Why Filmmaker Jay Duplass Had to (Kind of) Break Up With His Brother

Death, Sex & Money

Slate Podcasts

Business, Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Careers, Relationships, Sexuality

4.6 • 7.6K Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After two decades of making movies with his younger brother Mark, Jay Duplass has gone solo. This week, he tells Anna about all the factors that led to that decision: tricky union rules, his brother’s career taking off without him, and the need to provide for his family. They also talk about the resulting film, a tender and unique indie rom-com called The Baltimorons, which Jay co-wrote with the talented but little-known comedian Michael Strassner, who stars in the film with Liz Larsen. Hear Jay’s younger brother Mark on the show from June 2024: Mark Duplass on Making Money, Mental Health, and Midlife. This episode was produced by Cameron Drews. Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen. If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When you get to be part of a partnership that's really working, whether in your work or in your home, it can feel like such a miracle.
0:09.0	Like you get to be who you are, bring your skills to a joint project, and let the other person fill in the gaps on the stuff you're not as great at.
0:19.8	You do not have to do it all on your own. You have a
0:22.6	partner in making your dreams turn into a reality. And when this is really clicking, it can feel
0:28.6	so comforting. But then there might be a shift. One of you starts wanting something a little
0:36.1	different. And the whole enterprise of what you do together, who you are to each other, and one of you starts wanting something a little different,
0:39.7	and the whole enterprise of what you do together,
0:42.7	who you are to each other, can come apart.
0:48.7	That is basically what happened between Jay Duplas and his brother, Mark Duplas.
0:52.0	They bonded over movie-making as kids and landed in Hollywood together and got attention for shorts and then small indie films like the Puffy Chair.
0:59.0	Then they got real budgets and co-wrote and co-directed a string of hits.
1:03.8	Do you know that movie Jeff, who lives at home with the actor Jason Siegel?
1:07.7	It came out in 2011 and was one of the last movies Jay Duplas made with his brother
1:14.1	before their shift started to happen. Mark Duplas, who was on the show about a year ago last summer,
1:22.3	kept getting more and more acting work, and Jay, the older brother, wasn't sure what it meant for his career. Jay is on the show
1:31.0	this week, and he's got a new movie called The Baltimoreans releasing across the country,
1:37.6	and I have to tell you, I love this film. It doesn't have stars you'll immediately recognize,
1:42.9	but I think if you appreciate rom-coms with memorable characters like Moonstruck or stories about people who are a little down on their luck like the TV show Somebody Somewhere, you will love this movie.
1:56.4	And Jay made it without his brother.
1:59.6	Due to some tricky union rules, the only way he was able to make this film was to formally end his directing partnership with his brother, Mark.
2:07.9	And this week on the show, Jay tells me how difficult that decision was.
2:12.9	And he takes me back to the years between about 2012 and now, how even though he had some success,
	...

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