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Aubrey Plaza is stepping into uncharted territory as she prepares for her first-ever portrayal of a real-life figure, taking on the role of Heidi Fleiss in the upcoming biopic The Heidi Fleiss Story. Known as the “Hollywood Madam,” Fleiss made headlines in the 1990s for running a high-profile prostitution ring in Los Angeles that drew in some of the most powerful names in Hollywood.
Plaza, a Golden Globe nominee recognized for her sharp, often unconventional performances, told IndieWire she has long felt a pull toward the story of Fleiss. “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,” Plaza explained. “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.”
The actress, who is also producing the film, described Fleiss as “the ultimate badass icon,” someone she says she “spiritually” relates to. “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 badass icon and she deserves the royal treatment. We shall give it to her.”
Although Plaza has yet to meet Fleiss face-to-face, she revealed she hopes to visit her at her desert home soon. “I’ve heard she’s very excited about it. We’re in early stages,” she noted, adding that she feels a strong, almost instinctive connection to the controversial figure.
The Heidi Fleiss Story will mark the directorial debut of Leah Rachel, who co-wrote the script with Rachel Sennott and Travis Jackson. Plaza will produce under her Evil Hag banner alongside Jessamine Burgum and Kara Durrett for Pinky Promise. Production is scheduled to begin this year in Los Angeles, bolstered by a California film and TV tax incentive.
The film will explore the tense days leading up to Fleiss’s highly publicized trial in the mid-1990s. It will portray her navigating Los Angeles’s elite circles, drawing on her extensive web of connections while attempting to manipulate and blackmail her way out of mounting charges. A key element of the story involves Fleiss teaming up with Jaclyn, a young, ambitious writer who becomes entangled in her risky maneuvers.
Fleiss’s notoriety stemmed not only from her arrest in 1993 but also from the mystery that followed. Convicted of tax evasion, she served 20 months of a seven-year prison sentence. Despite years of speculation, she never revealed the names of her high-profile clients, further fueling the intrigue surrounding her story.
For Plaza, bringing Fleiss’s complicated persona to the screen represents a chance to stretch her artistry. It is a shift from her acclaimed fictional roles to a real-life character who remains as infamous as she is enigmatic. With Plaza’s passion for the project and Fleiss’s legacy of controversy and resilience, The Heidi Fleiss Story is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated biopics in production.
