In the FX series “Fleishman Is in Trouble” (on Hulu) adapted from the novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a doctor in New York City named Toby Fleishman sees his life as a husband and father upended by divorce. Then his ex drops off their two kids a day earlier than planned in their custody arrangement — and promptly goes missing. Toby is inconvenienced but not especially worried at first, and finds some solace with two friends from his college days, including Libby, played by Lizzy Caplan. She provides the wry voice-over that guides the viewer through the series and she’s reached a point in life where she’s just as discombobulated as Toby. A one-time magazine writer, she’s now a dissatisfied stay-at-home mom in New Jersey.
Is there something surreal about playing a character whose name sounds almost exactly like your own? Caplan laughed. “I guess technically we’re both Elizabeths too. But I think it was more annoying for the crew, who kept screwing it up and then feeling bad about it, even though it’s the least offensive thing ever.”
Caplan has had many high points in her career — her resume includes roles in everything from “Mean Girls” to “Party Down” to “Cloverfield” to “Masters of Sex” — and when asked about a low moment, it was a scene from Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” that came to mind.
