Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons co-star in the true-crime drama “Love & Death” as married people who have a disastrous affair with each other — ending in murder.
The HBO Max miniseries premieres April 27 and written by David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”). It’s based on the true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery (Olsen), who was accused of ax-murdering her friend Betty Gore (Lily Rabe) in 1980, after having an affair with Betty’s husband, Allan (Jesse Plemons).
“I don’t usually judge characters, and I’ve played some characters that make really bad choices,” Olsen, 34, told The Post. “I think I’m confused a lot. There are so many times where [Candy’s actions] are hard for me to understand. But it’s not helpful to judge a character; you don’t benefit the story by doing that.”
The series follows Candy and her husband Pat Montgomery (Patrick Fugit), and their friends, Betty and her husband Allan, two seemingly innocuous small-town couples who are also pillars of their community.
Allan and Betty are trying to have a child; Candy sings in her church choir and is interested in creative writing. Both couples play recreational volleyball and regularly meet with their other friends to discuss how to attract more young people to their church. (Krysten Ritter and Tom Pelphrey play their friends.)
When Candy and Allan start having an affair it sets the two families on a fatal collision course that shakes up their community and makes headlines.
“I usually make a playlist for whatever I’m working on,” Plemons, 35, told The Post.
“Early on, this song ‘That Summer Feeling’ by Jonathan Richman came on. Thinking about that song and listening to it in the context of the show was really heartbreaking. It was such a specific emotion in that song, and in this show.
“I think sometimes — and I’m not just talking about these characters — [that] people find themselves in a state of mind where something else takes over from deep down; some part of the unconscious,” he said. “And that’s at the wheel. In the moment, you’re not even really considering a decision. It just happens.”
Olsen and Plemons have become Hollywood mainstays — Olsen rose to fame playing Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel movies and earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for “WandaVision” — while Plemons gained prominence in “Friday Night Lights” and had a supporting role in “Breaking Bad.” He also snared an Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”
“Love and Death” is the first time the actors have crossed paths, they said.
“We were shooting it chronologically, for the most part,” said Plemons.
“So, as Candy and Allan’s relationship was evolving, we were getting to know each other better.”
As their affair progresses, Candy and Allan have a lot of intimate scenes.
“Whether or not you’re sharing a bed or a shower or a bathtub, there’s a nakedness that you need to feel as an actor, regardless of the literal nakedness,” said Olsen.
“It’s more [when you’re playing] married couples that you feel like there needs to be an instant relationship because you’re in the middle of this relationship.
“Whereas, when these characters are getting to know each other, we get to play into that awkwardness and that shared hesitation.”
