After watching the 2023 horror film Cobweb, it’s not surprising that many viewers have praised Lizzy Caplan‘s performance as Carol, the dominating yet emotionally detached mother of Peter, an 8-year-old who is tortured by a relentless tapping sound coming from inside his bedroom wall, as the film’s standout. Caplan, born on 30 June 1982, is a versatile and talented actress who can move fluidly between comedy and horror, big-budget blockbusters, and independent films.
With a career spanning over two decades, Lizzy Caplan has proven herself to be one of her generation’s most dynamic and compelling talents, continuously captivating audiences with her performances. Her body of work reflects a thoughtful and talented artist unafraid to take risks, explore different facets of the human experience. Whether in a supporting role or as a leading lady, Lizzy Caplan’s presence on screen is consistently engaging, and so here are some of her best film and TV roles to date.
10. Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Lizzy Caplan portrayed Lula May in the 2016 film Now You See Me 2, the sequel to the hit heist thriller Now You See Me. The film begins 18 months after the fugitive Four Horsemen – J. Daniel Atlas, Merritt McKinney, Jack Wilder, and new member Lula May – escape the FBI and await orders from the Eye, the secret society of magicians. Their supervisor, FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes, gives them orders: expose unscrupulous tech CEO Owen Case, whose latest cell phone secretly collects users’ data to sell on the black market.
Caplan’s Lula is unique in her personality, energy, and cleverness. Like the other members of The Horsemen, she performs street magic, but her strengths lie in the realm of illusion and sleight of hand, which she often employs for comic effect. Her introduction to the group is welcomed with suspicion and intrigue, but she quickly becomes indispensable.
9. The Interview (2014)
Agent Lacey, Caplan’s role in comedy film The Interview, is a CIA operative. She’s the one who gets James Franco’s Dave Skylark and Seth Rogen’s Aaron Rapaport involved in a plot to kill Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. Agent Lacey is quite serious and professional, in stark contrast to the comic and, at times, dumb behavior of Dave and Aaron.
The hilarity of the picture comes from her interactions with the two, as she must deal with their inexperience and failure to grasp the gravity of the situation. Agent Lacey is constantly on hand throughout the film to help Dave and Aaron with their mission. In a movie filled with insanity and over-the-top comedy, her role is a welcome center of gravity. Her appearance also makes the story more realistic, which helps ground the otherwise bizarre plot.
8. Fleishman is in Trouble (2022)
Hulu’s Fleishman Is in Trouble stars Caplan as Libby Epstein, a magazine writer turned housewife. Libby is the unseen driving force behind the miniseries, which centers on Toby Fleishman, now in his forties and recently divorced, as he tries out online dating for the first time. Toby’s ex-wife Rachel vanishes without a trace just as he’s starting to find the kind of romantic success he never had in his youth, leaving him to raise their two children.
Caplan’s character brings a fresh point of view to the story’s themes of middle-age difficulties, monogamy, and maintaining a relationship. Furthermore, her portrayal of Libby depicts the challenges of a woman adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs after a prosperous professional career. Libby’s arc is a metaphor for the predicament many people, especially women, sometimes find themselves in when cultural norms counter individual goals.
7. Bachelorette (2012)
Gena Myers (Caplan) is one of the three best friends in Bachelorette, along with Regan (Kirsten Dunst) and Katie (Isla Fisher). The three are invited to the wedding of their uncool high school friend, Becky (Rebel Wilson). Gena is a free-spirited, opinionated, and slightly cynical character working through her relationship troubles from the past. The film dives into her tumultuous history with her high school boyfriend Clyde, who is also there for the wedding.
Gena contributes significantly to the film’s dark and rowdy humor as one of the “Bachelorette” party girls. Her shortcomings and genuine feelings make her character approachable and human, bringing depth to a plot that may otherwise be a typical wedding comedy. Her path throughout the film, from bitterness and hedonism to a more self-aware and compassionate place, matches the film’s general message of friendship, progress, and acceptance among this group of seemingly mismatched women.
6. The Night Before (2015)
In the comedy film The Night Before, Lizzy Caplan plays Diana, Ethan’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) romantic interest. Ethan, Isaac (Seth Rogen), and Chris (Anthony Mackie) are three best friends who have known each other forever. Every year on Christmas Eve, they engage in a series of increasingly outrageous traditions.
