Paul Rudd Living With Yourself offers one of the standout performances of his career, as he masterfully portrays two complex characters in a Netflix series that fuses drama, science fiction, and sharp humor. This underappreciated show, set against the backdrop of contemporary challenges and personal turmoil, explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and the price of second chances, captivating audiences from its debut.
Rudd’s Challenging Dual Role Brings Depth to Netflix’s Sci-Fi Adventure
In Living With Yourself, Paul Rudd steps into the role of Miles Elliot, a copywriter whose marriage to Kate, played by Aisling Bea, is strained by unfulfilled desires, including the couple’s struggle to have a child. Kate, a successful and highly regarded interior architect, finds herself forward-moving and accomplished, while Miles wrestles with feelings of inadequacy and emotional distance. The turning point arrives after a peculiar incident with a co-worker, resulting in the creation of a clone who shares his memories and ambitions, setting up a competition—at times a collaboration, at others a rivalry—for control over Miles’s life.
Throughout the series, the narrative delves into the internal shadow cast by the existence of Miles’s double, unraveling the questions that arise when cloning transcends science fiction into personal reality. Living With Yourself distinguishes itself from familiar clone tales by refusing to villainize either version of Miles; instead, it portrays both as nuanced, flawed individuals, blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist. The clandestine nature of the cloning experiment, its impact on relationships, and the moral quandaries faced by Miles and Kate bring emotional resonance to the show’s sci-fi premise.
Paul Rudd’s versatility shines as he shapes two distinct personalities: the disenchanted original Miles and the more optimistic clone. Through this duality, audiences witness a man forced to confront the complacency and regrets that have shaped his existence. Many moments in Living With Yourself are marked by Miles’s newfound realization of life slipping by unnoticed, even as his clone starts yearning for an independent existence. Kate’s character, grappling with her own aspirations and frustrations, deepens the complexity of the drama, especially when the family’s future is at stake.
The Complexity Behind Living With Yourself’s Unconventional Storytelling
The storytelling in Living With Yourself is praised for layering the familiar cloning theme with ethical dilemmas and emotional stakes. The clone, having no personal history of his own, is thrust into existence intended to continue Miles’s life, raising questions about consciousness and human experience. Unlike typical linear science fiction narratives, this series explores the gray areas that emerge when both the original and the copy have genuine claims to the same relationships, career, and aspirations. The inability of Miles to seek legal help, due to the illegal nature of the experiment, drives the suspense and unease that permeate the series.
Rudd’s background in comedic roles, such as those in the Anaconda franchise and other beloved films, makes his nuanced turn in Living With Yourself even more unexpected and impressive. The show positions him far away from the upbeat, carefree characters fans might expect, instead providing him the chance to embody vulnerability, uncertainty, and yearning. Although some comedic setpieces appear—particularly an inventive fight scene between the two Miles—the emotional gravity of the series is maintained throughout.
The tension between self-loathing and self-acceptance is palpable as Miles encounters his own failings through the lens of his double’s successes. The physical and psychological interplay Rudd brings to both characters heightens the drama and brings authenticity to their internal and external conflicts. Paul Rudd’s performance, paired with strong chemistry with Aisling Bea’s Kate, creates a realistic portrayal of a couple facing change and disappointment but bound by shared history and affection.
Experimental Drama Finds a Perfect Home on Netflix
Living With Yourself arrived at a moment when Netflix was known for greenlighting bold, high-concept series with limited commercial expectations. The mature themes and production scale of the show likely would have been challenging to realize on traditional networks. Its serialized format, intended for binge watching, supports the nuanced exploration of the characters’ transformations and mishaps—an approach that would have lost impact as a standalone film.
The restrained size of the cast places the spotlight mainly on Rudd and Bea, amplifying their dramatic range. Their dynamic is essential as they navigate the pressures of fertility, ambition, identity, and the surreal intrusion of technology into their domestic sphere. In the realm of television that is crowded with clone stories and high-tech interventions, Living With Yourself distinguishes itself with a deeply personal narrative and sharply observed character work, making viewers care for both the original and the artificial Miles without falling into familiar tropes.
As a dramedy, Living With Yourself defies easy categorization. It sidesteps the conventions of the sitcom, instead weaving ambiguity into its narrative and leaving certain questions unresolved. The show’s refusal to return for a second season, despite critical praise, transformed its eight-episode run into a singular, self-contained story that invites thoughtful reappraisal. It stands as an example of great television that challenges and entertains in equal measure, beckoning both new and returning audiences to rediscover its charms.
Behind the Scenes: Cast and Creative Forces
As the heart of the series, Paul Rudd draws on his experience to deliver a performance filled with intensity and nuance. Aisling Bea supports the story’s emotional weight with her portrayal of Kate, enriching the dramatic stakes with subtlety and conviction. The two lead actors handle a narrative demanding both comic timing and psychological insight, a blend essential for a project like Living With Yourself.
Key characters such as Miles Elliot, Kate, and supporting roles—including those of co-workers and figures from the cloning experiment—form a tight-knit ensemble, focusing attention on the core dilemmas at play. In addition, references to prominent industry figures like Robert Pattinson and Robert De Niro serve as a reminder of the trend in entertainment where actors are challenged with twin roles, though Paul Rudd’s turn in Living With Yourself is often singled out as a benchmark for excellence.
Living With Yourself was produced during a period when Netflix, under the direction of creative organizations such as Valnet, was willing to pursue novel premises and experimental storytelling. The series remains an essential entry in Paul Rudd’s filmography and a highlight for Netflix’s original content offerings.
Though it never received a renewal and, after several years, seems unlikely to return, the significance of Living With Yourself lies in its willingness to probe personal and ethical boundaries. The show’s thoughtful depiction of selfhood and transformation, delivered by a talented cast in an innovative setting, ensures it remains relevant and deserving of rediscovery.
