Aubrey Plaza

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Speaker 1 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of of Good Hang.
Thank you for being here. We had,

Speaker 1 well, look, we're keeping the parks and rec hits coming because we had Adam Scott last week and we have the great, beautiful, and wonderful Aubrey Plaza joining us.

Speaker 1 Aubrey, who many of you have wanted to hear from, is here and we couldn't be more excited. And we talk about a lot of things today.
We talk about how we first met on a playground.

Speaker 1 We talk about her time as an NBC page and why she got fired. We talk about her love of basketball.
And we talk about her new movie, Honey, Don't, which is in theaters this week.

Speaker 1 And so there's just so much good stuff. And we're very glad that she was here and that you're here listening.
And we always start our episodes the same way.

Speaker 1 We try to find someone that knows our guest, knows something about them, and has a question for them. And we are talking to a great actress today.

Speaker 1 You know her from The Substance and Maid and many other great films and her beautiful dancing. And it is the beautiful and talented Margaret Qualey.
Margaret?

Speaker 2 Hello.

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Speaker 1 Where are we talking to you from?

Speaker 3 I'm home. I'm home and I'm in a hallway.

Speaker 2 Okay, perfect. Yeah.

Speaker 1 It's really good to see you. And I know you're doing press.

Speaker 3 I'm from the podcast, by the way. I've been listening to it.
It's so good.

Speaker 2 Thanks, Margaret.

Speaker 1 Today is this very special day because

Speaker 1 we have

Speaker 1 really our most requested guest

Speaker 1 coming on today. Like, it's, you know, people have really, really wanted to hear from and hear me and Aubrey talk about a lot of things.
And I'm just so psyched she's here.

Speaker 3 She might be the most like unanimously loved person ever.

Speaker 2 Like,

Speaker 3 even like

Speaker 3 my dad's really not

Speaker 3 like,

Speaker 3 you know, he like barely has a phone. He doesn't have a TV.
But like when I found out I was doing a movie with Aubrey, he was like, oh, I fucking love her. Like, man, she's so funny.

Speaker 3 Like, he's so, he was so excited. I was like, she, she reached my dad.

Speaker 1 She's got the dad.

Speaker 3 She was she's got everybody. Yeah.

Speaker 3 I just

Speaker 3 I just love her. I just think she's the best.

Speaker 1 You know, it's so funny to say that too, because I was thinking she's also kids really like Aubrey because she acts like a cat, right? So like

Speaker 1 dogs come and meet greet you at the door, but cats just kind of chill and wait for you to come to them. And kids really like that.

Speaker 1 Like she never, you know, my, I remember my boys on the set of parks and she would just like walk by and say something to them like on the way past them and they'd be like, who was that?

Speaker 1 I'd also imagine that she'd like talk to a kid like an adult.

Speaker 3 Yes.

Speaker 1 You know, yes.

Speaker 3 Like just meet them where they are. Like it's rough out there, right?

Speaker 2 Like, yeah.

Speaker 2 Totally.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. She's really, as the people like to say, she's, she appeals to four quadrants.

Speaker 1 And you guys have worked together. Is this the, is Honey Don't, which is the film that you're, you both are in, that you're the star of, congratulations, coming out very soon.

Speaker 3 it looks so great and and is this the first time you've worked together the two of you yeah we met on set i was i've been such a big fan of hers for such a long time and um i think parks and rec was probably my intro to her which is just like one of the best shows of all time and you guys together are so special um but i've i've like felt like i i think she has that quality where you feel like you know her even when you don't um so like i already loved her so much even before meeting her.

Speaker 3 And I would have been so bummed if she didn't like me.

Speaker 1 I'm projecting on this on you. So I don't tell me if I get, I'm getting it wrong.
But you both to me seem like,

Speaker 1 you know, in some ways, introverted artists in an extroverted business. Like,

Speaker 1 do you, do you relate to that?

Speaker 3 Definitely. Yeah.
I mean, it's like, you know, the classic case of a, oh, look at me, don't look at me.

Speaker 2 You know,

Speaker 2 it's totally,

Speaker 2 yeah.

Speaker 1 Right. Everybody pay attention.

Speaker 2 Like, what are you looking at?

Speaker 3 I want to show you something. Stop.
What a, what?

Speaker 1 So what was it like working together on set? For, for, for those that don't know, you guys are, what is your dynamic in the film? And then what was it like working together?

Speaker 3 Dynamic in the film is I play this like suave detective and she plays this like cool

Speaker 3 cop and we kind of hit it off right away and it kind of feels like we've like met our match. Like

Speaker 3 I usually as a character feel like I'm in the power seat and when I come across Aubrey's character that's really challenged and I think she actually is in the power seat.

Speaker 3 And on set,

Speaker 3 it's a really fun set. It's Ethan Cohen and Tricia Cook's movie, and they're just great and like

Speaker 3 they're at once, you know, super accomplished and

Speaker 3 like these like great artists, but really don't take themselves seriously. So it's like a, it's a silly, laid-back, goofy, fun vibe there.

Speaker 2 But.

Speaker 3 You know, Aubrey,

Speaker 3 I think,

Speaker 3 I think in order for somebody to come

Speaker 3 there's like, there's a lot to be so effortless takes some effort, you know, and she's like, she's, she cares like in the best way. She's thoughtful and considerate and

Speaker 3 brought so much depth to her character and

Speaker 3 was, you know, just like kind of consistently surprising everyone with just,

Speaker 3 you know, her, her, the thing that she does.

Speaker 1 I think you bring up a really good point, which is,

Speaker 1 you know,

Speaker 1 she's

Speaker 1 she started out anyway, especially on Parks and Rec playing like a very disaffected character. But the secret to that character and Aubrey is that she cares very deeply.

Speaker 3 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I think people like project on her that she's indifferent. And she's definitely not.

Speaker 2 No.

Speaker 1 No. I was wondering if you had a question you thought I should ask Aubrey on this day that you'd be curious to know about or like you want any topic you think we should cover.

Speaker 3 I don't know why the first thing that came into my mind was the Salem witch trials, but

Speaker 1 was she, was she in them? Is that the question?

Speaker 2 Probably, you know.

Speaker 1 Well, yeah, what was it like being in the Salem witch trials?

Speaker 1 Margaret, we love

Speaker 1 I would love to get you in the stewed.

Speaker 3 Anytime.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 3 I'd be lucky.

Speaker 2 Oh, buddy.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I know Plaza will be so happy that you did this and surprised and happy that you did it.

