Aubrey Plaza is gearing up to play Heidi Fleiss, the infamous Hollywood madam, in the forthcoming biopic The Heidi Fleiss Story and she says the role represents a new kind of challenge for her. The actress, 41, told IndieWire at the New York premiere of Honey Don’t that she’s been wanting to tackle Fleiss for a couple of years and that portraying a real person on screen is a different scale and a thrilling leap for her.
“The story is insane,” Plaza said, calling Fleiss “the ultimate badass icon” who deserves “the royal treatment.” She emphasized that she’s excited by the opportunity to bring such a complex figure to life and that she hopes to approach Fleiss with a sense of depth and respect.
The Heidi Fleiss Story was announced earlier this month, with Variety reporting that Leah Rachel will direct. Plaza will also produce the project through her company Evil Hag. The screenplay is co-written by Rachel Sennott and Travis Jackson, marking Rachel’s feature directorial debut. The film is set to begin filming in Los Angeles in the coming months.
Fleiss ran an upscale prostitution ring in Los Angeles before her arrest on multiple charges and federal tax-evasion convictions, spending about 20 months in prison after her 1994 case. Plaza described Fleiss as a compelling subject whose impact on pop culture endures, saying she’s excited to explore the story from new angles.
Plaza noted she hasn’t yet spoken with Fleiss but plans to stay connected with the project’s developments and hopes to visit Fleiss’s desert home at some point, aiming to understand the real person behind the headlines. While the project is in early stages, the pairing of Plaza with Leah Rachel in her directorial debut, alongside Sennott and Jackson as writers, signals a bold entry into the contemporary biopic landscape.
Added context for readers: Plaza’s involvement as both star and producer suggests a hands-on approach to shaping the film’s portrayal of Fleiss, with an eye toward a nuanced, character-driven portrait rather than a one-note tabloid storyline.
Overall, this project positions Plaza to expand her range further, leaning into a real-life figure whose notoriety and tenacity offer rich material for a high-stakes biopic.
If you’d like, I can add a brief background on Heidi Fleiss’s life and how biopics of controversial figures are evolving in today’s film landscape, or outline the expected production timeline once more details are released.