Nine Perfect Strangers: Is Brian Tumkin Based on a Real Ventriloquist? Is Crabapple Clubhouse A Real TV Show?

The second season of Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ introduces a new set of people who arrive at a wellness retreat with the hopes of fixing the issues that have haunted them for a long time. One of those people is Brian Tumkin. Played by Murray Bartlett, the character goes through quite a journey in the eight-episode season, with each chapter unraveling something new about his story, particularly his issues with rage. The actor portrays the flawed and complicated character with a deeply human touch, which makes him highly realistic.

Brian Tumkin and His TV Show are Fictional Creations in Nine Perfect Strangers

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ is an entirely fictional story that explores the journeys of made-up characters, including Brian Tumkin. In the Hulu series, he is presented as the host of a successful children’s show called ‘Crabapple Clubhouse’ but falls from grace after lashing out at the crew. The incident goes viral, which leads to Brian getting cancelled, losing his job, and everything else in his life. While the incidents of TV show hosts losing it on camera are not unheard of, no real TV personality serves as the inspiration for Brian. Like every other character in the show, he and his backstory are completely made-up to serve the plot. But, despite Brian being a fictional character, Murray Bartlett wanted to present him as authentically as possible.

When ‘The White Lotus’ star received the script, he immediately fell in love with Brian’s character and knew that he had to bring this man to life on the screen. To prepare for the role, he got into the nitty-gritty of Brian’s life and tried to learn as much about it as possible. With the character being the host of a children’s show, the actor watched kids’ shows, paying particular attention to the hosts to understand their jobs, how they are required to behave, and how much their words and actions reflect in their persona on the show. Because Brian’s journey in ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ is rooted in his trauma, which Masha tries to heal through psychedelics and mushrooms, Bartlett looked into this method of therapy as well.

He already knew about the use of mushrooms and stuff like psilocybin in therapy, but he delved deeper to understand the impact it would have on Brian during his stay in Zauberwald. At the end of the day, he wanted the audience to sympathise with the character, despite his flaws and follies. He referred to the baggage that Brian comes to the retreat with, and how much his trauma and past actions weigh on him. However, over the course of his journey, he learns to deal with his issues, to confront his fears, and heal. The actor hopes that the audience learns from Brian’s arc that no matter how bad things might seem, it is possible to move past them by accepting help from others and opening up to the good things.