
Jeff Baena, Indie Film Director and Aubrey Plaza’s Husband, Dies at 47

Jeff Baena, an indie film director and writer and Aubrey Plaza’s husband, has died. He was 47.
The filmmaker died by suicide on Friday in his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Baena’s breakthrough came when he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees (2004) alongside director David O. Russell. The film, nominated for the Gotham Award for best feature, followed two “existential detectives” who strive to solve the meaning of a series of strange coincidences.
He made his directorial debut in Life After Beth (2014), which he wrote as well. It starred Plaza as the title character and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that year, when it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and eventually released in theaters by A24. His next project, Joshy (2016), starring Thomas Middleditch, also bowed at Sundance with a Grand Jury nom before being released by Lionsgate.
Baena also wrote and...
The filmmaker died by suicide on Friday in his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Baena’s breakthrough came when he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees (2004) alongside director David O. Russell. The film, nominated for the Gotham Award for best feature, followed two “existential detectives” who strive to solve the meaning of a series of strange coincidences.
He made his directorial debut in Life After Beth (2014), which he wrote as well. It starred Plaza as the title character and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that year, when it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and eventually released in theaters by A24. His next project, Joshy (2016), starring Thomas Middleditch, also bowed at Sundance with a Grand Jury nom before being released by Lionsgate.
Baena also wrote and...
- 1/4/2025
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Similar News
Spike Lee Says Denzel Washington Should Have Won the Oscar for ‘Malcolm X’: ‘No Disrespect to My Brother Al Pacino’ Though
- 5/20/2025
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire

Denzel Washington Halts Pushy Photographer at Cannes Red Carpet
- 5/20/2025
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely

Spike Lee Says ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Is Potentially His Last Collaboration With Denzel Washington: “This Is It—Five”
- 5/20/2025
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV

Jennifer Lawrence & Robert Pattinson's New Psychological Movie Debuts With Strong Rotten Tomatoes Following Cannes Premiere
- 5/18/2025
- by Brennan Klein
- ScreenRant

David O. Russell Broke the Rules, and Christian Bale Broke His Back (Almost) in ‘Amsterdam’
- 5/18/2025
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire

Shane Gillis Joins Roster Of Amazon MGM’s ‘Madden’; Nicolas Cage Plays John Madden
- 5/17/2025
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV

The Coen Brothers Will Reunite, When the Time is Right
- 5/19/2025
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage

10 Best Shows Like ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ To Watch If You Love the Series
- 5/18/2025
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind

Ethan Coen, Wife and Writing Partner Tricia Cooke on Lesbian B-Movies, Trump, Re-Teaming With Joel
- 5/17/2025
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News

IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.