Speaker 1 And also, I know that you and many people in her life have been real big supports and a real circle of love during very tough times. So on behalf of her, I'm going to say thank you.

Speaker 1 And it's so easy to love.

Speaker 2 It's easiest to love.

Speaker 2 Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 Great to see you, Kittie Pie.

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Speaker 1 Aubrey Plaza is here and she has her sunglasses on.

Speaker 2 And I'll take them off if you want.

Speaker 1 Well, I do because they, I know.

Speaker 2 I'll put them on again. Let me see.

Speaker 1 I mean, they look very cool.

Speaker 2 Frankie, what are you doing? That's so creepy.

Speaker 1 Plazi's here and her sweet dog Frankie is here too. When you wear the glasses, you do look very Howard Stern.

Speaker 2 It's because my hair, too. Yeah.
Right now, it's like

Speaker 1 I mean it makes you look cool but as an interviewer I don't love it.

Speaker 1 Sorry.

Speaker 1 Your doggy Frankie is here with you too. Yes.
Tell us about Frankie.

Speaker 2 Okay. Have we started? Yeah we started.
Oh.

Speaker 2 And just like that.

Speaker 2 Frankie is my dog. Her name is Frances.
Right. Fox.

Speaker 2 She's named after Judy Garland. That's Judy Garland's real name.

Speaker 1 She's a good dog.

Speaker 2 She's a good dog. She got a little sick this morning.
That's why I brought her.

Speaker 2 I'm not like

Speaker 2 a bring my dog to work kind of person so much.

Speaker 1 Do you ever bring her on set for anything? Do you? No. But she's really like with you a lot.

Speaker 2 She is now, yeah.

Speaker 2 This is a recent recent, this year recent kind of thing.

Speaker 1 Yeah, she's like, she's like, she's like a therapy dog. Oh, yes.
In many ways. And has always been for you, but it's really been.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 She is. She's always been like that.

Speaker 1 Well, I mean,

Speaker 1 to just to get it out of the way, people want to see you. I want to see how you are.

Speaker 1 They love you.

Speaker 2 I know.

Speaker 1 They love you and they want to see you. So you've had this terrible, terrible, tragic year.

Speaker 1 You lost your husband.

Speaker 1 You've been dealing with that and you've been.

Speaker 1 looking for all different ways in which to feel and find support.

Speaker 1 And I think I would, on behalf of of all the people who feel like they know you and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?

Speaker 2 Um,

Speaker 2 I'm, I mean, right in this very, very

Speaker 2 present moment, I feel happy to be with you.

Speaker 2 Um, I feel

Speaker 2 overall, I've, I'm here and I'm functioning, and I feel

Speaker 2 you know, like I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think like

Speaker 2 I'm okay,

Speaker 2 but you know, it's like a

Speaker 2 daily struggle, obviously. This is like a really dumb analogy, but and it was kind of a joke at a certain point, but like, I actually mean it.
Did you see that movie, The Gorge? No. Okay.

Speaker 2 Horror movie? It's like a...

Speaker 2 alien movie or something with like Miles

Speaker 2 Teller? Teller.

Speaker 2 But it's like in the movie,

Speaker 2 there's like a cliff on one side, and then there's like a cliff on the other side. And then there's this like gorge in between.

Speaker 2 And it's like filled with all these like monster people that are trying to get them.

Speaker 2 And like, I swear when I watched it, I was like, that is like feels like what my grief is like, where it's like, or what grief could be like, where it's like, at all times, there's like a

Speaker 2 giant like ocean of just awfulness that's like right there. And I can like see it.
And like sometimes I just want to like just dive into it and just like be in it.

Speaker 2 And then, and then sometimes I just like look at it, and then sometimes I'm like, I just try to get away from it, but it's always there, it's just always there.

Speaker 2 And the monster people are trying to get me, like Miles Teller. Yeah, and and uh, and Anya Taylor Joy,

Speaker 1 yeah, who Anya Taylor Joy to me

Speaker 1 is the is the is example of like

Speaker 1 the more beautiful you are the more spaced out your eyes are yes and rihanna um

Speaker 1 who and that's how she says it guys what rihanna yeah no yes check out the clips not saying it ever well rihanna has is so beautiful and her eyes are truly on the side of her head yeah just like a horse and yes and

Speaker 2 that's why horses are so beautiful well i feel here's how i feel about horses i feel like horses are fine you hate them i don't hate them I don't hate horses.

Speaker 2 I would love to talk about animals. No.

Speaker 2 No.

Speaker 2 Because

Speaker 1 I feel like I

Speaker 1 think horses are beautiful and they're a little bit scary to me. And I'm like, I respect them, but I'm not.
I don't really want to be near them.

Speaker 2 And that's not how you feel about Rihanna.

Speaker 1 No, I'd love to. truly like be in a stall with Rihanna and feed her a sugar cube if she let me.

Speaker 1 I want to talk to you about many things today. Okay.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 But the first person I want to talk to is Little Baby Plaza.

Speaker 2 No. Why?

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 No, I don't need you to act like a baby.

Speaker 2 Oh, okay.

Speaker 1 I just mean I want to talk to you.

Speaker 1 We're going to do roleplay. We're going to do real intense role play.

Speaker 2 We're going to have a bunch of hats. No.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 No, but because I love Little Young Plaza and I feel like a lot of people don't, I think a lot of people are like Little Young Plaza out there, and they see themselves in you.

Speaker 1 But can you explain what kind of kid you were?

Speaker 2 Oh, okay.

Speaker 2 I was,

Speaker 2 I mean, I think

Speaker 2 before, I would say, like, before seven, I think I was like pretty shy. Like, I was kind of like a

Speaker 2 quiet, like, lanky, kind of,

Speaker 2 I don't know, freakish kind of kid, maybe.

Speaker 2 Um,

Speaker 2 really thin hair. Like my ponytail was like, look like this.
Just like one little strand, basically. I would try to ponytails.

Speaker 1 Your hair looks really good right now.

Speaker 2 It's got thicker. It gets thicker as it's got pieces in.
No.

Speaker 2 Shit. It gets thicker as it gets in.
It's gotten really thicker. Tina Faye.
Watch out, pitch. Watch out, pitch.

Speaker 1 Watch out. I'm coming for you.
She's going to brush that hair.

Speaker 2 Like a real brush. Tina Fey.

Speaker 1 Nobody's going to beat Tina's hair.

Speaker 2 Nobody. Watch me.
Sorry, babe.

Speaker 1 My money's on Tina. I've seen that hair.
It's incredible. Watch me.

