Jay Duplass

“I have an appreciation for strong women.”

“I loved movies. They inspired me more than anything growing up and wanted to do for others what those movies have done for me. I do a lot of other creative stuff but am not very good at it.”

“It is very common for people to come up to the cast members and say, 'Our family is OK now because of 'Transparent.''”

“I'm obsessed with 'The Americans.' It's one of my favorite shows. I also love 'Baskets' - low-brow, high-art comedy.”

“The first 600 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, before you get into the Sierra Nevada mountain range, is heavy on desert. One of the things I carry with me in the desert is an umbrella. People think that's insane. It has a shiny top to it, so it looks totally ridiculous, but the difference can be 20 degrees.”

“I always tell young filmmakers, don't go make a feature. Make a short. When you're ready to make a feature, people will tell you. Your friends will tell you. Your fans will tell you. Festivals will tell you. Listen to your audience.”

“From casting to hiring to awards races like the Emmys, taking active steps toward inclusion will make for richer stories, a stronger democracy, and a better world.”

“I grew up in a small, old-school Catholic world, imprinted with an above-average number of categories and judgments.”

“Now that I'm acting, I've realized that I don't have a lot of barriers. Certain actors have a hard time with anger or with joy or with whatever, and, I don't know, I don't seem to have those barriers.”

“The idea that a lot of sons marry their mothers subconsciously, which I have done in my own life, was interesting to explore.”

“I went to film school at UT Austin. I learned a lot, and that school's good for puking up all your bad movies early and quick. But ultimately, no one can teach you to be an artist.”

“I think it's hard for quieter, more introverted people to get into acting.”

“I thought acting was showboating.”

“Ultralight backpackers do some stupid stuff, like instead of bringing a toothbrush, you saw one off right below the bristles and just carry the head.”

“I think it's rare for anyone that a really accomplished, amazing director calls you up and says, 'I want to make a movie around you, and I want it to be this.'”

“My wife is a social worker and a feminist, and it feels natural to me to have these relationships with these powerhouse women that I have had.”

“If we are to maintain a relevant and just industry, we must all open our eyes to the obvious lack of equality in wages, representation, and access.”

“Everyone I know who is having success in film right now is there because of persistence.”

“When you grow up in New Orleans, like, the only way to be an artist is to be a 55-year-old black musician. That's basically what we wanted to be. If you had asked me very truthfully what I wanted to be when I was 16, the answer would've been, 'I want to be a 55-year-old black musician.'”

“In ultralight backpacking, modified gear pieces come into play, like a tent you hoist with your trekking poles.”