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Jeff Brothers previously writing and directing a series of indie TV shows and films his sudden death in January 2025.
“(Directing is) all I ever want to do; it felt very comfortable and fun,” said Baena Good looking in 2014, referring to the directors’ debut Life after Beth. “I’ve been a writer for 12 years now and it was always a means to an end, I never wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a director so this was always my intention and it felt right. “
Life after Beth starry Plaza Aubreywho started dating Baena four years earlier. The couple, who married in 2020, work together later on films Three Little Hours a Spin Me Round.
“It’s an amazing experience to work with your partner like this,” gushed Plaza MovieFreak in 2017. “I have worked with Jeff since his first film. I’ve seen it evolve, and I’ve seen it grow. It’s a very special dynamic that we have. It is challenging at times, but it is also very rewarding do something together.”
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena were together for over a decade before his death in 2025. The pair started dating in 2011 but never confirmed exactly when they met or when their love story began. The director of Plaza and the Horse Girl has collaborated on films including Life After Beth and Joshy in 2016 and (…)
Baena echoed Plaza’s sentiments several years later, saying Speaker Reel in 2022 “she’s great.”
“I would work with her if she wasn’t my wife, but fortunately she is my wife,” says Baena. “The opportunity to do something creative (together) where we’re both fulfilled – how rare is that?”
Brothers he died almost three years later in January 2025, aged 47. Keep scrolling to revisit his star-studded filmography:
‘I Heart Huckabees’
Baena wrote the 2004 film with David O. Russellwho also served as the director. The film starred Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin a Isabelle Huppert.
‘Life After Beth’
Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan
Abbolita ProductionsLife after Beth was the directorial debut of Baena, who also wrote before its release in 2014. In addition to Plaza, the film appeared Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Anna Kendrick a Matthew Gray Gubler.
‘Joshy’
Thomas Middleditch
American ZoetropeHe wrote and directed Joshy in 2016, working with actors Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Lauren Graham a Alison Briein addition to Plaza.
“Jeff (came) to a set of Community in our sixth season and he asked me to play a small part in his film, Joshy,” Brie recalled working with Baena during an interview with 2022 Collider. “There was no script for that. All of his films that I’ve been involved with, before this one, were completely improvised. So, he came to my dressing (room). We arranged a meeting, and he came to meet me. … I knew a lot of the cast members in that movie. Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate and Adam Pally were friends of mine. I just thought, “Yeah, that sounds fun to do.” It was one day. I’m in two scenes in that movie. I thought the story was cool. And then, it grew from there.”
UPDATE – January 4, 2024 at 7:01 pm EST: Medical examiner records have been updated to reveal that Baena died by suicide at his home in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, January 3. Original story: Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena , has died at the age of 47, according to medical examiner’s records seen by Us Weekly. (…)
‘The Little Hours’
Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza
Lobby MediaThe next year, Brie and Plaza reunited to play nuns in 2017’s The Small Hours. Brie’s husband, Dave Francoalso stars in the flick, as well as Kate Micucci, Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke a Nick Offerman.
Brie told Collider in 2022 that Baena had pitched The Small Hours on a phone call with her and Franco, who were both excited about the prospect of working on a completely improvised film.
‘horse girl’
John Ortiz, Alison Brie
Katrina Marcinowski/NetflixBrie once again led Baena’s The Horse’s Daughterwhich debuted in 2020. The film also featured Shannon, Goldenite, Stella chestnut, John Ortiz a Debbie Ryan.
“Dave and I lives fairly close to Jeff and Aubrey. Jeff and I started hiking together pretty regularly, just like friends, and during these long walks, we would talk about different ideas,” Brie told Collider two years later. “Eventually, I felt comfortable enough with him to talk to him about my idea for The Horse’s Daughterwhich we co-wrote and co-produced together. That was such a good experience.”
‘Cinema Toast’
Baena created and co-wrote the eclectic 2021 TV show with episodes starring Brie, Christina Ricci, Chloe Fineman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph a Jake Johnson.
“This project is way up my alley. I loved the concept of it,” Plaza said Watch Awards in 2021. “It almost felt like a new art form to me, like, it’s beyond overdubbing a movie, it’s creating a new movie out of old stuff, and I don’t know, just something really film noir and nerdish about it. it is. For me, it was speaking to my film school brain.”
‘Spin Me Row’
Alessandro Nivola, Alison Brie
Duplass Brothers ProductionsBrothers wrote 2022’s Spin Me Round with Brie, who also starred in the romantic comedy alongside Plaza. Other performers include Jake Picking, Lil Rel Howery, Ego Nwodim, Alessandro Nivola a Zach Woods.
“It’s a crazy advantage to have the person you’re collaborating with on every front also be on the other side of the camera,” Baena told AV Club in August 2022 from a collaboration with the film’s leading lady, Brie. “Because as well as understanding, obviously, where the script comes from and what the intention is, they are also able to set the tone in terms of acting.”