Speaker 2 I was definitely around a lot of people, like hectic kind of, you know,

Speaker 2 childhood, I think. So like, I was a very, I was like, definitely an observer, but like definitely living in my imagination.
Like I could just imagine things all day long.

Speaker 1 Where did you grow up?

Speaker 2 Grew up in Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 Ever heard of it? Nope.

Speaker 2 Never been. Never heard of it.
Joe Biden. The land of Joe Biden.
Joe Biden.

Speaker 2 Who we met.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Who we met.
Well, you've met many times. Oh, yeah.
But, you know, for people who fast forward to when we were in parks, we got to go when

Speaker 1 President Biden was then Vice President Biden. We got to go to Massachusetts.

Speaker 2 I'll never forget it.

Speaker 1 And it was pretty, pretty exciting. It was amazing.
It was amazing. It was super, super fun.
And I've told this story before, but Aubrey stole something from his desk. Yeah.

Speaker 2 I did.

Speaker 2 I stole. There was, we were getting a tour of his office and of the White House, right? Yeah.

Speaker 2 And I saw a little like vice president monogrammed notebook piece of paper that said like Aubrey Plaza and then like three facts about me, like Wilmington, Delaware, Ursuline Academy.

Speaker 2 We met, we met, blah, blah, blah, because that's what the politicians all do. They get their little and then you're like, oh my God, how did he remember, you know?

Speaker 2 And I swiped it and Mike Scher was like, you cannot

Speaker 2 steal something. Do you think? And I was like, oh, shut up, Mike.
And he was like, we're literally in the White House. And I was like, we are.
We live in the right hand.

Speaker 1 And you didn't get in trouble.

Speaker 1 No one ever knew.

Speaker 1 No one knew.

Speaker 1 I am kind of surprised that there's no like alarm system in there.

Speaker 2 There's nothing in there. It's like a house of.
It is

Speaker 1 weird how janky the White House actually is.

Speaker 2 It's janky as fuck.

Speaker 1 It is janky as fuck.

Speaker 2 I didn't see any cameras.

Speaker 1 And it is like, it's like SNL. Like you go in there, you're like, this is the White House?

Speaker 2 I know.

Speaker 2 Like, this place sucks. And you're like, that pillow is disgusting.

Speaker 2 It's like, it's like a hotel room used but for a million years i know it is bad it's weird but you know now it's gonna be big and beautiful it has to be gorgeous now um okay so then you're in delaware what kind of shows did you do as a little kid like what were your like parts that you were that you got to sink into baby plaza theater was the wilmington drama league i went there my older cousin was doing the crucible and i remember just watching and being like oh my god this is so cool and then i auditioned i think the first thing

Speaker 2 oh yeah, the first thing I got was

Speaker 2 Hansel and Gretel.

Speaker 2 You played

Speaker 2 chorus tree. Okay.
Tree number four, maybe. No small tree.
No small trees. Yeah, actually, yeah.
I was actually,

Speaker 2 fun fact, I got my period

Speaker 2 on stage at the drama league.

Speaker 1 You used that. You just used it.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 I'm going to use this.

Speaker 2 I went, I started bleeding and then my cousin took me in the bathroom. I was like, what's happening? And she was like, I'm bleeding.
And then I was like, get on out there. The show must go on.

Speaker 2 And then I did.

Speaker 1 And I was like, and you were like, you felt totally different.

Speaker 2 You were like, my cheek is a woman now. Yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 It was awesome. That's exciting.
I was mainly in the chorus a lot. Yeah.
I always wanted to be, you know, like Annie or whatever.

Speaker 2 But I never, but the bigger, the big part that I got that like kind of changed things for me was

Speaker 2 I got the ugly stepsister and Cinderella.

Speaker 2 And I really wanted to be Cinderella, like all everybody. And then, and then they were like, ugly stepsister.
And I was like, damn it.

Speaker 1 Because I know that's the better part.

Speaker 2 It was the better part. Yeah.
And it taught me, like, I brought down the house with my song and it taught me like comedy is where it's at. I was like, I'm getting all the laughs.

Speaker 2 I was like, Cinderella sucks.

Speaker 1 I bet you have the same memory that I have. It's like when you get your first laugh that you mean to get, like people laugh at you.

Speaker 1 But when you get a laugh that you mean to get, it's like becoming a vampire.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Like you're like, yeah.

Speaker 2 You're like, I'm fully realized. like I have all the power yeah I can do anything

Speaker 1 it's the best feeling yeah okay then you graduate you go to NYU then I graduated then I went to NYU so do you remember like like arriving in New York City and what that was like

Speaker 2 it was crazy yeah I was like I mean I was so ready to go to New York mainly because of UCB

Speaker 2 which

Speaker 1 is people listening is a sketch and improv theater that myself and Matt Besser Ian Roberts Matt Walsh started in 90.

Speaker 1 We moved to the city in 96. So you were arriving when?

Speaker 2 I came to the city in 2002.

Speaker 2 But like growing up,

Speaker 2 I

Speaker 2 knew about UCB before, you know, I went to New York.

Speaker 1 How did you know about it? Just curious.

Speaker 2 Neil Casey. I mean, we

Speaker 2 Neil was one of my best friends growing up. He is still one of my best friends.
He was a bit older than me, and he was really into comedy. He showed me like Mr.
Show and Kids in the Hall.

Speaker 2 And like, we got really into, and obviously Saturday Night Live was like really big for me growing up too. So like we just, yeah, we were like super big comedy nerds.

Speaker 2 And part of the reason I wanted to go to NYU and go to New York is to take classes at UCB. So that was like, I was like ready.
I was

Speaker 1 like studying in and taking classes at the same time. You were doing both?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I started doing it like immediately.

Speaker 1 Where were you majoring in at NYU?

Speaker 2 I don't think I know. I majored in film,

Speaker 2 like directing and writing.

Speaker 1 More than almost anyone I know, love studying, watching, and talking about movies. You love movies, I love movies.

Speaker 2 All I need is movies. I don't need anything else or anyone else.

Speaker 1 But movies, um, what do you do with your phone when you're watching a movie? Are you able to fully you are, you're really good at it.

Speaker 2 I am, and I'm not just saying that, I think I am. I'm also really not good at technology.
I'm like,

Speaker 2 I'm a real boomer-like person.

Speaker 1 Although, I will say, you taught when it comes to technology, I have a memory that you've taught me many lessons.

Speaker 1 But I remember one time I was texting on the set of parks to someone who was bothering me or like asking something from me. I forget what it what the situation was.

