Aubrey Plaza has revealed which character from NBC's Parks and Recreation she most identifies with, and her answer may come as somewhat of a surprise. After Plaza got her start with smaller roles in comedies like Judd Apatow's Funny People and the cult-classic Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, her big break came when she played the sardonic and deadpan April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation. Plaza starred in the series throughout the entirety of its seven-season run from 2009 to 2015 as the apathetic intern with a soft spot for underdogs in the Parks department of the fictitious town of Pawnee, Indiana.
Plaza's performance was revered by viewers and critics alike as she managed to become a fan favorite among a star-studded cast of comedic heavys like Amy Poeheler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, and Chris Pratt. In fact, her turn as April was so resonating that many of the film roles she took on during the sitcom's run embodied the same dry sense of humor as Ludgate. Because of the similar disposition of many of her characters and the quirky off-screen personality she became known for displaying on talk shows and at awards events, fans strongly associate Plaza with the inscrutable April Ludgate to this day, though the actor apparently disagrees with this assessment.
In an interview with the Guardian, Aubrey Plaza has revealed that, rather than April, she actually most relates to Leslie Knope Poehler) from the classic NBC sitcom. Highlighting their shared determination, Plaza explained why she feels so connected to Poehler's role as the extremely ambitious and optimistic protagonist who poses a stark contrast to April. See what she had to say below:
"My two younger sisters are a lot more like April than me, whereas I was more like Leslie Knope... My parents are very ambitious and they came from nothing. So I grew up watching them work really hard to get to where they are today, and as a child I had this hunger to make a name for myself.”
Plaza Is Starting To Break Out From Being Typecast As April Ludgate
Plaza's admission of her similarities to Leslie Knope is not the first time she has distanced her real-life persona from her on-screen one. The actor has also reflected on how her role in Parks and Rec has led to her being typecast in roles similar to April Ludgate. However, Plaza is entering a new chapter of her acting career in which she is pushing back against the droll characters she's come to be known for.
In recent years, Plaza has ventured into genres outside of comedy with the surrealist 2020 film Black Bear and the recent thriller Emily the Criminal. Defying expectations has proven to be successful motivation, as she has been just as celebrated for her acting prowess in her more recent roles as she was in Parks and Recreation. Her recent serious roles have expanded the performer's eclectic resume and cemented her as one of the more successful actors to venture from comedy to drama.