Mark Duplass

One of the major players in the "mumblecore" movement, Mark Duplass began his career directing, writing and acting in micro-budgeted short films with his brother in their apartment. The honest emotions and real, day-to-day struggles portrayed in their films resonated with a niche audience that continued to support them. For Mark, this support allowed for a transition to roles in major studio films and TV while continuing to stay active in the indie world.

Born December 7, 1976 in New Orleans, LA, Mark Duplass attended film school at the University of Texas, Austin with his brother, Jay. They struggled for nearly a decade to make a film that would make them proud. One day, in their apartment, Mark decided that they were going to make a short film, immediately, and based on something that had actually happened to one of them. Jay remembered a particularly humiliating moment trying to record an outgoing message on their answering machine, then picked up their camera and put in a $3 tape. Mark walked outside, re-entered and improvised the 20-minute take that would become "This Is John." Cut down, the seven minute short film caught the attention of the Sundance Film Festival and re-invigorated the creative fire that spurred on the Duplass brothers.

After "This Is John," and another short film, "Scrapple" (2004), played at Sundance, the brothers were ready to unveil their first feature undertaking, "The Puffy Chair" (2005). Like their two short films, "The Puffy Chair" was shot using available materials (Mark's van for touring with his band, his apartment, Mark and his girlfriend Katie Aselton acting), and like the short films, audiences loved it. The surprising and realistic characters enlivened the tropes of the standard road trip movie, and the long takes and lively conversations played to Mark and Jay's strengths. The film acted as a calling card for the Duplass brothers, and earned them entrée into the rarified studio world. Taking a role in Joe Swanberg's 2007 "Hannah Takes the Stairs," Mark further highlighted his connection to the mumblecore movement, and at the same time showcased the clear camaraderie between all of the creative people in the micro-budget world. These were not the competitive Hollywood "talent," but instead a group of inspired filmmakers who supported one another.

Although the Duplass brothers could have attempted to tackle a piece from the Hollywood development cycle, they instead created another film their way. "Baghead" (2008) found both brothers behind the camera, and Mark didn't have a part in the film, for a change. A mumblecore movie working around horror film tropes, "Baghead" wasn't as successful as "The Puffy Chair," but Duplass continued to find new fans.

While he continued to act in micro-budget films such as "Humpday" (2009) and "True Adolescents" (2009), Mark began to branch out. The sitcom "The League" (FX 2009-15) brought Duplass (and Aselton, now his wife) to his largest audience yet. The half-hour show about a group of friends in a cutthroat fantasy football league was spot on, and frequently laugh out loud funny.

After the exposure from "The League," Duplass continued to perform in and produce films with much of the same aesthetic as the mumblecore movies, including Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" 2010, but the movement had lost some of it's luster. The people who had been struggling to get their movies made on a shoestring budget were now working within the studio system. Mark and Jay wrote and directed "Cyrus" (2010) for Fox Searchlight. This time, instead of friends, the film starred Hollywood veterans John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews and the largest release for a Duplass film up to that time."

Jeff Who Lives At Home" followed in 2011. Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon, the film again found Duplass and his brother behind the camera, not in front of it. The film was a modest success, but Duplass was finding more opportunities in front of the camera.

Mark's acting career began to take center stage after "Jeff Who Lives At Home". He appeared in a string of films and TV shows that he and his brother were only occasionally involved in behind the scenes. "Your Sister's Sister" (2011) was a film squarely in the boundaries of mumblecore. Duplass was the third lead, behind Emily Blunt and Rosemary Dewitt as sisters with some issues to work out. In 2012, he appeared with Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson in the comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed," which he and his brother produced. "Darling Companion" (2012) began his tenure as supporting actor in larger movies. "Companion" starred Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, and was directed by the legendary Lawrence Kasdan. "People Like Us" (2012), Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), "Parkland" (2012), and Melissa McCarthy's "Tammy" (2014) continued that trend. During this period, the Duplass brothers had recurring roles on the hit sitcom "The Mindy Project" (Fox, 2009-15; Hulu, 2015- ) as a pair of midwives feuding with the OB/GYN practice led by Dr. Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling).

The Hollywood streak was broken with "The One I Love" (2014), which featured Duplass going back to his micro-budget roots in a film directed by Charlie McDowell, starring Duplass and Elisabeth Moss in an indie twist of sci-fi and romantic drama.

The first "true" Duplass brothers collaboration since "Jeff Who Lives At Home" was the show "Togetherness" (HBO 2015-16). The show about two couples living in the same apartment again mines the brothers' most personal and embarrassing moments. Just like their first collaborations, "Togetherness" featured Jay and Mark writing the scripts, Jay behind the camera, and Mark in front of it.