Speaker 1 And I was like composing this really long text and you grabbed my phone and you just type no and you sent it to me. Really?

Speaker 2 You don't remember something? No.

Speaker 2 I don't remember anything. And it was

Speaker 1 it was very illuminating because it was just basically like, it really underneath it was like, first of all, don't be like beholden to your phone. Like

Speaker 1 life is happening around you. And also, you don't owe anybody any long explanation.
Wow.

Speaker 2 I know. That's so.
Do you remember that? No. I feel like that's something you would do to me.
I feel like you taught me how to say no.

Speaker 1 Well, maybe I taught it and then forgot it. Damn.
You did it back to me. Wow.
Like, like karate kids style. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 Okay. So then you go to New York.
Where do you live when you're in the dorms?

Speaker 2 I go to New York. My parents dropped me off on 3rd Avenue and 11th Street.
Oh my God, I used to live right around there near Webster Hall. Yeah, I lived right on, I lived in the third north dorms.

Speaker 2 And then I ended up moving, I got out of the dorms earlier than you're like technically allowed to because there was like a mice issue.

Speaker 1 And so there were too many mice in the and they were like, you have to leave like the mice took over.

Speaker 2 The mice took over to the point where I will never forget I was on the top bunk

Speaker 2 and I was being very quiet because I was like reading a book or something and like nobody else was. You were as quiet as a mouse.
I was as quiet as a mouse.

Speaker 2 And I literally was just like reading for like, I don't know, maybe 20 minutes or something. And all the sudden, there was a Thanksgiving Day parade of mice.
They were like having trumpets.

Speaker 2 They were like,

Speaker 2 and they all just started parading back and forth, like selling things. And it was like a flea market.
They came out and they were like, it was insane. Like I was like, ah! And I was like, I couldn't.

Speaker 1 On your floor?

Speaker 2 On the ground. Like,

Speaker 2 like in our clothes. Like, in our, it was like a messy room, too.
So it was like, they were just like, like, they had, like, were wearing my clothes. They were like running around dancing.

Speaker 2 Like, they were just.

Speaker 1 They were like those Richard Scary books. Remember those things where it was like, like, they were like building, they were like in little cars.

Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, DOER. Yes, it was insane.
And I was like screaming. I was like, this is fucking disgusting.

Speaker 1 And NYU was like, you got to get out. Yeah.

Speaker 2 They were like, be quiet and get out.

Speaker 2 So I got out and then I moved. And then I moved right down the block to second and 11th.
I got in with these like older musical theater girls that like took me in.

Speaker 2 And then I lived there for a couple of years.

Speaker 1 And then you studied at UCB.

Speaker 1 And then a lot of people don't know that you, well, I mean, I think some people know because you talked about it on SNL, but then you found, you got an internship at SNL. Oh, yes.

Speaker 2 How did you get that?

Speaker 2 I,

Speaker 2 so I faxed my resume.

Speaker 2 Remember that?

Speaker 2 That's amazing. Where are you looking? I don't know.
At the audience? I'm just looking over here. I'm looking at my facts.
I imagined

Speaker 2 that there were a lot of people.

Speaker 1 I'm looking. I'm checking to see if I got any other faxes.
Hello?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I faxed my resume to every department

Speaker 2 because there was. There was just like a number.
There was like a paper on some wall at NYU that had like all the department numbers. It was like 212667.
Yes. 2127.

Speaker 2 Like down or 664, whatever. It was 66.

Speaker 1 Number 212?

Speaker 2 Oh, yeah. I still have a 212 number.
I'm so jealous. I wish I had a landline.

Speaker 1 I still have a landline.

Speaker 2 That's nice. Yeah.
But yeah, I faxed my resume to every department and I didn't get anything. And then on a Friday night, on the week of their, of the 2005

Speaker 2 season,

Speaker 2 I got a call from the design department and they were like, We got your resume. Like, we need someone.
Like, can you come interview? And it was Regina Diuchico, if you remember Regina. Of course.

Speaker 2 And I was like,

Speaker 2 Yeah, I was like, I'm available. It was like Friday at like, I want to say like 4 p.m.
or 5 p.m. or something.
She was like, she's like, how about right now? And I was like, okay.

Speaker 2 And so then I like went up to 30 Rock, like immediately saw Ben Affleck. Sure, just there.
Who was like, I guess

Speaker 2 he was hosting that episode. I just like, I'm remember how crazy it was just walking in for the first time because I was just interviewing.

Speaker 2 So I was like, I didn't know what was going on, but it was a Friday night. So I guess they were blocking or rehearsing.

Speaker 2 And they had, they had fired.

Speaker 2 The design department only ever had one intern, couldn't cut it. Yeah.
Mainly because he wanted to be in design. Yeah.
And

Speaker 1 they were like, you, no, you, yeah, you can't. No.

Speaker 2 He was like, so the blueprints of the thing. And they were like, get the fuck out of here literally they were like fuck off and he was like

Speaker 2 um and then i came in and they were like do you care about design and i was like no and they were like can you start now and i was like yeah

Speaker 1 um what is the design part of snl for people they don't know like what is design what is the design do because it's a big it's very important part of the show there's

Speaker 2 you you have to imagine the sets have to be built somehow yeah and very fast yeah um because basically as you know, on Tuesday night's the writing night, and then Wednesday night is when all the sketches get chosen.

Speaker 2 Yeah. And so there's really only Wednesday to Saturday.
And then they have to like figure out all the sets in between.

Speaker 2 I remember what I had to do is like once the, I was there all Wednesday night, like until three in the morning or whatever.

Speaker 2 And then once the sketches were picked, I would, they would like send, they would be like, go in the filing cat, literally in the filing cabinet and find restaurant number 72 or something.

Speaker 2 And then I would like sift through and find these like blueprints, I guess, for whatever. And then I would just watch them and they would like draw stuff and, and that's it.

Speaker 2 And then the, the other job I had was to take continuity photos. And that was cool because you guys would be rehearsing and I'd be like, and everyone thought I worked there.

Speaker 2 I had a camera around whatever. And I just was like very quiet and just kind of like.
taking pictures of the sets of the plants of the things.

Speaker 1 I mean, it blows my mind, Plazi, that we were sharing.

Speaker 2 I mean, you were there.

Speaker 2 I stalked you.

Speaker 1 you i i think now about the people that are crossing our lives right now that are like in our proximity that we don't know yet that it's yeah like it's really cool that we were in the same physical space i know we know each other it's so crazy it still blows my mind and then you were giving tours and i was giving tours yeah and a lot of people know that you just gave you just made stuff up once i did yeah i got fired yeah i didn't get fired but i got pretty much encouraged to leave

Speaker 2 pretty quickly. Yeah.
What were some things you would make up? Do you remember? I mean,

Speaker 2 I don't remember like specific thing. I feel like there was one thing,

Speaker 2 this is when I was a page.

