3 minute readAubrey Plaza is preparing to become a mother. On April 7, People revealed that the Parks and Recreation actress is pregnant with her first child with Chris Abbott. The baby is due this fall.
“After an emotional year, this was a wonderful surprise,” a source told the publication, adding that Plaza and Abbott “feel extremely blessed.” News of the actress’ pregnancy was announced a year after the death of ex-husband Jeff Baena.
Although Plaza and Abbott kept their relationship a secret from the public, they had known each other for the past six years. Here’s everything we know about Abbott.
Abbott began his acting career in the 2000s.
The actor was born and raised in Connecticut, but moved to New York City in 2006 to pursue acting seriously. He attended HB Studio Drama School. In 2008, while still a student, he landed his first roles in the off-Broadway plays Mouth to Mouth and Good Boys and True. By 2010, Abbott had landed two guest starring roles on Nurse Jackie and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Abbott made her feature film debut in 2011 with Martha Marcy May Marlene, directed by Sean Durkin. The film received positive reviews. That same year, Abbott also made his Broadway debut in House of Blue Leaves opposite Ben Stiller and Edie Falco.
In the 2020s, Abbott continued to star in Broadway productions and branched out into film, appearing in films such as Poor Things, The Testament of Ang Lee, The Wolfman, and Kraven the Hunter.
He got his big break in Girls.
Abbott is perhaps best known for his role as Charlie Duttro, Marnie’s (Allison Williams) submissive boyfriend on Girls. Although he received widespread attention for his appearance on Girls, the actor left the series after the season 2 finale. Abbott later told The New York Times in 2013 that he could not relate to the character.
Abbott attended the Girls season 2 premiere in New York City on January 9, 2013.
“The world Lena wrote about was very realistic, especially in New York,” he said. “But on a personal level, it wasn’t something that resonated that much for me. It’s not like I only like playing roles that I know to a T, but there’s something satisfying about playing a role where you can really relate to the character.”
Abbott later reprized his role as Charlie on Girls in the season 5 episode “Panic in Central Park.”
He has received nominations for his work.
Abbott starred as Captain Yossarian in the Hulu miniseries Catch-22, which earned him a 2016 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor for James White and a 2020 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie.
To date, Abbott has won the Breakthrough Performer Award at the Hampton International Film Festival and the Emerging Actor Award at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2015. In 2013, his project Burma won the Best Ensemble Cast Award at the SXSW Film Festival.
Abbott and Plaza have worked together in a professional capacity.
In 2020, the two co-starred in “Black Bear.” According to a joint interview with Vulture in 2023, Plaza wrote Abbott a letter he never sent, in which he asked her to appear in the film. The two then reunited in 2023 for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. They appeared in the one-act play as emotional characters Danny and Roberta.
“In my opinion, he’s the best male actor in our country today,” Plaza said of Abbott in an interview with Vulture.
Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott attend the ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’ show at the Lucille Lortel Theater on November 13, 2023 in New York City.
“There’s something very Gena Rowlands about Aubrey,” he said. “The kind of energy you see in a Cassavetes movie. Aubrey trusts me to be wild and disciplined at the same time.”
He is currently starring in “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway.
Abbott plays Biff in the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman, opposite Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf. The play officially opens on April 9th and will run for 14 weeks until August 9th.
