Aubrey Plaza, best known as April Ludgate on Parks and Rec, revealed in an interview that she once fell asleep on then-Vice President Joe Biden's couch when the show filmed at his house. From The Office's Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, Parks and Rec followed the local government officials in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is the ambitious deputy director of the parks department who stands at the show's center. One of her many quirks includes her unmatched interest in all things politics, including her crush on one particular figure.
In Leslie's eyes, no one is more of a heartthrob than Joe Biden, the U.S.'s current president-elect who was still VP to President Obama when Parks aired. Leslie once told her best friend, Ann (Rashida Jones), that her ideal man had "the brains of George Clooney and the body of Joe Biden." Later in Parks and Rec's run, Joe Biden made a few appearances as himself, much to Leslie's disbelief. The first time was a brief meeting in which Leslie touched his face, called him "precious cargo." Biden's second appearance came in a flash-forward in the series finale. Ben and Leslie are at an event thrown by him and Dr. Jill Biden at their house, hinting that Ben and Leslie's political careers advance far enough to get them invited to high-profile events.
During a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Plaza said that shooting these scenes in the VP's house took a long time, so she may have ventured off to take a little cat nap on Biden's couch. In a very April-Esque deadpan, she also revealed that she stole something off of Biden's desk. Continue below to read Plaza's story:
We shot Parks and rec at the White House and we also shot in the vice president's house, I think. I fell asleep on his couch... I think Adam Scott has a picture of it – because they were taking so long [to film]. I think I fell asleep in his office. I also took something off his desk. The Parks crew, we got our hands all over that white house. We left our mark.
Plaza's account of this event reminds viewers that Parks and Rec's hilarity felt authentic because the actors closely resembled their onscreen counterparts. Plaza is one example because she, like April, has a sarcastic sense of humor. Another connection comes from Nick Offerman, who shares Ron Swanson's love for whiskey and woodworking. Lastly, Chris Pratt improvised some of Andy Dwyer's funniest scenes from the show's run.
If Plaza's story is true, that just further proves that Parks and Rec actors are just like their characters. April Ludgate has proven time and again that her character is exactly the type to steal from a politician's desk and fall asleep on their couch, no matter how esteemed they are. Now the only question is whether or not Adam Scott still has that photo of Plaza asleep on Biden's couch.