Speaker 2 Like, there was one speech I had to give about, like,

Speaker 2 I guess it was like

Speaker 2 Conan's studio or something. That's that

Speaker 2 studio. And, and it was like very cold.
And it was, there was just like weird facts where they'd be like, Does anyone, you know, know why it's so cold in the studio?

Speaker 2 And people would be like, why is it so cold? Because of the lights? And I'd be like, no, because in 1956

Speaker 2 they had penguins on the show and the penguins needed to be cold so they wouldn't die. And they forgot to turn the heat down after that.
So it's been cold since like 1956.

Speaker 2 And people would be like, well, that's interesting. Okay.

Speaker 1 Then you get your, you're, you're like doing comedy, doing shows.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 we meet, not on SNL, even though we're in the same building, but we meet on the set of Parks and Rec. And for people that don't know, like you had a crazy week when you got hired.

Speaker 1 You got like three jobs that same week. What happened that week you were hired on Parks?

Speaker 2 So I basically, I was like trying to get a

Speaker 2 part in Funny People, the Judd Appetale movie with Seth Rogan and Adam Sandler. And I went through kind of this whole vetting process in New York.

Speaker 2 And then enough where Allison Jones, who cast that movie and Parks and Wreck,

Speaker 2 was called me and was like, all right, like you made it to the chemistry read stage. So you have to come out to LA and read with Seth and see if you get the part, basically.

Speaker 2 And so, but I didn't really have an agent or anything. And I kind of had to like pay my way, you know, to go out there.
So it was like a little bit janky, but I got myself out there

Speaker 2 to do that. And then while I was out in LA for that week to do the funny people thing, Allison was like, how about I send you on some other things? Like, how do you feel about that?

Speaker 2 And so, yeah, so one of them was she wanted me to go meet Mike Scher and Greg Daniels, who at the time were shooting on the office. And they were shooting, they were on the set of the office.

Speaker 2 So she sent me to the set of the office.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 I didn't even, I guess at that time, I didn't realize, like, I didn't think like, oh, I could, these meetings

Speaker 2 will get me a job. I didn't know that.

Speaker 1 I mean, I think it's one of the things about being young that's kind of nice is you're not really aware what you're actually, like, what's at stake.

Speaker 2 No,

Speaker 2 it's definitely not that. I mean, if it was an audition, obviously I know, like, all right, I'm going to get the part or not.
But like general meetings, I didn't really get the vibe of that.

Speaker 2 How old were you then? I was 24, 23, 23, maybe.

Speaker 2 But so then I went to the set of the office and I was so starstruck. I see in my horse eye

Speaker 2 BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling walked by and I was like, oh my God. I was like, they're in the show or whatever.
And Mike Scher is like, hello.

Speaker 2 And he's like at his desk, like, and I'm like, what? And then I just met him for like, he describes it. He really embellishes this story, I think.

Speaker 1 He loves this story.

Speaker 2 I mean, he's like, and then I met the weirdest person on there.

Speaker 1 I'm like, there's no bigger fan of Aubrey Plaza than Mike Scher.

Speaker 2 Yeah, right.

Speaker 1 He loves it, though. Because I think like, I mean, it just speaks to honestly the fact that

Speaker 1 you've always been yourself confidently yourself and you don't have a vibe of like you don't you are the opposite of a pick me as the kids would say like you you do not have that vibe and they and that draws people in and i think he was like who is this person yeah who seems mad at me yeah i try to give her a job yeah literally and why are you wearing jean shorts in a general meeting like ripped jean shorts and you're like i didn't know what this was no and and then i got a phone call and they were like

Speaker 2 you're on a tv show i'm like what no

Speaker 2 but then which one

Speaker 2 what you're like the office yeah i literally probably said that i didn't know what was going on and then they were like um

Speaker 2 actually you got the part but actually

Speaker 1 you have to audition to play yourself you don't have to name names but i wonder who else was up to play you i don't think that anyone oh right it's just one person i think they just made me do it like for the network or something I think I found out later I mean maybe not I don't know it's probably like you know yeah it was you Sharon Stone and Gina Gershon yeah so you get the part we're on the set and then like I mean we could do a whole obviously we could do a whole episode about our experiences there

Speaker 1 and there are so like

Speaker 1 I mean I don't the best thing about our relationship I feel like is I don't like all like a lot of I think long-lasting relationships is you don't always like remember how you met.

Speaker 1 Like, I just remember, like, just, I just have this vision of you being next to me on the set of that show and me being like, welcome.

Speaker 1 Like, you know, Leslie was supposed to be like welcoming April and April was supposed to be like, what am I doing here? And Amy was welcoming Aubrey. And Aubrey was like, what am I doing here?

Speaker 2 Truly, yeah. Yeah.
I mean, I remember when we first met, and I think I told you this story. It was

Speaker 2 the the promos that we shot. That's right.
And

Speaker 2 which was weird because we hadn't shot the show yet.

Speaker 2 And the rest of the cast hadn't even been cast yet. I think at that point it was just like Aziz, me, you,

Speaker 2 maybe another Rashida.

Speaker 2 Yeah. I don't think we had Nick yet or.
I don't think so. But they had me

Speaker 2 and I was there, like physically there. So they shot this promo of us on a swing set.
And that's when I met you like, officially, for the first time.

Speaker 2 And I think I was literally on a swing, like a child. Like, and I was like,

Speaker 2 and I was like, just don't make any sudden movements.

Speaker 2 Except swinging. Except swinging.
And then you, which is kind of good because swinging is really good somatically. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 For me, like, I liked, um, but then, yeah, you came over and we were both just swinging like little babies. That's how we met on a swing.
We met on a playground, which is kind of nice.

Speaker 1 Really nice. And it feels like the show was that.

Speaker 1 Like, it was, it felt like a true like playground space it really was like we i mean i loved and love working with you i love playing with you i love acting with you i love you as an actor i love you as a person i love your acting posse you know how good i think you are i love playing with you and i feel like our dynamic well like the arc of of um in many ways like april had the biggest growth in the show she goes from

Speaker 1 truly not wanting to be where she is to like,

Speaker 1 you know,

Speaker 1 ending the show like with some kind of purpose and a love in her life and like some also like a

Speaker 1 she kind of stands up for what she doesn't want to do, which is a big part of your 20s.

