Aubrey Plaza is excited by the ‘challenge’ of playing Heidi Fleiss in an upcoming biopic.
The 41-year-old actress is set to the play the former madam in The Heidi Fleiss Story, and Aubrey has revealed that she’s looking forward to the playing the ‘icon’.
‘I’ve been on this track for a while. I got it in my head that I wanted to play her a couple of years ago and I’ve never played a real-life person before,’ she told IndieWire.
‘It’s a different kind of scale, challenge, that I’m really excited about, and I just think she’s an incredible person, incredible character.’
Heidi previously ran an upscale, Los Angeles-based prostitution ring and is often referred to as the Hollywood Madam. And Aubrey thinks her story will make for a fascinating movie.
The actress explained: ‘The story is insane. She’s done something that probably nobody else has ever done, and she’s still going. I think she’s the ultimate bad*** icon and she deserves the royal treatment. We shall give it to her.’
Aubrey Plaza is excited by the ‘challenge’ of playing Heidi Fleiss in an upcoming biopic. The 41-year-old actress is set to the play the former madam in The Heidi Fleiss Story, and Aubrey has revealed that she’s looking forward to the playing the ‘icon’
This comes after Plaza’s husband Baena died earlier this year; seen in 2014
Asked if she’s ever had the chance to talk to Heidi, Aubrey replied: ‘I have not spoken with her, [but] I hope so. I hope to make a little trip to her place in the desert at some point. Spiritually I feel her. I’ve heard she’s very excited about it. We’re in early stages.’
Aubrey has already enjoyed huge success in her career, starring in movies such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Happiest Season and Black Bear. But the actress previously revealed that her success has been fuelled by rejection.
The Hollywood star told NME: ‘Auditioning always felt like this f*****-up game that I was playing with life. Like playing the lottery or something.
‘I think I’ve always been very fuelled by rejection. It only made me want it more, because I think I just had that thing inside of me that’s like: ‘I wanna be in the club that I’m not in’ or whatever that is; ‘I want the thing that I can’t have, or the thing that I don’t have. And if you tell me that I’m not good enough, I’ll just find a way to prove you wrong somehow.’
Aubrey has starred in a wide variety of film and TV projects over the years, including thrillers, political satires and sitcoms. But the actress also loves the idea of starring in big-budget projects.
She said: ‘I love blockbusters. I think I’m always nostalgic for big movies that are also good – which is a really hard thing to make. But when you do, you’ll never forget it. Those kinds of movies can change the world.’
The White Lotus star is not only leading the film as Fleiss, but also producing — marking her first major role since the heartbreaking loss of her husband Jeff Baena, who died by suicide on January 3.
Speaking to IndieWire, Aubrey shared: ‘I’ve been on this track for a while. I got it in my head that I wanted to play her a couple of years ago and I’ve never played a real-life person before. ‘It’s a different kind of scale, challenge, that I’m really excited about, and I just think she’s an incredible person, incredible character.’ Seen on Wednesday
Heidi previously ran an upscale, Los Angeles-based prostitution ring and is often referred to as the Hollywood Madam. Seen in 1993
As casting news spread online, fans quickly took to social media to point out the striking physical resemblance between Aubrey and Heidi.
‘Wow, she looks eerily similar to Heidi,’ one fan wrote on X.
Fleiss rose to infamy in the early 1990s when she was revealed to be running a high-end prostitution ring in Los Angeles that catered to wealthy clients, including celebrities, Hollywood executives, and powerful businessmen.
Known as the ‘Hollywood Madam,’ she allegedly inherited the operation from her former lover and mentor, convicted madam Elizabeth Adams, also known as ‘Madam Alex,’ and quickly expanded it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
Fleiss’s empire came crashing down in June 1993, when she was arrested and later indicted on multiple charges including pandering, tax evasion, and money laundering, with prosecutors accusing her of laundering over $1.5 million through shell companies and false bookkeeping.
During her sensational trial, salacious details emerged about her client list—rumored to include A-list names—though many identities were never publicly confirmed, fueling widespread fan frenzy.
Now, Plaza is stepping into the complex role of the convicted madam, bringing her signature intensity to the character of Fleiss.
The casting follows a string of high-profile and critically praised performances, including roles in Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.
And Aubrey thinks her story will make for a fascinating movie. The actress explained: ‘The story is insane. She’s done something that probably nobody else has ever done, and she’s still going. I think she’s the ultimate bad*** icon and she deserves the royal treatment. We shall give it to her.’ Seen in 2003
She also earned acclaim for her work in Sundance favorite My Old Ass and HBO’s The White Lotus Season 2.
Up next, she’ll star alongside Susan Sarandon in The Accompanist, a buzzy indie drama marking the directorial debut of The Office alum Zack Woods.
In 2024, an autopsy report from the L.A. County Medical Examiner, obtained by DailyMail.com, shed light on the circumstances surrounding Baena’s tragic death.
At the time, he had been living in New York, where his body was discovered on January 3.
According to the report, the Life After Beth filmmaker had been going through ‘marital difficulties’ in the months leading up to his death and had been receiving therapy.
Though Plaza’s name was redacted, the documents noted that she had spoken to Baena the night before he died and had previously voiced concern for his mental state.
The medical examiner confirmed that Baena had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his passing and noted that Plaza believed he was still alive on the morning of January 3, as he had texted her earlier that day.
The report indicated that a dog walker discovered Baena’s body.
Shortly after his death, a representative for Plaza said in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com: ‘This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.’
Baena, who graduated with a film degree from New York University, got hands-on experience with major filmmakers when he worked as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis and an assistant editor for David O. Russell.
