Jeff Baena wrote and directed a slate of indie TV exhibits and movies forward of his sudden death in January 2025.
“[Directing is] all I ever wish to do; it felt actually comfy and enjoyable,” Baena informed Seensome in 2014, referring to directorial debut Life After Beth. “I’ve been a author for 12 years now and it was at all times a method to an finish, I by no means needed to be a author, I needed to be a director so this was at all times my intention and it felt proper.”
Life After Beth starred Aubrey Plaza, who began relationship Baena 4 years earlier. The couple, who acquired married in 2020, later collaborated on movies Three Little Hours and Spin Me Spherical.
“It’s a tremendous expertise to work along with your accomplice on this method,” Plaza gushed to MovieFreak in 2017. “I’ve labored with Jeff since his first film. I’ve seen him evolve, and I’ve seen him develop. It’s a extremely particular dynamic that we’ve. It’s difficult at occasions, but it surely’s additionally actually rewarding to do something together.”
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena had been collectively for over a decade forward of his demise in 2025. The pair began relationship in 2011 however by no means confirmed precisely after they met or when their love story started. Plaza and the Horse Woman director have collaborated on movies together with Life After Beth and Joshy in 2016 and […]
Baena echoed Plaza’s sentiments a number of years later, telling Reel Talker in 2022 that “she’s superior.”
“I’d be working along with her if she wasn’t my spouse, however fortunately she is my spouse,” Baena quipped. “The chance to do one thing artistic [together] the place we’re each fulfilled — how uncommon is that?”
Baena died nearly three years later in January 2025, on the age of 47. Maintain scrolling to revisit his star-studded filmography:
‘I Coronary heart Huckabees’
Baena cowrote the 2004 movie with David O. Russell, who additionally served because the director. The film starred Jude Legislation, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and Isabelle Huppert.
‘Life After Beth’
Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan Abbolita Productions
Life After Beth was Baena’s directorial debut, which he additionally wrote forward of its 2014 launch. Along with Plaza, the movie featured Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Anna Kendrick and Matthew Grey Gubler.
‘Joshy’
Thomas Middleditch American Zoetrope
He wrote and directed Joshy in 2016, working with actors Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Lauren Graham and Alison Brie, along with Plaza.
“Jeff [came] to the set of Neighborhood in our sixth season and requested me to play a small position in his movie, Joshy,” Brie recalled of working with Baena throughout a 2022 interview with Collider. “There was no script for that. All of his movies that I’ve been concerned with, previous to this one, had been absolutely improvised. So, he got here to my dressing [room]. We set a gathering, and he got here to fulfill me. … I knew plenty of the forged members in that film. Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate and Adam Pally had been associates of mine. I simply thought, “Yeah, that sounds enjoyable to do.” It was in the future. I’m in two scenes in that film. I assumed the story was cool. After which, it simply grew from there.”
UPDATE — January 4, 2024 at 7:01 p.m. EST: Medical expert data had been up to date to disclose that Baena died by suicide at his residence in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, January 3. Authentic story: Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has died on the age of 47, in accordance with medical expert data seen by Us Weekly. […]
‘The Little Hours’
Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza Concourse Media
The following yr, Brie and Plaza reunited to play nuns in 2017’s The Little Hours. Brie’s husband, Dave Franco, additionally starred within the flick, in addition to Kate Micucci, Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke and Nick Offerman.
Brie informed Collider in 2022 that Baena pitched The Little Hours on a cellphone name along with her and Franco, who had been each excited in regards to the prospect of engaged on a totally improvised movie.
‘Horse Woman’
John Ortiz, Alison Brie Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix
Brie as soon as once more led Baena’s Horse Woman, which debuted in 2020. The movie additionally featured Shannon, Goldenite, Stella Chestnut, John Ortiz and Debby Ryan.
“Dave and I lived fairly near Jeff and Aubrey. Jeff and I began climbing collectively fairly commonly, simply as buddies, and through these lengthy hikes, we might speak about totally different concepts,” Brie informed Collider two years later. “Finally, I felt comfy sufficient with him to speak to him about my thought for Horse Woman, which we co-wrote and co-produced collectively. That was such an excellent expertise.”
‘Cinema Toast’
Baena created and cowrote the eclectic 2021 TV present with episodes starring the likes of Brie, Christina Ricci, Chloe Fineman, Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph and Jake Johnson.
“This venture is method up my alley. I simply beloved simply the idea of it,” Plaza informed AwardsWatch in 2021. “It nearly felt like a brand new artwork kind for me, like, it’s past simply overdubbing a film, it’s creating a brand new film out of outdated stuff, and I don’t know, there’s simply one thing very movie noir and nerdish about it. To me, it talked to my movie college mind.”
‘Spin Me Spherical’
Alessandro Nivola, Alison Brie Duplass Brothers Productions
Baena cowrote 2022’s Spin Me Spherical with Brie, who additionally starred within the romantic comedy alongside Plaza. Different performers included Jake Choosing, Lil Rel Howery, Ego Nwodim, Alessandro Nivola and Zach Woods.
“It’s an insane profit to have the individual that you’re collaborating with on all fronts even be on the opposite aspect of the digicam,” Baena informed AV Club in August 2022 of collaborating with the movie’s main woman, Brie. “As a result of along with understanding, clearly, the place the script is coming from and what the intention is, they’ll additionally set the tone by way of appearing.”