Speaker 2 Like,

Speaker 1 but

Speaker 1 when you started that character, when you started her, did you have any idea where you thought it would go? And did you have any,

Speaker 1 you know, did you, did you know?

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 No, I just,

Speaker 2 No, I think I just once I realized like, oh, what's so fun about this character is that like it's a game of

Speaker 2 not showing anyone that I really care. Yes.
And like once I've locked into that, it was real, like it felt like there was

Speaker 2 no limit to like the growth or like what could happen because if you hint that there's something else going on, it's like you can kind of play with that and also in different ways with every different character.

Speaker 2 So I feel like maybe on an unconscious level, but I felt like, oh, there's so much to play with, even though it feels really subtle and simple.

Speaker 1 Yeah, that was her secret is she cared, but she pretended she didn't. And so when it would pop out, it was so satisfying.
Yeah. It was so funny and good.

Speaker 1 And the ways in which she tried to keep those things hidden were so funny.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 And then I think just the Andy April thing was such an organic, like I had no idea that was going to become a thing until that one episode.

Speaker 1 So let's talk about that. So Andy

Speaker 1 played by Chris Pratt.

Speaker 1 And you,

Speaker 1 April and Andy had an episode where a bunch of us were off like doing the, like a harvest. We're at the harvest festival.

Speaker 2 We're at some harvest festival where you guys were.

Speaker 1 We were doing something together. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Or you were like camping or something. Oh, yeah, maybe.
Oh, yeah. We were like cabin.

Speaker 2 I don't know.

Speaker 1 And so they put you guys in the office and just just said, like, let's see what happens to these two characters when they hang out.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And basically the chemistry that those characters had was the building block for why they eventually became like the real romantic love story of the show, other than Leslie and Ann. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Because Anne doesn't deserve. Don't talk about Anne.
Sorry.

Speaker 1 But what do you remember of that day?

Speaker 2 I have a visit.

Speaker 2 Well, Greg Daniels directed the episode, which I will always remember because he was so delighted like he had such a like little kid energy and he was so he just was like very willing to like let's just try things and

Speaker 2 we had a whole day where we were just playing it it was like kind of like what you said like the office like the bull room or bullpen yeah

Speaker 2 the bullpen um

Speaker 2 the bull room the bullpen like became a playground and i i just remember I have an image of like us sitting under the table. We were like under that main table for a while.

Speaker 2 Like, I don't even know what we were doing down there.

Speaker 2 But we were under there. And I just remember, I don't know.
It just felt, it was so fun.

Speaker 2 It just felt like I remember before then, there was, I think it was like the finale of the, maybe the first season or I don't remember what season, but there was a very subtle moment where we're all in a group.

Speaker 2 We're in a circle. And

Speaker 2 Andy's like saying something about his band or he's like, something about like, I think like this band name is cool, or whatever. And everyone else is like, no.

Speaker 2 And April's, and I was just like, I like it. And it was like an improvised thing, but I remember, do you remember that?

Speaker 2 Where I remember being like, and then I remember like knocking on Mike Scher's like door and being like, listen, I was like, April loves Andy and April thinks Andy's cool because he's so not cool that he's cool.

Speaker 2 Do you understand? And Mike was like, get out of here.

Speaker 2 And I was like, you, I was like, you better listen to me.

Speaker 2 No, you did.

Speaker 1 You knocked on his door.

Speaker 2 It was like, I I mean, yeah, it was more like just a little conversation.

Speaker 1 But that was, it was like a, it was like a layer to that character because you become his advocate.

Speaker 1 Like, and that's the part of April that like, is like another interesting layer is like, again, she acts like nothing matters and she's, you know, completely disaffected, but she's actually very fiercely loyal.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And very, um, and like, sticks up for people she believes in, which I think is a character character trait of you too, Plazi. Like you're very, you're you're a very loyal friend.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 You're a really, really protective friend. Um, and you really stick up for people who you love.
And that side of it was so great because then we got to see

Speaker 1 her like manage him, care about the band, see potential for him that he didn't see in himself.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 he was just like, I can't believe how lucky I am. And I remember when the writers had you guys get married, we were all like, what?

Speaker 2 Like, I know. That was insane.

Speaker 1 That was, what do you remember of that day shooting it?

Speaker 2 We, there was a lot of crying. You cried.
I mean, I love a wedding. You cried.

Speaker 2 I remember you like cried in the kitchen and then you were like crying like off-camera. And I was like, stop.
I cried that much. Yes, you did.
You like literally cried all day. It was so weird.

Speaker 1 I was so happy you were in love.

Speaker 2 You were like crying all day. There was like, I was like, stop crying all day.

Speaker 2 I was like, we're not even at the camera. I was like, we're in my trailer.
Like, why are you doing this? And you were like, how do you feel? I'm like, oh oh my God. No, I don't.

Speaker 2 I'm ordering a salad for lunch. Like, this is my job.

Speaker 1 I was crying because you were crying so hard and I was worried that we weren't going to get the shot. I was crying because I was sad at how much you were crying.

Speaker 2 I don't think so. I think that you thought it was real.

Speaker 1 And yeah, I assumed it was legally binding.

Speaker 2 But it was so good.

Speaker 1 And the vows were so funny.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 And the wedding was so stupid. It was so funny.

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Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 I mean, I guess, like, when, do you watch, have you re-watched Parks and Rec?

Speaker 2 Nope. What?

Speaker 1 I'm finding this out. Okay.

Speaker 2 I wouldn't even know how.

Speaker 2 Shut up.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 You asked me how. You've never watched

Speaker 1 the big giant screen that you watch your movies on.

Speaker 2 How does it work? Go blue pieces. Blue please.
I wouldn't. And go to.

Speaker 1 Go to. Go to what? Type in where the search is.

Speaker 2 How? Someone tell me.

Speaker 1 Peacock.

Speaker 2 No. Yes.

Speaker 2 Yes.

Speaker 1 Go there.

Speaker 2 Or go to iTunes. I wish I knew how.

Speaker 1 Or go to, you know,

Speaker 1 just pick up your controller and just

Speaker 2 wreck into it.

Speaker 1 And it'll come up.

Speaker 2 Okay, it's probably not the right one.

Speaker 1 Go to your DVDs. You love your DVDs.

Speaker 2 I wish I had one right now.

Speaker 1 But you've never re-watched it? No.

Speaker 1 I don't know what's wrong with you guys.

Speaker 2 If it comes on in a hotel room, I literally throw something. I throw it.

