This story about Lizzy Caplan and “Fleishman Is in Trouble” first appeared in the limited series/movie edition of TheWrap awards magazine.
At first glance, FX’s Lizzy Caplan character on Hulu’s “Fleishman Is in Trouble” might look like an alternate universe version of herself, right down to the name. As Libby, Caplan plays Toby’s (Jesse Eisenberg) best friend, a recently divorced man looking to regain some normalcy in a life that refuses to cooperate. Libby is not only the narrator for the entire series, but she also serves as a sounding board for a friend released from a failing marriage. Much of Libby’s attention comes from the character avoiding her own problems, including a stagnant career and a marriage she’s happy not to talk about whenever the opportunity arises.
To be clear: That doesn’t reflect Caplan, who, unlike Libby, is thriving professionally and personally. She and her husband, actor Tom Riley, welcomed their first child in 2021. Thus, Caplan is unaware of Libby’s existential crisis. And yet, there was still a lot that the actress identified with.
“I know a lot of people who are emotionally intelligent and yet have no idea what’s going on in a very basic situation,” he said. “I identify with that completely. There’s a line in the series that goes something like, ‘How can I be so old and still be so bewildered?’ I totally identify with that.”
“When I was young, when I was a teenager, I thought I knew everything. I thought, Oh, I’m 20, I’m 30, I understand the world. I understand my place in it,” she continued. “I had no idea when he was young. Only now, when I’m 40, do I realize, oh, gosh, I had no idea what he was doing.”
The clarity of Libby’s voice, played by Caplan, comes from Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who created and wrote the limited series adapted from her novel of the same name. Caplan felt connected to Brodesser-Akner from the start, but that wasn’t the only aspect of Fleishman that spoke to her.
“I was captivated by Taffy from our first conversation,” he said. “I realized that we saw the world in a similar way, and in the end, that made it even more attractive. But I was also excited by the idea of being in something that felt so, for lack of a better word, grown up. I don’t read many things like this. And yet the movies and shows I watched when I was young, that made me want to do this for a living, were about people living and talking about what’s hard for them. And then the writing is as wonderful as Taffy’s? For me, that’s the dream job.”
Sometimes, however, landing a dream job means missing out on a dream meeting. Fans of the cult comedy series “Party Down” were disappointed to learn that Caplan would not star in a long-delayed third season, released in February, due to scheduling conflicts with “Fleishman.” She managed a cameo in the finale, but was still heartbroken to miss out on the full experience. “The only way this two-year stint will have an absolutely happy ending is if ‘Party Down’ gets an extra season, which I think it should!” Caplan said. “I couldn’t believe how much I loved the reboot because I was preparing myself for whatever feelings I might have about it: jealousy, whatever. But I loved it so much.”
Choosing between “Party Down” and “Fleishman” was, he said, a “very scary and horrible decision, especially since I had just had a kid and it all felt super seismic and monumental.” It was one of those experiences that doesn’t happen that often, and we had been talking about getting together for so long. And then it was really happening. At the same time,” she said. “I knew I had to do ‘Fleishman.’ I’m happy with the decisions I made, but I’ll really only be happy if there’s a ‘Party Down’ season 4.”
Read more of the limited series/film edition here.
