He is a morning person.
Mark Duplass said working with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on “The Morning Show” has been amazing because of “how normal and accessible they both are,” he told The Post while promoting his new Netflix series “Penelope” (premiering Sept. 24).
“Aniston and Witherspoon are a pleasure to be around, and they are such kind and good people,” she continued. “They are both international megastars, they don’t have to be as open and sweet as they are.”
Apple's Emmy-winning drama, which has been renewed for a fourth season, is set in the world of a fictional morning news show. Witherspoon and Aniston play anchors Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) and Alex Levy (Aniston), while Duplass plays its executive producer, Charlie “Chip” Black.
All three actors were nominated for drama Emmys this year, though none of them took home trophies in 2024 (co-star Billy Crudup did, though).
“Awards are a funny thing. I tend to be of two minds,” Duplass said.
“First of all, I think it’s silly that there is competition in the creative field. That’s why I don’t give it much importance. But then, as soon as I get nominated, I get very excited and I throw all that away,” he said, laughing.
The former “Togetherness” star added that all the praise and award recognition is “really great for the show.”
“I’m particularly happy for the supporting actresses that we have,” she continued. “They’re doing an incredible job on the show, and Reese and Jen… it’s great to have such an important show in Hollywood led by women, and it’s great to see them being recognized.”
Aniston and Witherspoon are executive producers of “The Morning Show,” in addition to its stars.
“I'm really impressed by their leadership as producers. I get the feeling that when Hollywood came of age in the '90s, maybe they didn't always have the best bosses,” Duplass said.
“I think they've made a concerted effort to be great bosses. I feel sorry for them.”
Duplass is a writer, director and producer of many of his other works, including “Penelope,” his HBO horror anthology “Room 104” and the hit Netflix documentary “Wild Wild Country.”
But on “The Morning Show” he just acts, and that’s the way he likes it.
“The main difference between being an actor and a director is… I relate it to parenting,” said Duplass, who shares two daughters with his wife, actress Katie Aselton.
“Directing is like having children, it’s your baby,” he explained.
“It’s exhausting, absorbing and rewarding. Acting is more like being a drunk guy who shows up to parties with Oreos and then leaves when the director has to attend to his business.”
He likes “The Morning Show’s” tendency to feature current events, such as the MeToo movement or the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021.
But Duplass said he would have a hard time pinpointing which news headlines he wants to see appear in the upcoming season.
“It's hard to pick the right things for them, because when you're trying to make a show that keeps up with current events, timing is very critical and difficult,” he explained.
“In the first season, they wanted to incorporate the MeToo movement, which was happening right when they were about to film, so they rewrote everything. In the second season, they included the pandemic. In the third season, they addressed a lot of the issues surrounding women’s rights.”
He added that he likes that the writers' room always tries to include current events and “make it work.”
But, he said, the fun part about acting alone on the show is that “I don't have to worry about that. I just do what they tell me to do and go where they tell me to go.”
