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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 4 august 2017

‘Difficult People’ star Julie Klausner: making it look easy

By FRAZIER MOORE one you can hate every-
AP Television Writer thing else with,” Klausner
NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps notes. “There’s definitely a
no show in TV history ever lot of opinions expressed
had a title that was better by these characters.” And
suited to it: “Difficult Peo- a lot of agreement: They
ple.” In this Hulu comedy, harmonize in stirring up
30-something best friends their chaos.
Julie and Billy form a pushy, The real-life team of Klaus-
shameless united front as ner and Eichner first joined
they wage war with New forces on “Billy on the
York and the world of show Street,” the breathless side-
business they half-hearted- walk quiz show for which
ly are trying to break into. she served as a producer.
The upshot for viewers as Its off-the-cuff style and
they feast on this screw- pop-culture frenzy is akin
ball, cringey series’ third to the meticulously script-
season (which premieres ed “Difficult People” she
Tuesday): Their difficulty would mastermind soon
not busting a gut. after. “I spent more time
“Difficult People” flings with TV and movies than
snark at Woody Allen, Da- I did playing outside with
vid Blaine, Passover, un- people my age, the way
hinged subway riders, a healthy children are sup-
government initiative to posed to do,” says Klaus-
“deprogram” gays, and ner, explaining her store
Alcoholics Anonymous. of knowledge. “Popular
It finds Julie and Billy duck- In this image released by Hulu, Julie Klausner, left, and Andrea Martin appear in the series, “Dif- culture is the language I
ing into a church sanctu- ficult People.” speak. And Billy speaks it
ary to charge their phones too.” Earlier in her career,
but, when she finds no out- sourpuss actually stalking (played by James Urba- So it’s them against the she applied that passion
let there, blurting out indig- her). niak, one among the series’ world, armed with rat-a-tat, to churning out recaps
nantly, “What is this place The difficult duo of “Difficult splendid troupe). Billy, a pop-culture-powered dia- of reality-show episodes.
good for?” People” are portrayed by gay man, looks elsewhere logue that spares nothing (Which, between auditions
The show spoofs drug ad- Billy Eichner and Julie Klaus- for his flings. and no one. (“Ever since and capers with Billy, is
vertising with its commer- ner, with the jams they get But Billy and Julie share a President Trump replaced what Julie does for money
cial for Ridshadovan, an into flowing from the mind transcendent bond. the Department of Health on “Difficult People.”)
antidepressant that per- of Klausner, who also cre- “The fact that we are so with Jenny McCarthy’s For Klausner, recaps pro-
sonifies depression as a ated and writes the show. loyal to each other buys blog,” says Billy, “nothing vided a great training
sour, cronish woman who “It’s a love story,” she says. us a lot of real estate in makes sense.”) ground for writing snappy
stalks the sufferer (includ- Granted, Julie lives with the Being Horrible Depart- “One of the most romantic commentary. She loved
ing Julie, who finds this TV an ever-submissive partner ment,” Klausner says. things of all is finding some- it.q

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ star denies

grabbing colleague’s buttocks

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — leged. did “nothing that could be
The actor who played Luke “During a rehearsal the de- considered inappropriate.”
Duke on the 1980s television fendant allegedly walked He told police that he buys
show “The Dukes of Haz- behind a female cast cocaine “in large quanti-
zard” pleaded not guilty on member, grabbing her ties and uses it over time,”
Thursday to grabbing the buttocks,” they said in an the court documents said.
buttocks of a female mem- emailed statement. Wopat was supposed to
ber of the cast of a musical Wopat, 65, was arrested play Julian Marsh in “42nd
he was supposed to ap- on Wednesday night on a Street” at the Waltham-
pear in. warrant on the indecent based Reagle Music The-
Tom Wopat was released assault charge as he was atre of Greater Boston
on $1,000 bail and was leaving Waltham High starting Thursday. But the
told to stay away from the School, where he was re- theater announced Thurs-
woman after denying inde- hearsing for a performance day that a different actor
cent assault and battery of “42nd Street.” Police said would play the role.
and drug possession charg- that during a search of him Wopat said in a recent in-
es. He refused to comment and his vehicle they found terview that he has played In this still image from video, actor Tom Wopat stands during
arraignment Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Waltham, Mass., on inde-
outside court before driv- “two bags of white powder the role about 500 times. cent assault and battery and drug possession charges.
ing away. believed to be cocaine.” Besides his role on “The Associated Press
Wopat, who’s from New The actor denied touching Dukes of Hazzard,” an
York, inappropriately anyone inappropriately, action-comedy that ran shows and movies, is a Tony actor and is a recording
touched the woman on according to court docu- from 1979 until 1985, he has Award-nominated
July 23, prosecutors al- ments. He said he flirts but acted in other television stage artist..q