Jeff Baena wrote and directed a slate of indie TV exhibits and movies forward of his sudden death in January 2025.
“[Directing is] all I ever wish to do; it felt actually comfy and enjoyable,” Baena informed Seensome in 2014, referring to directorial debut Life After Beth. “I’ve been a author for 12 years now and it was at all times a method to an finish, I by no means needed to be a author, I needed to be a director so this was at all times my intention and it felt proper.”
Life After Beth starred Aubrey Plaza, who began relationship Baena 4 years earlier. The couple, who acquired married in 2020, later collaborated on movies Three Little Hours and Spin Me Spherical.
“It’s a tremendous expertise to work along with your accomplice on this method,” Plaza gushed to MovieFreak in 2017. “I’ve labored with Jeff since his first film. I’ve seen him evolve, and I’ve seen him develop. It’s a extremely particular dynamic that we’ve. It’s difficult at occasions, but it surely’s additionally actually rewarding to do something together.”
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena had been collectively for over a decade forward of his demise in 2025. The pair began relationship in 2011 however by no means confirmed precisely after they met or when their love story started. Plaza and the Horse Woman director have collaborated on movies together with Life After Beth and Joshy in 2016 and […]
Baena echoed Plaza’s sentiments a number of years later, telling Reel Talker in 2022 that “she’s superior.”
“I’d be working along with her if she wasn’t my spouse, however fortunately she is my spouse,” Baena quipped. “The chance to do one thing artistic [together] the place we’re each fulfilled — how uncommon is that?”
Baena died nearly three years later in January 2025, on the age of 47. Maintain scrolling to revisit his star-studded filmography:
‘I Coronary heart Huckabees’
Baena cowrote the 2004 movie with David O. Russell, who additionally served because the director. The film starred Jude Legislation, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and Isabelle Huppert.
‘Life After Beth’
Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan Abbolita Productions
Life After Beth was Baena’s directorial debut, which he additionally wrote forward of its 2014 launch. Along with Plaza, the movie featured Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Anna Kendrick and Matthew Grey Gubler.
‘Joshy’
Thomas Middleditch American Zoetrope
He wrote and directed Joshy in 2016, working with actors Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Lauren Graham and Alison Brie, along with Plaza.
“Jeff [came] to the set of Neighborhood in our sixth season and requested me to play a small position in his movie, Joshy,” Brie recalled of working with Baena throughout a 2022 interview with Collider. “There was no script for that. All of his movies that I’ve been concerned with, previous to this one, had been absolutely improvised. So, he got here to my dressing [room]. We set a gathering, and he got here to fulfill me. … I knew plenty of the forged members in that film. Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate and Adam Pally had been associates of mine. I simply thought, “Yeah, that sounds enjoyable to do.” It was in the future. I’m in two scenes in that film. I assumed the story was cool. After which, it simply grew from there.”
UPDATE — January 4, 2024 at 7:01 p.m. EST: Medical expert data had been up to date to disclose that Baena died by suicide at his residence in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, January 3. Authentic story: Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has died on the age of 47, in accordance with medical expert data seen by Us Weekly. […]
‘The Little Hours’
Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza Concourse Media
The following yr, Brie and Plaza reunited to play nuns in 2017’s The Little Hours. Brie’s husband, Dave Franco, additionally starred within the flick, in addition to Kate Micucci, Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke and Nick Offerman.
Brie informed Collider in 2022 that Baena pitched The Little Hours on a cellphone name along with her and Franco, who had been each excited in regards to the prospect of engaged on a totally improvised movie.
‘Horse Woman’
John Ortiz, Alison Brie Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix
Brie as soon as once more led Baena’s Horse Woman, which debuted in 2020. The movie additionally featured Shannon, Goldenite, Stella Chestnut, John Ortiz and Debby Ryan.
“Dave and I lived fairly near Jeff and Aubrey. Jeff and I began climbing collectively fairly commonly, simply as buddies, and through these lengthy hikes, we might speak about totally different concepts,” Brie informed Collider two years later. “Finally, I felt comfy sufficient with him to speak to him about my thought for Horse Woman, which we co-wrote and co-produced collectively. That was such an excellent expertise.”
‘Cinema Toast’
Baena created and cowrote the eclectic 2021 TV present with episodes starring the likes of Brie, Christina Ricci, Chloe Fineman, Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph and Jake Johnson.
“This venture is method up my alley. I simply beloved simply the idea of it,” Plaza informed AwardsWatch in 2021. “It nearly felt like a brand new artwork kind for me, like, it’s past simply overdubbing a film, it’s creating a brand new film out of outdated stuff, and I don’t know, there’s simply one thing very movie noir and nerdish about it. To me, it talked to my movie college mind.”
‘Spin Me Spherical’
Alessandro Nivola, Alison Brie Duplass Brothers Productions
Baena cowrote 2022’s Spin Me Spherical with Brie, who additionally starred within the romantic comedy alongside Plaza. Different performers included Jake Choosing, Lil Rel Howery, Ego Nwodim, Alessandro Nivola and Zach Woods.
“It’s an insane profit to have the individual that you’re collaborating with on all fronts even be on the opposite aspect of the digicam,” Baena informed AV Club in August 2022 of collaborating with the movie’s main woman, Brie. “As a result of along with understanding, clearly, the place the script is coming from and what the intention is, they’ll additionally set the tone by way of appearing.”
