Mark Duplass wanted to veer away from shows like ‘Euphoria’ for ‘Penelope’: Lead character is ‘incredible role model’
He’s heading into the wild.
For his new show “Penelope,” Mark Duplass said he was inspired by his own attitude about technology — and also by his daughters.
“I wrote it during the pandemic. I think we were all feeling a little strange and disconnected. We all also became addicted to our technology. But at the same time, I was starting to realize this technology – our phones, our relations to them – might be destroying us,” Duplass, 47, told The Post.
Four years after he started writing “Penelope,” as it’s about to premiere (Sept. 24 on Netflix), “There’s massive movements all over the world as we realize what our phones have done to our mental health,” he said. “And, what we’ve lost by disconnecting from nature.”
“So, I’m just really excited to take [the show] out into the world at a time when people are more open to seeing different ways of living our lives.”
The actor, director, writer, and filmmaker most recently got an Emmy nomination for “outstanding supporting actor in a drama series” in Apple’s “The Morning Show,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. (His co-star, Billy Crudup, ultimately took home that trophy.)
“Awards are a funny thing, I tend to be of two minds,” said Duplass. “The first is, I think it’s silly to have any competition in the creative realm. So, I don’t put too much stock in them. But then, as soon as I get nominated, I get really excited, and throw all that stuff away.”
Together with his brother, Jay, Duplass also created, directed, and produced a slew of documentaries and horror projects, such as the HBO anthology horror series “Room 104” and the hit 2018 Netflix documentary “Wild Wild Country.”
For “Penelope,” Duplass co-wrote and co-produced it with Mel Eslyn (and it’s produced by Duplass Brothers Productions). The coming of age show follows a 16-year-old girl (Megan Stott, “Little Fires Everywhere”) who leaves the modern world behind to go into the wilds of Washington State.
“Like everyone else, I just want to throw my phone into the grass all the time,” said Duplass.
“I’m a backpacker, so I’ll go out for anywhere from 3 to 5 days at a time, and phones don’t work out there,” the former “The Mindy Project” co-star added.
“That community in particular was very inspiring to me, because they’re so kind and loving…we’re all at war right now: culturally, socially, politically. When you’re out camping and backpacking, everyone is there to support you. And a lot of the characters in ‘Penelope’ are reflective of that.”
A 16-year-old girl is a different kind of character than Duplass’ usual fare, but he joked, “Well, if you looked at my Spotify algorithm, you might think I was a 16-year-old girl, because of my music tastes.”
Duplass is married to his “The League” co-star Katie Aselton, 45, and the couple have two daughters: Ora, 17, and Molly, 12.
“I think in particular, the 16-year-old girls that I’m often seeing represented on television – whether it be ‘Gossip Girl’ or ‘Euphoria’ or ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ – they’re very different from Penelope,” he said.
“I wanted to offer a different lens … I have two daughters, and I feel like Penelope is an incredible role model for individuality and agency and bravery. I wanted them to have something like that to watch on TV.”
Regarding how he writes shows like “Penelope,” acts in “The Morning Show” and also produces documentaries like Hulu’s upcoming “Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal” (also out Sept. 24), Duplass said that he likes a “balance.”
“I think that ideally, I get to go work on something like ‘The Morning Show,’ where I’m really pampered and taken care of. And then, I go and scrap together a show like ‘Penelope’ that’s a true passion project. That balance is really helpful for me.”
