Watch: Talking 'Uncoupled' with Neil Patrick Harris and Brooks Ashmanskas
On "Uncoupled," the new Netflix show that begins airing on Friday, July 28, Neil Patrick Harris plays a successful, Manhattan real estate broker who is dumped by his partner of 17 years (Tuc Watkins). Single and middle-aged, he faces dating again, but in the brave new world of hook-up apps, PrEP, and botoxed buttholes. The series is the brainchild of Darren Star ("And Just Like That") and Jeffrey Richman ("Frasier"), who find comedy in this older fish-in-new-water scenario.
On the show, Harris is joined by Tony-nominated actor Brooks Ashmanskas ("The Prom" on Broadway) who plays one of his bffs, an unlucky-in-love art gallery owner named Stanley.
EDGE spoke to the actors about the show. (Note: edited for clarity).
EDGE: So let's start with you. What are your thoughts on the importance of a strong support system, especially in the LGBT community?
Brooks Ashmanskas: Well, I think in any community, it is vitally important. But in the LGBTQ+ community, I feel like it's our responsibility to support one another. And it's also our choice of whom we choose to have around us. And we choose, I say this a lot, is we choose our families that we have immediately. And without those chosen families, I don't think we can get through much of anything. So I think in answer to your question, it is vitally important to have a support group,
EDGE: Now, what was it about this role that intrigued you?
Neil Patrick Harris: I loved being the head of a show that was gay characters living a specific gay existence through a very gay relationship collapsing, and yet I don't think it is singularly for a gay audience. So being able to play the human-relatable kind of universal nuance of all of the emotions that anyone feels when they're in relationship trauma. I don't know, I thought that was fun. Often times you make content and you are pretty aware that it's going to be a singular thing —action movie or a kids' show or something — and I feel like what we're doing with uncoupled is making a very universal and relatable comedy about a breakup, which is kind of never been done before.
EDGE: And if you guys were going to be on Grindr, what would your profile pic and tagline be?
Neil Patrick Harris: I'm a big fan of the loins. Yeah, the whole the whole part.. not just the slappy in the stinkers, but not also just the gaping mob — like the all of it. So I would probably do a pic of my taint. A taint pic (the perineum).The tagline?
Brooks Ashmanskas: Taint nobody's business.
Neil Patrick Harris: That's great. It's a Musical Theater reference.
Brooks Ashmanskas: Of course. I'm a homosexual. I mean, allegedly... My picture would just be it just would be no picture at all. And I think think it would be, I don't know, "This means you."
Neil Patrick Harris: You're gonna get a bunch of them.
Brooks Ashmanskas: No, I haven't heard anything yet, strange.
"Uncoupled" drops on Netflix on July 29, 2022.
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