Speaker 2 Adam says. I will literally break the house.

Speaker 1 Adam says watching the show makes him sad.

Speaker 1 Nick has told me he has not re-watched it.

Speaker 2 Liar, he jerks off to it every night.

Speaker 2 You know he sits there and like touches himself.

Speaker 2 you're so bright he's got it on right now

Speaker 2 nick

Speaker 1 tammy you're right he does watch it for tammy his real life maggie malally they get off on that they watch it they watch it you're so right they watch it together and they

Speaker 1 just slap each other in the face they're disgusting they're so disgusting nick i know you're listening you're not fooling anybody.

Speaker 2 I remember like that episode with April and Ron that very first

Speaker 2 When we got to play together, I remember like knocking on his door and being like, I canceled all your meetings today or whatever. And it was just the silence,

Speaker 2 the silences between us.

Speaker 1 The thing that I love so much about Leslie and April's relationship is that Leslie had a plan for April that, and she kept kind of whispering to April,

Speaker 2 you know.

Speaker 1 like 2016, a version of like feminism, like you can do it all. You can do whatever you want.

Speaker 2 She was like, Women belong in the kitchen. That's that game I love to play.
The Trad wife thing, she was always like,

Speaker 2 She was like, We must respect our man. And Leslie Knope would be like, No, April, no.

Speaker 2 And she'd be like, You must bend over for your man.

Speaker 1 I feel like you, did you improvise that?

Speaker 2 It feels like

Speaker 1 two more things about parks. Uh, what we had so many fun guest stars come in, and like you connected with some of them in interesting ways.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 1 Who do you remember just like love, like just being like, oh, I just like loving the because I feel like my job on set was to be like, welcome, you know, and you got to just come up later and be like, what do you think of this?

Speaker 2 Yeah. You definitely.
Maybe like, it's kind of crazy around here.

Speaker 2 Want to see something insane or whatever.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Yeah.
You were the cool. You were the cool kids.
One of the ones I'll never forget is Patricia Clarkson. Yes.
Totally made out with her. Never made it on the show.

Speaker 1 We should still talk about it. I made out on the set, not in the trailers.

Speaker 2 Oh, sure. Yeah, sure.
Yeah. Sure.

Speaker 1 Although Patty would probably be fine with both. That was incredible.
And April really fell for Tammy One. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Yeah. She was Tammy One.
Yeah. Yeah.
Sure.

Speaker 1 I mean, one could argue that Ron's mom was the original Tammy.

Speaker 2 Oh, right, right.

Speaker 1 Played by Paula Pell.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Oh, yeah.
That was a good one.

Speaker 1 Yeah, Tammy. But she was Tammy One, and Malali was Tammy two.

Speaker 2 Who else did you? I loved her.

Speaker 2 Fuck, my brain is so broken.

Speaker 2 Remember Sam Elliott? Let's throw some people out. You love Sam Elliott.
Sam Elliott always paused on. I love Sam Elliott.

Speaker 1 You love the actor that played Oren on Parks and Real.

Speaker 2 Oh my God, Oren. Remember Oren? I love Oren.

Speaker 2 Love Oren. He was so funny and so weird.

Speaker 1 He was so funny.

Speaker 2 He was like

Speaker 2 a vampire boy. Yeah.
That was always like lurking in the shadows.

Speaker 1 Eric Eisenhower.

Speaker 2 Eric.

Speaker 1 Played Oren.

Speaker 1 But Eric wasn't really the vampire boy, I think, in real life, but he

Speaker 1 was.

Speaker 2 But he was very like method. Yes.
And I really appreciated that. Like, even when we weren't shooting, he'd be kind of like, did you try the hummus? Or whatever? And I'd be like, yes, Oren.

Speaker 2 Yes. Whatever.

Speaker 1 Who else? You also helped us.

Speaker 1 You helped us secure the mayor. Oh, funny.
You really helped us get Bill Murray on it.

Speaker 2 Bill Murray.

Speaker 2 All you have to say to Bill Murray is, you're playing a cadaver.

Speaker 2 And he's like, I'm you.

Speaker 2 Do you remember when, I don't know if you remember this, but do you remember when Chris Bosch was on the show, the basketball player?

Speaker 2 Chris Bosch, he was a Miami Heat player.

Speaker 1 Oh, yes.

Speaker 2 And he was a was he in like we had like, had like different beep basketball, like Roy.

Speaker 1 Yeah, we had

Speaker 2 Roy. Yes.

Speaker 1 Yeah, Chris Bosch.

Speaker 2 Yes, Chris Bosch.

Speaker 1 He was with like Aziz and was he like John Raffio? Yeah, Entertainment 720. Yeah.

Speaker 2 But like, I don't know if you know the story. It was a very quick story, but it was so stupid.
But I was a really big Chris Bosch fan.

Speaker 2 So like, I was like, oh my God, like, I can't believe he's coming. Like, this is insane.
I was like, I want to play a prank on him. Do you know this? No.
And so.

Speaker 2 he had to go through hair and makeup, but you know, he, I think, had very little hair and, you know, whatever, didn't need makeup because he's a guy or whatever.

Speaker 2 But you know how they always put them through the works anyway. Yeah.
So I was like, I'm going to pretend to be the hairstylist.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 I think it was Terry maybe was in there. And you know how she had those glasses or whatever? So I was like, Terry, give me her glasses.
Or I can't remember whatever.

Speaker 2 And I'm thinking, like, this is going to be hilarious because it's going to be me. And he'll be like, ha ha ha, it's you.

Speaker 2 So I like

Speaker 2 pretend to be Terry. I'm like at her station.

Speaker 2 And then he goes through like makeup first. And they're like, you look good.
You know, a little powder and you're good. And then he like went and he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks a lot.

Speaker 2 And then he sat down in my chair. And I was was like, Well,

Speaker 2 and I looked at him and I was like, What are we going to do today? And I was like doing like a dumb thing. And he didn't make any eye contact with me.
He was just looking down.

Speaker 2 And he was so sweet, but he didn't make eye contact. He was just like, Yeah, whatever you think.

Speaker 1 Oh, no.

Speaker 2 And you were like, And I was like, Well, I think that

Speaker 2 you're looking pretty good, sir. And he'd be like, Yeah, so I'm good.
All right. And I'd be like, Well, you're not that good.

Speaker 2 And then I was like, I just kept it going. And someone videotaped it.
Oh, my God. And it was

Speaker 2 so awkward. Didn't recognize me at all.
Didn't know who I was. Don't think he ever knew who I was.
I mean, not once.

