Lawrence Jay Duplass (born March 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker, actor and author widely known for his films ''

The Puffy Chair ''The Puffy Chair'' is a 2005 mumblecore road film written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass. It stars Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton and Rhett Wilkins. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2005, and went on to ...

'' (2005), ''

Cyrus Cyrus ( Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus ...

'' (2010), and ''

Jeff, Who Lives at Home ''Jeff, Who Lives at Home'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms, and co-starring Judy Greer and Susan Sarandon. The film premiered on September 14, 2011, at the 20 ...

'' (2011), made in collaboration with his younger brother,

Mark Duplass Mark David Duplass (born December 7, 1976) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician. With his brother Jay Duplass, he started the film production company Duplass Brothers Productions in 1996. Duplass has written and directed films, ...

. Duplass starred in the

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...

comedy-drama series ''

Transparent Transparency, transparence or transparent most often refer to: * Transparency (optics), the physical property of allowing the transmission of light through a material They may also refer to: Literal uses * Transparency (photography), a still, ...

'' (2014–2019), and co-created the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

comedy-drama series '' Togetherness'' (2015–16) and the

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

Room 104 ''Room 104'' is an American television anthology series created by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass. The series debuted on July 28, 2017, on HBO. A twelve-episode second season aired between November 9 and December 15, 2018. On February 8, 2019, HBO ...

'' (2017–2020).

Early life

Duplass was born in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, the son of Cynthia (née Ernst) and Lawrence Duplass. He was raised in a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family, and attended Jesuit High School. Duplass graduated from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

with an MFA in film. His ancestry includes French

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and German.

Career

Directing

Duplass attributes much of his and his brother's love for film to his appreciation for ''

Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, and written by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, ...

''. In an interview with

Robert K. Elder Robert K. Elder (born January 20, 1976) is an American journalist, author, and film columnist. He is currently the President and CEO othe Outrider Foundation He has written more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the death penalty and m ...

for ''

The Film That Changed My Life ''The Film That Changed My Life'' (also known as ''The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark'') is a non-fiction collection of interviews compiled by American journalist, author and film columnist Robert K. Elder. ...

'', Duplass speculates on what might have happened had he not seen the film in his youth.

I probably wouldn't be making movies—seriously. It held over for so long. It really was the root of everything that Mark and I always hold ourselves to in making movies. That is to say that ''Raising Arizona'' is the most inspired movie that I have ever seen.

In 2015, Mark and Jay Duplass via their Duplass Brothers Television label signed an overall deal with HBO.

Acting

In 2014, he starred as Josh Pfefferman in the

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...

Original Comedy-Drama Series ''

'', alongside

Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...

Gaby Hoffmann Gabrielle Mary Antonia HoffmannStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', November 21, 2017 (born January 8, 1982) is an American actress. She initially found success as a child actress, appearing in ''Field of Dreams,'' ''Uncle Buck,'' and ''Sleeples ...

, Amy Landecker and

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...

. The series was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning 11

Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations, including nominations for Best Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for

. In the second season of the show, Duplass's role became more prominent, and he was nominated for the

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actors. Winners and nomin ...

. Prior to ''Transparent,'' Duplass had never acted in a featured part. He was talking with director

Joey Soloway Joey Soloway (previously Jill Soloway; born September 26, 1965) is an American television creator, showrunner, director and writer. Soloway is known for creating, writing, executive producing and directing the Amazon original series ''Transparent' ...

at a dinner party about the difficulty they were having finding an actor to play what would end up being Duplass's role. After suggesting many actors for the part to Soloway, Soloway turned to Duplass and told him that he should play the part.

Favorite films

In 2012, Duplass participated in the ''

Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...

'' film polls of that year. Held every ten years to select the greatest films of all time, contemporary directors were asked to select ten films of their choice. * ''

American Movie ''American Movie'' is a 1999 American documentary film directed by Chris Smith, produced by Smith and Sarah Price, and edited by Jun Diaz and Barry Poltermann. The film chronicles the making of '' Coven'', an independent short horror film dir ...

'' (USA, 1999) * ''

The Big Lebowski ''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken i ...

'' (USA, 1998) * ''

Close-Up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...

'' (Iran, 1990) * ''

The Horse Boy ''The Horse Boy'' is the title of an autobiographical book and a documentary feature film that follow the quest of Rupert Isaacson and his wife, Kristen Neff, to find healing for their autistic son, Rowan, after discovering that Rowan's conditio ...

