Aubrey Plaza stepped into the spotlight this week not to promote a project, but to talk—plainly—about grief. In a new conversation with longtime friend Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast, the actor opened up for the first time since the death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who died by suicide in January 2025. It was frank, raw, and startling in a media environment that rarely rewards vulnerability. Here’s what she said, how she’s coping, and where her career stands now.
‘A Daily Struggle’: What Plaza Said
Plaza described grief as a “daily struggle,” and compared the feeling to a terrifying, ever-present landscape—an image she tied to a scene from the 2025 thriller The Gorge. She also spoke about the paradox of public life: showing up for fans and collaborators while privately navigating shock waves that hit at random. Poehler’s presence softened the edges; the two friends toggled between humor and heavy truths, and Plaza paused more than once to acknowledge the support system around her.
For a straight-down-the-middle news read on the interview, see The Guardian’s coverage: Aubrey Plaza opens up about her husband’s death.
Context: Jeff Baena’s Life and Work
Baena was a writer-director who collaborated with Plaza on Life After Beth, The Little Hours, and Spin Me Round, among others. He was known for off-kilter comedies that let actors improvise around tight premises—stories that often gained cult traction after modest theatrical runs.
Their creative partnership was unusually durable in a business that burns through relationships; that history is part of why Plaza’s remarks landed so hard with audiences who grew up on her comedy and now know her as a dramatic lead.
How She’s Coping
A few themes recurred in the conversation. First, gratitude—for being “functional” some days and for the people who make those days possible. Second, acceptance—that grief isn’t a staircase you climb; it’s an ocean that looks calm and then isn’t. Third, art—that working through grief doesn’t mean hijacking every role with autobiography, but it may reshape what you choose. Plaza didn’t prescribe a public playbook; she simply narrated what it feels like right now.
Public Life After Private Loss
When a tragedy hits someone with a public profile, there’s pressure to “return to normal.” Plaza’s approach appears slower and more deliberate. She’s stepped back from over-exposure, chosen a handful of appearances, and kept the emphasis on work and community rather than spectacle. That restraint resonates with fans who’ve experienced loss of their own and can tell when someone is marketing catharsis versus living it.
Career Status in 2025
Plaza’s last year has been career-dense. She flexed against type in prestige TV, continued to build out a producer slate, and earned festival chatter via ensemble work with heavy-hitting directors. The throughline is range: the deadpan timing that made her famous is now one tool among many—she can do menace, melancholy, and sly warmth without breaking tone.
What This Means for Roles Going Forward
As a U.S. audience, you’ll likely see Plaza steer into parts that feel purposeful—stories with a conscience or at least a why beneath the wit. Expect her to stay particular about directors and ensembles, and to hop between studio projects and indie films that let her color outside the lines. The next 12 months are more likely to be about fit than about maximizing raw output.
Vulnerability, Carefully Framed
Plaza has always been good at protecting her private life without seeming aloof. The Good Hang conversation didn’t change that; it simply widened the aperture.
She let listeners see the outline of grief and then moved the spotlight back to what helps: friends, work, pets, routines, quiet. For anyone who’s ever lost someone, the message was deeply normalizing.
Resources and Responsibility
Several write-ups of the interview included suicide-prevention resources. That practice matters. Entertainment headlines move fast, but when a story touches mental health, the industry has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to put support info in front of millions of readers. If you or someone you know needs help in the U.S., call or text **988** to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Fans and Community
The response online has been measured and kind. Fans clipped quiet moments from the interview and highlighted the ways Plaza supports other artists. The best thing the audience can do now is simple: meet new work on its own terms, and let an artist’s timeline be their own.
Bottom Line
Aubrey Plaza didn’t chase a viral confession; she shared something real with a friend, and the moment resonated. As her career continues, expect the same things that made her a star—precision, mischief, intelligence—to show up in different shades. Grief doesn’t end; it changes shape. And that’s okay to say out loud.
