Jeff Baena, director and Aubrey Plaza’s husband, dead at 47
Independent movie director Jeff Baena has died at the age of 47. He was also the husband of actor Aubrey Plaza, who he married in 2021.
At this stage, the details surrounding Baena’s death have not been disclosed. According to Deadline, Baena’s family is devastated and is asking for privacy at this current time. His body was discovered on January 3rd at a residence in Los Angeles and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Baena began his directing career in 2014 with Life After Beth, which starred Plaza, who he’d later marry, in the lead role. Additionally, he wrote the movie, which also featured Molly Shannon, John C Reilly and Cheryl Hines. Ten years prior to his directorial debut, Baena wrote the David O Russell movie I Heart Huckebees.
Baena learned the ropes in the movie industry under the tutelage of Robert Zemeckis, who gave him his first job as a production assistant after he moved to Los Angeles after graduating from NYU Film School.
Over the last decade, Baena focussed on his directing, also creating 2016’s Joshy, 2017’s The Little Hours, 2020’s Horse Girl, and his final feature, 2022’s Spin Me Round. The latter, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was written alongside Alison Brie, who also starred in the project alongside frequent collaborators Shannon and Plaza.
In 2021, Baena helmed the Showtime series Cinema Toast, which he wrote, directed and produced.
During an interview with the AV Club in 2022, Baena explained his approach to filmmaking and revealed why he deliberately avoided making the same movie twice, stating, “I’ve seen friends who are also filmmakers and writers who do a movie that [for example] takes place during spring break and then all they’re getting for the rest of their life is spring break movies. Or they did a melodrama, then they’re only getting melodramas.”
The director continued: “And I think personally, I’m only making stuff that I feel is different from something I’ve made before. [I like] trying new things and going into new places and painting myself into corners and trying to get out of it. And if it’s something that you’ve seen before, I don’t see the value in making it again. And, you know, sometimes there’s a criticism of, ‘I was expecting this and I didn’t get it.’ But to me, what’s the point? Then watch that old movie that you thought this was going to be!”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.