Mark and Jay Duplass talk about their first TV series, Togetherness, which takes a humorous look at middle-age angst. Steps have been taken to avoid any mix-ups distinguishing the voices when the tape is transcribed – but the Duplass brothers, Mark and Jay, assure me that whether they're discussing their films or anything else, they do not care which name is attached to a quote.
“We share the same brain,” says Mark.
Well, that’s obviously an exaggeration but, at any rate, they do seem to enjoy free access to each other’s brains.
“We are both obsessed with the human condition,” says Jay. “And we’re constantly in conversation about it.”
The conversation continues as they discuss their first TV series, Togetherness, a comedy that debuted in January on HBO in the United States and is broadcast on OSN in the UAE.
It is well worth catching up with. Funny, painful and (for a certain demographic) all too relatable, it exudes the singular voice of this hydra-headed duo whose many hats include writing, producing, directing and, in Mark’s case, headlining.
He plays Brett, a sound engineer and family man who has hit a wall in his career and his marriage. His wife, Michelle (played by Melanie Lynskey), feels imprisoned as a stay-at-home mum.
Also in the mix is her sister Tina (Amanda Peet), a wayward hottie who ends up in their Los Angeles home after leaving Houston. Rounding out the domestic quartet is Mark’s best friend, Alex (Steve Zissis), an out-of-work actor who is crashing on the couple’s couch.
“The more messed up we made them, the more it gave us to love, and root for, in them,” says Mark. “They are trying very hard to be good people, spouses and parents, and to support each other – but then they feel like: ‘I need to get the [heck] out of here. I need some space.’ That’s how Jay and I sometimes perceive our lives.”
The Duplass brothers grew up in New Orleans and started making films at a young age.
Early on, they were bewitched by the work of the filmmaker and actor John Cassavetes and his brooding cinéma-vérité style.
"But we also loved Dumb and Dumber," says Mark. "We see the seriousness and gravity in things – but we also giggle. That combination of the sad and the funny is what we do." After struggling through their 20s, they scored a hit in 2005 with their first feature film, The Puffy Chair, which they jointly wrote, directed and produced, with Mark as its protagonist. It was followed by such films as Cyrus, starring John C Reilly, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei, and Jeff Who Lives at Home, starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms.
Then this fraternal order – Mark now is 38, Jay is 41 – took on the topic of middle-age angst.
“By then, each of us was married with two small kids,” says Jay, “and everyone was like: ‘You have it all: a beautiful family, a career, a wonderful house.’ But in our minds was: ‘I’m sleep-deprived. I don’t have two seconds to myself. My life is dominated by a tiny little being who wakes up every two hours’.”
“All we wanted,” Mark says, “was to be sleeping on someone’s couch, then wake up and binge on Netflix.”
Not the sort of thing you could say to most people. Certainly not to Steve Zissis, their close friend since high school, whose youthful promise thus far had gone unrealised, both romantically and professionally.
“He was dreaming about how beautiful our lives were,” says Jay with a laugh, “but we were thinking: ‘He can sit down and eat a sandwich without being interrupted 15 times in a row’.”
Togetherness began to take form, with Zissis as a key element: "It's been part of our life's mission to show the world how amazing he is," Jay explains.
An essential part of the Duplass ethos, brotherly love, exists in the friendship between Brett and Alex. Alex and Tina are bonded by the fear of life passing them by as each approached the big four-oh, while Brett and Michelle bear the crush of being overcommitted adults.
“We were looking at both sides of the same coin,” says Jay. “It seemed to form a critical mass of desperation – and so much comedy!”
Production of the first season of the show took a year, complicated by other producing ventures, as well as Mark's role in the long-running FX comedy The League, and an on-camera debut for Jay as one of the children of transgender dad Jeffrey Tambor in the Amazon comedy Transparent.
Their pace hasn't slowed. But amid the rash of future projects, they aim to shoot season two of Togetherness in the spring, when they'll resolve the cliffhanger that concludes the first season.
“We thought we knew what would happen,” says Jay. “But when we started talking about season two, it started changing.”“We know all of season two now,” says Mark.
“We talk about season three sometimes,” Jay says. “That’s not smart because we’re not picked up yet,” Mark says. “But we can’t stop ourselves.”
• The third episode of Togetherness will be broadcast on OSN First Comedy HD at midnight on Tuesday, April 21
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
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Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
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WISH
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Read more from Johann Chacko
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
Company%20Profile
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The%20specs
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