'' (USA, 2009) * ''

'' (USA, 1987) * ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...

'' (USA, 1976) * '' The Thin Blue Line'' (USA, 1989) * ''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, George Ga ...

'' (USA, 1982) * ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...

'' (USA, 1966) * ''

A Woman Under the Influence ''A Woman Under the Influence'' is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. The story follows a woman (Gena Rowlands) whose unusual behavior leads to conflict with her blue-collar husband (Peter Falk) and family. It rec ...

'' (USA, 1974)

Filmography

Film

Executive producer only * '' Black Rock'' (2012) * ''

Safety Not Guaranteed ''Safety Not Guaranteed'' is a 2012 American science fiction romantic comedy film directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. The picture was screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Scr ...

'' (2012) * ''

Bad Milo! ''Bad Milo!'' is a 2013 American horror comedy film written by Jacob Vaughan and Benjamin Hayes and directed by Jacob Vaughan. The film stars Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Peter Stormare, Stephen Root, Mary Kay Place, and Patrick Warburton. The f ...

'' (2013) * ''

The Skeleton Twins ''The Skeleton Twins'' is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Craig Johnson and starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The film premiered in competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014. It won the Screenwriting Award: ...

'' (2014) * '' The One I Love'' (2014) * ''

Adult Beginners ''Adult Beginners'' is a 2014 American comedy drama film directed by Ross Katz and written by Jeff Cox and Liz Flahive based on a story by Nick Kroll. The film stars Rose Byrne, Kroll, Bobby Cannavale, and Joel McHale. RADiUS-TWC acquired the Nor ...

'' (2014) * ''

Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...

'' (2015) * ''

Manson Family Vacation ''Manson Family Vacation'' is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by J. Davis. The film stars Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Adam Chernick and Tobin Bell. The film was released on October 6, 2015, by The Orchard. Cast ...

'' (2015) * '' The Bronze'' (2015) * ''

6 Years ''6 Years'' is a 2015 American romantic drama film written and directed by Hannah Fidell and starring Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Peter Vack, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass se ...

'' (2015) * ''

Rainbow Time ''Rainbow Time'' is a 2016 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Linas Phillips. The film stars Phillips, Melanie Lynskey, Timm Sharp, Tobin Bell, Jay Duplass, Lauren Weedman and Artemis Pebdani. Mark Duplass, and Jay Duplass serv ...

'' (2016) * '' Take Me'' (2017) * ''

Duck Butter Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

'' (2018) * ''

The MisEducation of Bindu ''The MisEducation of Bindu'' is a 2019 American independent comedy film directed by Prarthana Mohan and starring David Arquette, Megan Suri and Priyanka Bose. Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass served as executive producers. Cast * Megan Suri as Bi ...

'' (2019) * ''

Horse Girl ''Horse Girl'' is a 2020 American psychological drama film directed and produced by Jeff Baena, from a screenplay written by Baena and Alison Brie. It stars Brie, Debby Ryan, John Reynolds, Molly Shannon, John Ortiz, and Paul Reiser. The film ...

'' (2020) * ''

As of Yet ''As of Yet'' is an American comedy film written by Taylor Garron and co-directed with Chanel James. Garron also stars. It premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where it received the Nora Ephron Award. Plot The film "centers on Naomi (Gar ...

'' (2021) * '' Language Lessons'' (2021) * ''

Not Going Quietly ''Not Going Quietly'' is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Nicholas Bruckman and produced by Amanda Roddy, following Ady Barkan, embarking on a national campaign for healthcare reform. Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Bradley Whitford s ...

'' (2021) * ''

7 Days Seven Days or 7 Days may refer to: * Week, an amount of time Film * ''7 Days'' (2010 film) (''Les 7 jours du talion''), Canadian thriller film * ''7 Days'' (2021 film), American romantic comedy film * ''Seven Days'' (1925 film), American silent ...

'' (2021)

Television

Short film

Acting roles

Film

Television

Bibliography

* ''Like Brothers'' (2018) (with

)

References

External links

*
Interview with Jay and Mark Duplass on "Baghead" at IFC.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duplass, Jay 1973 births 21st-century American male actors American film directors American male screenwriters American male television actors American male voice actors Cajun people Film producers from Louisiana Living people Male actors from New Orleans Screenwriters from Louisiana University of Texas at Austin alumni Writers from New Orleans