Star Wars Episode VII Director Abrams Confirms Jesse Plemons Talks

It sounds like Jesse Plemons's first line read for J.J. Abrams will be "I swear, I have no idea where that leak came from." While stopping far short of confirming that Plemons is "locked," as rumors over the weekend suggested, Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams confirmed while at the Television Critics Association today that the Breaking Bad villain is one of a number of young actors he's been in talks with for a leading role in the hugely-anticipated sci-fi sequel. "He is one of the actors that we've talked to, yeah," Abrams told The Wrap when asked about the actor. "But, you know--it's not often that I read about actors that I'm going to be meeting--that I get to read articles about actors who are going to come in. And so I get to see someone and say, 'Oh, I read that I'm going to see you.' … It's usually agents talking to people about what's happening. It's a lot of noise." Last night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the cast of Breaking Bad won for Best Ensemble Cast, Plemons downplayed the talks. In a red carpet interview, the actor denied reports that he was in line for Star Wars Episode VII, although his stammering, smirking demeanor was unlikely to completely settle the issue for people who believed the original rumor, or wanted to. Asked whether there was anything to the rumors that he was in the running for Star Wars, Plemons said no and then, grinning, told the interviewer "Yeah, I think it's just one of those crazy rumors."