Josh Plasse opens up about his latest projects: ‘The Resurrection of Charles Manson’ and ‘Wildflower’. (Exclusive)

Photo credit: Sheri Angeles

Written by: Gracie Lowes

Josh Plasse took a leap of faith when he decided to move from Virginia to Hollywood with only five months of acting experience.

But his big move is paying off, since then the 29-year-old actor has booked big roles in hit shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Grown-ish, Criminal Minds and the 2021 iCarly reboot. Plasse even expanded from acting and had the opportunity to produce his company’s first feature film Yucca Valley.

Now in 2023 Plasse is starring in films such as The Resurrection of Charles Manson and Wildflower.

I had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Josh Plasse and talk to him about his time on set, what drew him to these characters, and more.

You can read the full interview below.

Gracie Lowes: First off congratulations on your films ‘The Resurrection of Charles Manson’ and ‘Wildflower’! How have these releases been both building up to the release and now having the public react and watch them?

Josh Plasse: “Thank you! It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure. Very different films in terms of genre and budget, so I was interested to see how they’d perform, and how the audience would react. Thankfully, both films have done exceedingly well! Given that I wore a few more hats for The Resurrection, I was more nervous for that film’s release, and thus far, audiences have really seemed to enjoy it. As for Wildflower, I’m not sure what the analytics look like, but the reviews have been astounding and I’d imagine the filmmakers are very happy, hah! One thing I can say is that both films had the best casts, and the best crews. Just great people to be working with.”

Gracie: Can you tell anyone who hasn’t watched the films yet, what they’re about and what to expect from them as a whole?

Josh: “With Wildflower, you’re going into a witty and humorous coming of age dramedy. Kiernan Shipka plays the lead, and she’s surrounded by a plethora of Hollywood’s biggest names. Jean Smart, Alexandria Daddario, Brad Garret, to name a few. The film is so touching, and yet funny when you least expect it. I couldn’t recommend it more.With the Resurrection of Charles Manson, the title says it all! You’re gearing up for a psychological thriller about Manson, but the difference is that the film is actually about the hypothetical modern day Manson family. The film is loosely based on true events in the California desert, so if anyone is a fan of creepy “what if” style films, this has your name on it!”

Gracie: I’m wondering what was it that drew you to want to be a part of these projects, was it the scripts or your characters, or fellow actors on set, etc?

Josh: “I would say a bit of both. Knowing Wildflower had such a tremendous cast, it was a no brainer for me. I also got lucky in the sense that they had one of the nicest crews & filmmaking teams I’ve ever worked with. Secondly, my role in the film is a bit of an antagonist, which I haven’t played as much in my career, so I was excited to dive into the psyche of being a complete jerk, hah! With The Resurrection, it was a mix as well. The cast was phenomenal, and the script was really fun. I also knew a great deal of the filmmakers on that project, so it was just lovely getting to work with friends and watch everyone grow as creatives. My role in the film was definitely more of a supporting piece for our lead actress’ emotional journey, which believe it or not actually drew me to the part as well, because it demanded listening and the ability to be present for her.”

Gracie: After reading the scripts and being able to bring these stories to life, do you have a scene that you’re most proud of and why?

Josh: “In Wildflower, I am actually most proud of the “party” scene, and for some fun reasons. What you see on screen in that scene is (hopefully) quite funny and grounded, but I’m also super proud of what I accomplished after every take. Our director let us have fun and kept the camera rolling before calling cut, which led to some hilarious interactions with other castmates. Secondly, I’m proud of my presence when the quote on quote “lights aren’t on you” – during most of the party sequence, you can see my character mingling with others, and I felt his aura was consistent and funny the entire time. Believe it or not, a lot of actors get lazy and just sort of stand there when it’s not their “turn”, forcing the editor to cut around them.

With Manson, I am definitely most proud of the “Kitchen Asthma” scene. Being on a low budget indie, we had faced a number of struggles that night, and it was extremely late to add, so I had to dig deep to find any emotion. My character has just made a horrific discovery, ran miles across the desert, and is having an asthma attack while telling his girlfriend about a serial killer…quite a scene! Grounding that and finding the physicality to be believable was very difficult, and I’m really proud of the final product.”

Gracie: Both casts did an amazing job in these films. I’m wondering if you have a favorite moment or memory from your time on the sets?

Josh: “With The Resurrection, I would say my favorite memory was definitely the comradery of our weekends. Even though indies don’t have a lot of time off, our crew really came together and shared some wonderful experiences on the weekends, which inevitably brought everyone a little closer during the shoot. Bars, bowling, you name it!

With Wildflower, it’s undoubtedly just driving circles around the Las Vegas strip at 2:00 A.M while filming at every other stoplight. There were too many jokes and late-night punchlines to recall, but it was honestly one of the more fun nights I’ve ever had on set.”

Gracie: Do you have any future projects you could hint at or talk about?

Josh: “Definitely! I’ve got a great recurring role on Tyler Perry’s ‘All The Queen’s Men’ which will air later this year, as well as thirty two episodes of MGM’s ‘The Baxter’s’ slated to release this year as well.

My production company also just wrapped our second feature film titled “Ride” which I could not be prouder of. Starring C. Thomas Howell, Forrie Smith and Annabeth Gish; the film is truly special. I have a great part and also wrote/produced! I think the film is going to knock people’s socks off.”

Gracie: If you could describe your upcoming projects in three words what would they be and why?

Josh: “So. Much. Fun. I would use these three because they really were so much fun! I had such an amazing time filming each upcoming project, but more importantly, I feel that I grew immensely. Filming at Tyler Perry Studios is such a different experience from grinding on a low budget indie, and both have great value as teachers if you’re truly paying attention and willing to listen. Most importantly, they all allowed me to keep being creative, and keep striving towards my ultimate goals.”