Tovey Dives Into Undercover Drama ‘Plainclothes’ at Sundance
Name: Russell Tovey
Sundance project: “Plainclothes,” a drama about an undercover cop, played by Tom Blyth, who falls in love with one of his targets.
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Notable past credits: Tovey starred as John O’Shea in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” Other projects include “American Horror Story: NYC” and the HBO series “Looking.”
”I’ve always been drawn to familial stories,” says Tovey, in Park City, Utah, ahead of the Sundance premiere for “Plainclothes,” directed and written by first-time feature filmmaker Carmen Emmi. “This film feels very domestic. It’s huge for emotions, but it’s simple: it’s two people meeting.”
Set in the 90s, “Plainclothes” is about an undercover cop, played by Blyth, in Syracuse, N.Y., who entraps gay men at a mall. But when the cop meets Tovey’s character Andrew, it’s love — and lust — at first sight. Neither men are publicly out about their sexuality, and the situation is further complicated; Andrew is married with children.
“ Fundamentally it’s a romance. And kind of a tricky romance; a coming-of-age romance,” Tovey says of the film. “What I love about that dynamic is that my character could be a bastard, could take advantage and be cold. And he is to a certain extent, but there is an empathy to the vulnerability that this intergenerational relationship is having, that he feels a responsibility,” he adds. “ My character has been through a lot. He is very controlling of his emotions, and over time society has created this person. He’s one of thousands.”
Although a period piece, Tovey nods to the importance of continuing to tell queer stories onscreen, especially as LGBTQIA+ rights are under attack. “To have visibility, to be something that people can cling to, can be educated by, can understand, can feel empathy for…” he says, “elevating these movies is incredibly important.”
Tovey credits Blyth’s commitment to the project and trust that emerged, allowing the pair to take their characters’ relationship to a vulnerable and intimate place onscreen. “We really went for it,” Tovey says.
Blyth was already attached to the project when he suggested Tovey as a potential costar to Emmi, a fortuitous recommendation. Emmi had seen Tovey in a National Theater production of “Angels in America,” and his character Joe Pitt — a closeted Mormon lawyer with a wife — inspired the role of Andrew in “Plainclothes.”
“ All you hope to do as an actor is connect. Even if it’s one person,” Tovey says. “And for him to connect with something I’ve done, that inspired him to create a character with me in mind: that’s what you want to do as an actor. You want to tell stories that make people want to continue telling stories.”
Tovey was looking forward to reconnecting with the “Plainclothes” crew and producers, and celebrating the film, in Park City. The actor had last seen everyone at the start of 2024, when they shot the film in Syracuse. “The best thing about being an actor is you get to see parts of the world and you get to take in places where you wouldn’t actually normally go,” the British actor says.
Tovey recently finished filming a new Russell T. Davies sci-fi series for Disney and BBC, “The War Between the Land and the Sea.” He’s also continuing to cohost fine art podcast “Talk Art” with gallerist Robert Diament, one of his best friends, and the pair are releasing a children’s book later this year focused on how to look at and appreciate art.
“And I’m developing some indie ideas with other directors and writers. I want to stay in this world,” Tovey adds. “The indie world right now has the ability to tell these unique stories. So every time you sit in front of an indie movie, you have no idea where it’s going to take you.”
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