Andrew Scott and Josh O’Connor both star in Rian Johnson’s new Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, but only one of them is a priest, and it’s not Scott.
The duo also dove into the film’s themes of faith, the challenge of playing a priest, and what it was like acting next to Andrew Scott — the original Hot Priest from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag.
Of course, I had to ask if there was any playful tension on set.
“Did he threaten you? Like, don’t come for my name?”
“He did. Yeah. He was violent,” O’Connor joked.
“No, he didn’t. He didn’t. Actually he was very sweet and supportive. But yeah, I mean, I felt the pressure for sure.”
While his priest already came pre-named — “Given he was already named Father Jones… sadly he already had a title” — Josh still felt the weight of joining the Hot Priest Cinematic Universe.
Rian Johnson Has Thoughts on Hotness… and Holiness
When asked why the character wasn’t simply named “Sexy Priest,” Johnson delivered a full sermon:
“Advocating for the actual teachings of Christ to be more present in the world is the new hotness… Let’s feed the hungry. Let’s give medical care to the sick. Let’s welcome strangers into our land. Let’s not judge. Let’s love our enemies. Let’s do all of this. That’s hot.”
We could not have said it better ourselves.
Josh O’Connor Drew From His Own Faith Experience
The priestly vibe wasn’t difficult for O’Connor to tap into — he grew up around it.
“I grew up in Irish Catholic tradition… I was an altar boy when I was eight years old and I was kicked off for smiling too much,” he said, laughing.
He still identifies with a sense of belief. “I feel agnostic enough that I can believe in something. And I dunno what that is… humanity or trees and plants. But yeah, I believe something.”
And one belief is unwavering: “Most importantly, I believe in Rian Johnson.”
Rian Johnson Wanted a Multifaceted Conversation About Faith
Though Wake Up Dead Man takes a bold leap into darker themes, especially around faith, Johnson says it came from a personal place.
“I grew up very, very, very Christian… I’m not a Christian anymore,” he shared. He hoped the film would speak to people across belief systems — and it has.
“Some people who are like me… some people who are still believers… someone came up to me the other day and said, ‘I’m Jewish and I’m an atheist and I still loved it.’”
That spectrum of reactions, he says, “makes me really happy.”
In the third — and darkest — chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery saga, Wake Up Dead Man follows Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he takes on his most dangerous case yet. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor) arrives to assist the magnetic but controversial Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), he discovers a small parish full of big secrets. The congregation includes church pillar Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), suspicious groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly wound attorney Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), ambitious politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), local doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), bestselling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny).
But when an impossible murder strikes their quiet town, Police Chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) turns to the one man who can crack the uncrackable: Benoit Blanc. What unfolds is a twisting, logic-defying mystery packed with revelations, sharp humor, and a stacked ensemble cast.
Wake Up Dead Man arrives in select theaters November 26, 2025 and on Netflix December 12, 2025.
