Aubrey Plaza excited to play 'icon' Heidi Fleiss

Aubrey Plaza is excited by the "challenge" of playing Heidi Fleiss in an upcoming biopic.

The 41-year-old actress is set to the play the former madame in The Heidi Fleiss Story, and Aubrey has revealed that she's looking forward to the playing the "icon".

Speaking to IndieWire, Aubrey shared: "I’ve been on this track for a while.

"I got it in my head that I wanted to play her a couple of years ago and I’ve never played a real-life person before. It’s a different kind of scale, challenge, that I’m really excited about, and I just think she’s an incredible person, incredible character."

Heidi previously ran an upscale, Los Angeles-based prostitution ring and is often referred to as the Hollywood Madam. And Aubrey thinks her story will make for a fascinating movie.

The actress explained: "The story is insane. She’s done something that probably nobody else has ever done, and she’s still going. I think she’s the ultimate bad*** icon and she deserves the royal treatment. We shall give it to her."

Asked if she's ever had the chance to talk to Heidi, Aubrey replied: "I have not spoken with her, [but] I hope so. I hope to make a little trip to her place in the desert at some point. Spiritually I feel her. I’ve heard she’s very excited about it. We’re in early stages."

Aubrey has already enjoyed huge success in her career, starring in movies such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Happiest Season and Black Bear. But the actress previously revealed that her success has been fuelled by rejection.

The Hollywood star told NME: "Auditioning always felt like this f*****-up game that I was playing with life. Like playing the lottery or something.

"I think I’ve always been very fuelled by rejection. It only made me want it more, because I think I just had that thing inside of me that’s like: ‘I wanna be in the club that I’m not in’ or whatever that is; ‘I want the thing that I can’t have, or the thing that I don’t have. And if you tell me that I’m not good enough, I’ll just find a way to prove you wrong somehow.’"

Aubrey has starred in a wide variety of film and TV projects over the years, including thrillers, political satires and sitcoms. But the actress also loves the idea of starring in big-budget projects.

She said: "I love blockbusters.

"I think I’m always nostalgic for big movies that are also good – which is a really hard thing to make. But when you do, you’ll never forget it. Those kinds of movies can change the world."