Revisiting Jeff Baena’s film career before his death at 47

Jeff Brothers wrote and directed a string of indie TV shows and films before him his sudden death in January 2025

“(Directing is) all I want to do; It felt really comfortable and fun,” Baena said Apparently in 2014, citing a directorial debut Life after Beth. “I’ve been a writer for 12 years and it’s always been a means to an end, I never wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a director, so that’s always been my intention and it felt right.

Life after Beth with a star Aubrey Plazawho started dating Baena four years earlier. The couple who got married in 2020 later cooperated of movies Three small hours and Spin Me Round.

“It’s an incredible experience to work with your partner in this way,” Plaza gushed MovieFreak in 2017 “I’ve been working with Jeff since his first film. I’ve seen him develop and I’ve seen him grow. It’s a really special dynamic that we have. It’s challenging at times, but it’s also really rewarding do something together.”

Related: Aubrey Plaza and Late Husband Jeff Baena’s Relationship Timeline

Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena were together for more than a decade before his death in 2025. The couple started dating in 2011, but have never confirmed exactly when they met or when their love story began. Plaza and the Horse Girl director have collaborated on films, including Life After Beth and Joshi in 2016. and (…)

Baena echoed Plaza’s sentiments a few years later, recounting Reel Talker in 2022 that “she’s awesome.”

“I would have worked with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is my wife,” Baena quipped. “The opportunity to do something creative (together) where we’re both satisfied — how rare is that?”

Brothers died almost three years later in January 2025, aged 47. Keep scrolling to review his stellar filmography:

“I Heart Huckabees”

Baena co-wrote the 2004 film David O. Russellwho was also a director. The film is involved 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 before its 2014 release. In addition to Plaza, the film starred Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Anna Kendrick and Matthew Gray Gubler.

“Joshi”

He writes and directs Joshi in 2016, working with actors Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Lauren Graham and Alison Brieexcept the Plaza.

“Jeff (came) to the set Community in our sixth season and asked me to play a small part in his film, Joshi,” Bree recalled working with Baena during an interview in 2022. with Collider. “There was no script for this. All his films that I have acted in, 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.” It was one day. I am in two scenes in this movie. I thought the story was cool. And then it just grew from there.”

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

UPDATE — January 4, 2024 at 7:01 PM EST: Medical examiner’s records have been updated to reveal that Baena died by suicide at his residence in Los Angeles, California on Friday, January 3rd. Original story: Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has died at the age of 47, according to medical examiner’s records obtained by Us Weekly. (…)

“The Small Hours”

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

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

“Girl with a Horse”

Brie led the Baena’s again Horse girlwhich debuts in 2020. The film also stars Shannon, Goldenite, Stella Chestnut, John Ortiz and Debbie Ryan.

“Dave and me lived quite close to Jeff and Aubrey. “Jeff and I started going out together pretty regularly, just as friends, and during those long commutes we’d talk about different ideas,” Bree told Collider two years later. “I eventually felt comfortable enough with him to talk to him about my idea Horse girlwhich we wrote and co-produced together. It was such a good experience.”

Cinema Toast

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

“This project is way up my alley. I just loved the concept itself,” Plaza said AwardsWatch in 2021 “It almost felt like a new art form for me, like it’s beyond just rewriting a movie, it’s making a new movie out of old stuff and I don’t know, there’s something very film noir and geeky about it. For me, it spoke to my film school brain.

“Spin Me Round”

The brothers co-authored 2022 Spin Me Round with Brie, who also stars in the romantic comedy alongside Plaza. Other artists are also included Jake Picking, Lil Rel Howery, Ego Nwodim, Alessandro Nivola and Zach Woods.

“It’s a crazy benefit to have the person you’re collaborating with on all fronts be on the other side of the camera as well,” Baena said AV Club in August 2022 for collaborating with the film’s female lead, Bree. “Because in addition to understanding, obviously, where the script is coming from and what the intent is, they can also set the tone in terms of the acting.”