Aubrey Plaza is set to portray Heidi Fleiss, famously known as the Hollywood madam, in an upcoming film venture. According to Variety, the 41-year-old Emmy-nominated actress will not only star but also produce The Heidi Fleiss Story through her production company, Evil Hag. This marks Plaza's first significant project following the tragic loss of her husband, Jeff Baena, who passed away in January at the age of 47.
Fleiss once ran a high-end prostitution ring in Los Angeles and faced multiple charges, including pandering, eventually being convicted and serving time for federal tax evasion. Making her directorial debut, Leah Rachel, the creator of Netflix's Chambers, will helm this biographical film, co-writing it alongside Rachel Sennott and Travis Jackson, as reported by Variety.
"Their adaptation delves into the tabloid sensation's life before her trial, depicting Fleiss scrambling through Los Angeles, attempting to blackmail and leverage connections to have the case dismissed, all with the help of an aspiring young writer named Jaclyn," Variety reveals.
Plaza had a bustling year in 2024, starring in films such as My Old Ass, Megalopolis, Agatha All Along, among others. Following her role in Ethan Coen's Honey Don't! (scheduled for theatrical release on August 22), she will produce and appear in Susan Sarandon's film The Accompanist, star in the TV adaptation Olga Dies Dreaming, and lend her voice to characters in The Ark and the Aardvark and Animal Friends.
After Baena's suicide, the Parks and Recreation actress and her late husband's family issued a statement to PEOPLE. "This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are profoundly grateful for the support extended to us. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time," it read. Plaza, who had been separated from Baena since September 2024, paid tribute to him during the SNL50: The Anniversary Special in February by wearing a tie-dye shirt, seemingly referencing their 2021 wedding. She reappeared in May at the Cannes Film Festival to promote the premiere of Honey Don't!
Fleiss' life was last portrayed on screen in the 2004 TV movie Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss, with Jamie-Lynn Sigler in the lead role. According to Variety, filming for the new Heidi Fleiss Story will commence in Los Angeles in the coming months.
