1999 Graduate of Ryan High School ( Member of the Class of 2000 who finished a year early )
Denton
35
Catching Up
.... with Stephen Plunkett
Who :
1999 Graduate of Ryan High School ( Member of the Class of 2000 who finished a year early )
Hometown :
Denton
Age :
35
34
What ’ s up ? Stephen Plunkett is that approachable guy you see at the coffee shop and swear you know . Not because you ’ ve actually met but because he has appeared in several television shows playing strong characters .
In May , he played Alex Duncan in “ Person of Interest ,” a crime drama currently airing on CBS that won the 2016 People ’ s Choice Award for Favorite TV Crime Drama . He starred alongside Josh Lucas in “ The Mend ,” a dark comedy that premiered in 2014 at the South by Southwest Film Festival , and was featured in “ Rolling on the Floor Laughing ” that played at the Sundance Film Festival .
This NYU grad has appeared in television ’ s “ The Good Wife ,” “ Elementary ” and “ Law & Order : Criminal Intent ” as well as on Broadway in “ War Horse .”
Plunkett is a local son , whose father is a minister and mother is a special education teacher , who knew early on that he wanted to pursue his dream of acting . As a student growing up in Denton ISD , he was well liked by everyone . And , as any transplanted Texan living in New York City , he longs to find good taco meat .
But don ’ t take our word for it , here ’ s Stephen in his own words …
PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEPHEN PLUNKETT
Denton ISD : Did you attend school after high school ? If so , where and what did you study ? Stephen Plunkett : After Ryan , I attended the University of Evansville in Southwestern Indiana , where I studied Theater Performance and German . After UE , I attended the Graduate Acting Program at New York University ’ s Tisch School of the Arts , where I received a master ’ s in Fine Arts .
DISD : Do you remember a particular teacher or administrator who impacted your life ? SP : Jeannene Abney has to be the one . She was my theater teacher and mentor .
DISD : How did you get your start in acting ? Or , tell us about your first professional role ? SP : The first job I got paid for was at Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater . It ’ s a little theater in Grand Lake , Colo ., where I worked for two summers in college . My first role there was as a wino in “ Little Shop of Horrors .” My first union job came after graduate school in a play called “ Gone Missing .” I played a cop with a macabre sense of humor . The play started at Actor ’ s Theater of Louisville and then ran off- Broadway for seven months .
DISD : What traits do you look for in the characters you ’ ve played ? How do you pick a role ? SP : Characters that change in some way . Characters that surprise me . Characters that make me laugh - especially if they ’ re not trying to .