Martha Plimpton Reunited With Tommy Lee Jones 40 Years After ‘The River Rat’—and Reveals What He Is Really Like on Set

Martha Plimpton has officially reunited with her former cinematic father Tommy Lee Jones for the second season of FX’s The Lowdown, four decades after they shared the screen in the 1984 drama The River Rat. While audiences frequently associate Jones with an intimidating, stone-faced persona, Plimpton immediately dismantled that perception by revealing the Oscar-winning star’s true personality behind the camera.

Plimpton was just 14 years old when she played the daughter of Jones’ character in The River Rat. Now 55, she explained that returning to work alongside the 80-year-old screen icon brought back an enduring bond that time could not erase.

“When you meet someone and work with someone who played your father at that age, there’s always a little part of you that sees them that way,” Plimpton explained. Yet, their first encounter on the new set did not go smoothly right away.

Martha Plimpton as Martha Thorne in a police uniform in a field.

Martha Plimpton and Tommy Lee Jones in The River Rat.

What Really Happened When Tommy Lee Jones Stepped on Set?

When Jones initially walked onto the set of The Lowdown, he did not immediately recognize his former teenage co-star. The breakthrough came only when series lead Ethan Hawke called out Plimpton’s full name, which instantly caught the veteran actor’s attention.

“A lot of people think of [Tommy Lee] as a rough, gruff kind of guy, but I think he’s just a teddy bear.”

“And he turned around and saw me, and we just had the biggest hug… it was incredible,” Plimpton shared. The moment shattered the long-standing Hollywood myth that Jones remains cold or unapproachable with his peers.

Sheriff Vela Thorne (Martha Plimpton) standing outside a building in The Lowdown.

Tommy Lee Jones and Ethan Hawke stand together on the red carpet.

Inside the Story of FX’s ‘The Lowdown’ Season 2

Created around Oklahoma-based citizen journalist Lee Raybon (played by Hawke), The Lowdown chronicles Raybon’s tense efforts to uncover civic corruption across Tulsa. The arrival of Season 2 shifts the dynamic into deeper familial and law enforcement conflicts.

Jones steps into a rare television role as Raybon’s estranged father, while Plimpton plays Sheriff Vela Thorne, a resolute law officer who routinely clashes with Hawke’s rogue investigator. Despite the dramatic tension between their characters on screen, the working environment behind the scenes was rooted in mutual history.

Tommy Lee Jones as Frog and Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon face each other across a shop counter.

Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon wearing sunglasses and a hat in The Lowdown.

Tommy Lee Jones, Martha Plimpton, Shawn Smith, and Brian Dennehy in The River Rat.

Ethan Hawke and Michael Hitchcock in The Lowdown.

A Lifelong Creative Bond With Ethan Hawke

Plimpton’s connection on set extends far beyond Jones. She and Hawke, also 55, grew up together in the entertainment industry during the 1980s and shared the Broadway stage in Tom Stoppard’s 2006 trilogy The Coast of Utopia.

“We haven’t really ever lost touch,” Plimpton noted, praising Hawke’s evolution into a thoughtful creative partner over decades of working in film and theater.

“As long as the character is necessary to the story, it doesn’t matter how big [the role] is, for me.”

Plimpton characterized Hawke as an avid reader captivated by literature and poetry who has settled into his personal and professional skin. Using an equestrian analogy, she observed that he has achieved the calm balance of “finding your seat.”

Martha Plimpton and Mark Ruffalo as law enforcement agents in Task.

Martha Plimpton in East of Eden.

Plimpton’s High-Profile Television Momentum

The Emmy-winning Goonies veteran is experiencing an exceptionally active chapter on television. In addition to The Lowdown, Plimpton recently appeared in Netflix’s East of Eden alongside Florence Pugh.

She is also featured in HBO’s Emmy-winning drama Task alongside Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey. The production is currently filming its second season in Philadelphia, introducing a radically fresh narrative lineup with Mahershala Ali and Edgar Ramirez joining the core team.

💬 With decades of standout performances behind them, seeing classic co-stars reconnect on modern television hits is pure gold for longtime fans.

✨ The Lowdown continues its second season run Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FX and Hulu.

👇 Did you remember their original run together in The River Rat? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: pagesix.com