Jay Duplass on Directing ‘The Baltimorons’ Without Brother Mark, Their ‘Conscious Uncoupling’ and the Film’s Pandemic Origins
52-year-old native of New Orleans, well recognized for his creative partnerships with his younger brother Mark and acting roles in Amazon’s “Transparent” and FX’s “Dying for Sex”, was working on a movie script featuring a larger budget and broader scope compared to the low-budget comedies he and his sibling were famous for (“The Puffy Chair,” “Cyrus”, etc.). He then met Michael Strassner, an actor-comedian whom he discovered through his funny Instagram videos. This encounter sparked a chain of creative events, leading him to endure the chill of December in Maryland while directing “The Baltimorons”. This film revolves around an improv comedian (Strassner), who has been sober for six months, accidentally cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve and spontaneously embarking on a night filled with adventure and unforeseen romance with his dentist (Liz Larsen).