However, they decide that this year will be their final celebration as they grow older and face new responsibilities. In the middle of all the hilarity, Diana provides a sense of calm. She and Ethan go way back, and their lingering tension is a key subplot. Ethan has a lot of growth as a character because of his unresolved feelings for Diana and his efforts to move on with his life.
5. Save the Date (2012)
Save the Date features Caplan as Sarah, a young woman trying to figure out love and relationships. The film begins with Sarah’s rejection of a marriage proposal from her longtime boyfriend, Kevin, played by Geoffrey Arend. As a result, she embarks on a quest of introspection, growth, and discovery as she attempts to figure out what it is she really wants out of life. Meanwhile, Sarah’s sister Beth, played by Alison Brie, is planning her wedding, contrasting their approaches to love and commitment.
Sarah explores a new relationship with Jonathan, played by Mark Webber, while still suffering from the emotional aftermath of her prior relationship. She is at a crossroads, torn between her desire for independence and her longing for connection. Save the Date depicts a realistic and chaotic picture of modern romance. Caplan’s acting nails the confusion and clarity frequently accompanying young adulthood and discovering one’s place in the world.
4. Mean Girls (2004)
In Mean Girls, Lizzy Caplan’s character Janis Ian is a high schooler who befriends Lindsay Lohan’s protagonist, Cady Heron, when Cady transfers to North Shore High School. Janis is creative and unconventional, with a somewhat pessimistic view, especially concerning the school’s popular girls, known as “The Plastics.” She is not shy about saying what she thinks and is not above using sarcasm and wit to get her point across.
Janis, along with her buddy Damian, played by Daniel Franzese, guides Cady through the social dynamics of high school and assists her in infiltrating The Plastics to bring them down from within. Janis has a personal grudge against Regina George, the leader of The Plastics, coming from a previous feud. Throughout the film, Janis’s character contrasts the superficiality and materialism displayed by The Plastics. Her unique style and outspoken nature set her apart, and her guidance shapes Cady’s transformation.
3. Cloverfield (2008)
Lizzy Caplan plays Marlena Diamond in the sci-fi horror film Cloverfield, set in a futuristic and terrifying world. Filmed in a found footage manner, it follows a group of New York City friends as they try to stay alive after a massive monster attacks the city. Marlena, a member of the main group, is initially portrayed as somewhat aloof and cynical.
Marlena’s tough façade gives way to a more vulnerable and fearful reaction to the mayhem around her as the situation in the city worsens, and the characters have to make decisions that could mean the difference between life and death. One of the more terrifying moments involving Marlena occurs after she gets bitten by one of the smaller monsters associated with the giant monster. Her condition rapidly deteriorates. Marlena succumbs to her injuries in a frightening and disturbing image, her body exploding due to the bite.
2. Allied (2016)
Bridget Vatan, played by Caplan in the 2016 film Allied, is the sister of Max Vatan, portrayed by Brad Pitt. The story unfolds in the context of World War II. The film follows the romance between Marion Cotillard’s character, Marianne Beausejour, a French Resistance member, and Max Vatan, a Canadian intelligence officer. Although Caplan’s role in the film is not central, her character provides support and additional context to the story.
Bridget is concerned about her brother, especially as he becomes involved in a web of intrigue and suspicion surrounding Marianne’s true identity and devotion. Bridget’s interactions with Max provide details about his upbringing and personal life, putting the character in a family setting that contrasts with the dangerous and unpredictable world of espionage he navigates throughout the film.
1. Masters of Sex (2013 – 2016)
In the television series Masters of Sex, which aired on Showtime from 2013 to 2016, Lizzy Caplan portrays the character of Virginia Johnson. The drama is based on the true story of two pioneering researchers in the field of human sexuality, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Virginia Johnson is a determined, educated, and forward-thinking woman, despite the traditional societal norms of the day. Johnson, employed as a secretary at first, quickly becomes an indispensable companion to Dr. Masters, played by Michael Sheen, in his controversial and groundbreaking study on human sexual response.
Throughout the series, Caplan’s portrayal of Johnson examines the challenges of being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated profession in the 1950s and 1960s. Her career and personal life are both tested, and her collaboration with Masters develops into something deeper and more intricate as the story progresses. She becomes an advocate for women’s sexual health and empowerment, often serving as a compassionate and understanding figure to the women participating in the study.
