A new look at Jeff Baena’s film career before his death at age 47

Jeff Baena wrote and directed a series of indie TV shows and films prior to his sudden death in January 2025.

“[Directing is] all I ever want to do; it felt very comfortable and fun,” Baena said Seen in 2014, referring to directorial debut Life after Beth. “I’ve been a writer for twelve years now and it’s always been 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 good.”

Life after Beth with star Aubrey Plazawho started dating Baena four years earlier. The couple, who married in 2020, later collaborated on films Three little hours And Spin me around.

“It is a great experience to work with your partner in this way,” says Plaza FilmFreak in 2017. “I’ve been working with Jeff since his first film. I’ve seen him evolve, and I’ve seen him grow. It’s a very special dynamic that we have. It is sometimes a challenge, but it is also extremely satisfying to do something together.”

Baena echoed Plaza’s sentiments several years later, and it was telling Role speaker in 2022 that “she is amazing.”

“I would work with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is,” Baena joked. “The opportunity to do something creative [together] where we are both fulfilled – how rare is that?”

Baena died almost three years later, in January 2025, at the age of 47. Keep scrolling to revisit his star-studded filmography:

‘I Heart Huckabees’

Baena co-wrote the 2004 film David O. Russellwho was also director. The movie was playing Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin And Isabelle Huppert.

‘Life After Beth’

Life after Beth was Baena’s directorial debut, which he also wrote prior to its release in 2014. The film was shown alongside Plaza Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Anna Kendrick And Matthew Gray Gubler.

‘Joshy’

He wrote and directed Joshy in 2016, working with actors Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Lauren Graham And Alison Brienext to Plaza.

“Jeff [came] to the set of Community in our sixth season and asked me to play a small role in his film, Joshy,Brie recalled working with Baena during a 2022 interview with Collider. “There was no script for that. All his films I was involved with, prior to this one, were completely improvised. So he came to my dressing room [room]. We had an appointment 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 like a fun thing to do.” It was one day. I’m in two scenes in that movie. I thought the story was cool. And it just grew from there.”

Related: Aubrey Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena has died at the age of 47

Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has died at the age of 47, according to medical records obtained by Us Weekly. According to Deadline, the circumstances surrounding Baena’s death are currently unknown. Records show the case status is “open” and an exam has been scheduled. We have contacted you for further comment. Baena is survived […]

‘The Small Hours’

The following year, Brie and Plaza reunited in 2017 to play nuns The small hours. Brie’s husband, Dave Francoalso starred in the film, as well Kate Micucci, Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke And Nick Offerman.

Brie told Collider in 2022 that Baena pitched The small hours during a phone conversation with her and Franco, who were both excited about the prospect of working on a completely improvised film.

‘Horse Girl’

Brie led Baena’s again Horse girlwhich debuted in 2020. The film also starred Shannon, Goudenite, Stella Chestnut, John Ortiz And Debby Ryan.

“Dave and I lived pretty close to Jeff and Aubrey. Jeff and I started walking together quite regularly, just like friends, and on 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 Horse girlwhich we wrote and produced together. That was such a good experience.”

‘Cinema toast’

Baena created and co-wrote the eclectic 2021 TV show, with episodes featuring Brie, Christina Ricci, Chloe Fineman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph And Jake Johnson.

“This project is right up my alley. I just loved the concept of it,” Plaza shared AwardsWatch in 2021. “It almost felt like a new art form to me, it goes beyond just overdubbing a movie, it’s making a new movie out of old things, and I don’t know, there’s just something very film noir and nerdy On. It. For me, it spoke to my film school brain.”

‘Spin Me Around’

Baena co-wrote 2022 Spin me around with Brie, who also starred in the romantic comedy alongside Plaza. Other artists included Jake Picking, Lil Rel Howery, Ego Nwodim, Alessandro Nivola And Zach Woods.

“It’s an incredible advantage to have the person you work with on all fronts also on the other side of the camera,” Baena said AV club in August 2022 from working with the film’s leading actress, Brie. “Because in addition to obviously understanding where the script comes from and what the intention is, they can also set the tone in terms of acting.”