The actress who started her acting career with the TV series 'Freaks and Geeks': Who is Lizzy Caplan?
We wrote the life story of actress Lizzy Caplan, who went to the music academy and focused on playing the piano, then turned her career into acting, and saw her in different roles in many TV series and movies.
Her real name is Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan, she was born on June 30, 1982 in Los Angeles, California. She was born to her father, Richard Caplan, a lawyer, and her mother, Barbara Bragman, a political aide. Caplan has a brother named Benjamin and a sister named Julie. Caplan's mother, a Reform Jew of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, died of cancer when Caplan was 13.
Caplan attended Alexander Hamilton High School, where she attended the Academy of Music and was on the school's football team. Focusing first on playing the piano, Caplan then decided to work in the field of drama. After graduating in 2000, Caplan didn't go to college as she wanted to focus on acting.
Caplan started her acting career in 1999 playing the role of a girl named Sara in the teen comedy-drama TV series "Freaks and Geeks". The character she played appeared as the girlfriend of Jason Segel's character due to her performance. She later made guest appearances on numerous shows and appeared in the video for guitarist Jason Mraz's song "You and I Both". In 2000, her first movie, "From Where I Sit", aired directly on television. In 2001, she played Tina Greer in an episode of the superhero TV series "Smallville" and in 2003 she reprized her role in the series.
Meanwhile, she starred in two episodes of the ABC family drama TV series "Once and Again". In 2002, she starred in the comedy film "Orange County" directed by Jake Kasdan. The film was able to receive average returns at the box office and critically. In 2003, she played one of the leading roles as Faith Pitt in the television series "The Pitts" on Fox. The following year, she played Janis Ian in the teen comedy film "Mean Girls" directed by Mark Waters, thus garnering wider attention. The film was a huge financial gain at the box office, as well as receiving high praise from critics. In addition, it has become a cult classic. Later, she played Avery Bishop in the second season of the supernatural drama TV series "Tru Calling" on Fox.
In 2005, Caplan played the character of troubled sister Marjee Sorelli in the one-hour comedy-drama television series "Related" on The WB. The following year, she played Sara Weller in the drama thriller "Love is the Drug" directed by Elliott Lester. For her performance, she was selected as one of the "10 Actors to Watch". In the same year, she appeared in voice roles in the animated sitcoms "Family Guy" and "American Dad!".
Later, Caplan appeared as one of the lead roles in the one-season sitcom "The Class" on CBS, which premiered in September 2006. In the series, she played Kat Warbler, one of several elementary school friends reunited 20 years later. In 2008, Caplan played Marlena Diamond in the monster movie "Cloverfield" directed by Matt Reeves. The film, which received positive reviews from critics, also achieved a large commercial profit at the box office in return for its production budget. She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
She also played the character of Ami in the romantic comedy movie "My Best Friend's Girl" directed by Howard Deutch. The film was a moderate success at the box office, garnering generally negative reviews from critics. Later that year, she made a guest appearance on the HBO vampire show "True Blood," with Amy Burley. That same year, Caplan appeared as Casey Klein in the sitcom "Party Down," which premiered on the Starz network on March 20, 2009, and featured the first two seasons. The series, which received great acclaim and praise in all three seasons, was removed due to low ratings. Despite this, a six-episode reboot of the series was made, and its third season with Caplan premiered on February 24, 2023.
In 2010, she starred as April Drennan in the science fiction comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine" directed by Steve Pink. Apart from generally positive reviews, it was also a moderate success at the box office. Later, she got the lead role in the action-western movie "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride." Later in the year, she appeared in "127 Hours," a biographical survival drama film directed by Danny Boyle. The film managed to receive approval from both critics and viewers. Moreover, it was able to achieve a successful gross at the box office.
In the same year, she appeared in the black comedy television series and web series "Childrens Hospital". In 2011, she starred as Sheila in the improv comedy film directed by Matt Walsh. The following year, Caplan appeared as Julia in several episodes of the Fox television sitcom "New Girl." Later that year, she co-starred with Alison Brie in "Save the Date," a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Mohan and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Later, she played one of the leading roles with Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Rebel Wilson in the comedy "The Bachelorette", which also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film was only a moderate success at the box office. That same year, she appeared as one of the lead roles in the direct-to-video short film "Item 47" produced by Marvel Studios, which was largely successful.
In 2013, she played the lead role as Virginia Johnson in the Showtime period drama television series "Masters of Sex." Additionally, she sang her own vocals on the cover version of the song "You Don't Know Me" in the episode "Phallic Victories". While the series lasted for four seasons, each season was admired and praised separately. In addition, the series received many awards and nominations in various categories. Caplan received a nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance. Alongside this, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress, a Satellite Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award.
The following year, she played Agent Lacey in the black comedy action political satire film "The Interview," directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The film achieved moderate financial gains at the box office, although it received mixed or average reviews. The following year, she appeared as Diana in the Christmas comedy movie "The Night Before" directed by Jonathan Levine. The film, which received mixed reviews upon its release, was able to earn moderately at the box office.
In 2016, she appeared in the sequel "Now You See Me 2", with Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jay Chou in the heist thriller. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a success, grossing $334 million worldwide. That same year, she starred as Bridget Vatan in "Allied", a roamntic war drama thriller directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was considered a box office failure, grossing nearly equal to the production budget at the box office, and received mixed reviews from critics.
The following year, she appeared in several episodes as Nadia in the comedy-drama television series "Ill Behaviour." In 2018, she starred as Carla Monroe in the television series "Das Boot", a sequel to the movie of the same name. Later that year, she appeared in the sci-fi action movie "Extinction" directed by Ben Young, alongside Michael Peña, Mike Colter, Lilly Aspell, Emma Booth, Israel Broussard, and Lex Shrapnel. Upon its release, the film was met with mixed reviews.
In 2019, the law/crime drama "Truth Be Told"(2019-2020) aired on Apple TV+ as identical twins Josie and Lanie Buhrman, resulting in mixed to average reviews. In 2021, she had a voice-over role in the adult animated science fiction sitcom "Inside Job." The series received generally positive reviews from critics and was well received. The following year, she starred in the comedy film "The People We Hate at the Wedding", based on the novel of the same name and directed by Claire Scanlon.
She then starred in the drama television mini-series "Fleishman Is in Trouble", based on the novel of the same name, with Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, and Adam Brody. The series, which was generally acclaimed by the critics, was nominated for awards in various categories.
In 2023, she appeared as Carol in the horror movie "Cobweb" directed by Samuel Bodin, and the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on July 21, 2023. That same year, she co-starred with Joshua Jackson in the erotic psychological thriller television series "Fatal Attraction" developed by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J. Hynes.
Personal life
Caplan was in a relationship with actor Matthew Perry for several years. Later, Caplan met actor Tom Riley on the set of a movie in 2015 and the couple got engaged in May 2016. The couple, who got married in September 2017, has a son born in 2021.