Speaker 1 Chris Bosch isn't going to be watching the show before he comes in.

Speaker 2 He didn't know. He's too big.
I was. He thought I was.

Speaker 1 He thought you were a hair person.

Speaker 2 And like, the PAs are like, we really need him on set. I'm like, well, he's almost done in my department of hair.

Speaker 1 And then

Speaker 2 basically it just died.

Speaker 1 And he never, you never. Nope.
Well, Chris is probably listening.

Speaker 2 Never not once.

Speaker 1 Never, not once. Did you even work with him on set that day?

Speaker 2 Never saw him again. Literally never saw him again, ever in my life.

Speaker 1 Oh, my God. I mean, people should know you're a big basketball fan.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 I mean,

Speaker 2 you're a big WB fan. Yeah, I love it.

Speaker 1 You're a big Liberty fan and many other teams. What do you like about basketball? What do you like?

Speaker 1 You're good at basketball.

Speaker 2 Thank you. Welcome.

Speaker 2 I grew up playing basketball.

Speaker 2 I just love the game. My sister and I,

Speaker 2 we just were a ball ballin' kind of family. My dad was like coaching our teams.
And I went to an all-girls high school in Delaware called Ursulin Academy.

Speaker 2 And we were really known for a basketball team. Like first, we would, you know, be the best in the state.
Elena Deladon went to my school. She's like one of the best WNBA players ever.

Speaker 2 So I just kind of grew up loving the sport.

Speaker 2 And then, yeah, the my sister Natalie really introduced me to the W.

Speaker 2 And it was kind of before the kind of Caitlin Clark effect, as they call it.

Speaker 2 She, well, we, but even before that, before that, we joined a women's basketball league in L.A.

Speaker 2 And we, and there was a lot of parks people like Allison Becker was, you know, a lot of comedians. Sean Malway Tweep.
Shauna Malway Tweep

Speaker 2 was on one of the teams. And there was a whole movement like

Speaker 2 around that time, like 10 years ago in L.A. where like

Speaker 2 just women were playing basketball and like really playing. Yeah.
And it was so fun. And then kind of after that, I tore my ACL

Speaker 2 on the court. That's, I mean,

Speaker 1 it's pretty ballery.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 It's happened twice. I did it again last year.
I know.

Speaker 1 It's, it's, it's very cool. Thank you.
I know it's the biggest pain in the ass. Like it's a nightmare to tear your ACL, but like being iced on the court, it looks cool.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Yeah.
Well, the first time it wasn't so cool because I was actually playing in, I was wearing a a wig and I was playing in disguise.

Speaker 2 And truly.

Speaker 1 You were pretending to be the hair department.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I was pretending to be Terry on the court.

Speaker 1 Okay, so we got to talk about your other stuff. There's so much stuff that you've done.
Like,

Speaker 1 I don't even know where to start, Plazi. You're such a good actor.

Speaker 1 You've done.

Speaker 1 For people that perhaps don't know, you have done a million gazillion movies. You've been in White Lotus.
You've done Emily the Criminal, one of my favorite performances of yours. You've You've done,

Speaker 1 you've worked with

Speaker 1 what's his name? You know, the Michael King.

Speaker 1 You work with Michael King.

Speaker 2 Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro.

Speaker 1 You've worked with the other Mike, Bobby De Niro. You've worked with the other guy, Coppola.
You've worked.

Speaker 1 You've been in his movies. Yeah.
You've been in,

Speaker 1 you've been in like incredible, you incredible Black Bear. You've been in.

Speaker 1 I mean,

Speaker 1 I should note your IMDb.

Speaker 2 It's enough.

Speaker 1 Is that enough? Yeah. It feels like it's enough.
It just scratched the surface, Plaus.

Speaker 1 So I guess my question to you is,

Speaker 1 and it is a genuine question. Hold on.
Agatha.

Speaker 2 Down, down, down the road. Down my witch.

Speaker 2 Road.

Speaker 1 Road.

Speaker 1 I mean, a lot of people think that you were playing yourself in Parks and Rec, but is it true that you're actually playing yourself in Agatha? Of course.

Speaker 2 Yeah. That was the closest,

Speaker 2 the most blurred the lines have ever gotten for me. Yeah.
When I was holding the dagger in the woods.

Speaker 1 I mean, that was so exciting to watch. I mean,

Speaker 1 that part was bananas.

Speaker 2 It was crazy.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 the

Speaker 1 response to that show, talk about your hag heads.

Speaker 2 Talk about your handhelds. I know.
Baby hags love that shit. Baby hags.

Speaker 1 Sorry.

Speaker 2 They're called baby hags, please.

Speaker 1 Excuse me, baby hags.

Speaker 1 People, I mean, there's something about you that, like, is just witch

Speaker 1 adjacent. Like, you organically have a witch vibe, as you said.
You were called that early on. Like, what is it about your fascination? You've written about the Christmas witch.
You've played a witch.

Speaker 1 Christmas Witch is your great children's book. And it's a great book, by the way.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 You and Murph.

Speaker 2 You know, we have a new book coming out

Speaker 2 that just came out on the shelves right now.

Speaker 1 Oh, tell us about it.

Speaker 2 It's called Luna and the Witch. Throw a Halloween party.
It's a Halloween party.

Speaker 1 Yes. What do you love about, what is it about that witch?

Speaker 1 Your production company is called Evil Hag. What is it about witches?

Speaker 2 And you? I, you know, it's like, I can't pinpoint exactly where that seeped in, but I will say I grew, I think where I grew up has a, there's a witchy vibe in the woods of Delaware, first of all.

Speaker 2 It's an old state, the first state, in fact.

Speaker 2 And so I think I kind of

Speaker 2 grew up kind of always, I don't know, feeling witchy in the woods. But also I think that there's

Speaker 2 a bloodline thing happening, you know, in my family, with the women in my family. I think.
Wait, say again. Like, I think I feel like I have ancestral like witch

Speaker 2 witches in my life.

Speaker 1 Like, well, I mean, you really, your family feels like a matriarchy. Like, you have sisters and really strong women in your family.

Speaker 1 And it feels like that's been, that feeling has been passed on.

Speaker 2 Definitely. On both sides, too.

Speaker 1 On both sides, right? On your dad's side, too.

Speaker 2 And I have like Basque blood.

Speaker 2 And I found out about this years ago when

Speaker 2 I went to visit like the area where supposedly like some of my family's from.

Speaker 2 And there's this town called Zugarimerdi, which is on the border of France and Spain and northern Spain in the Basque region and it's apparently where like all thousands of witches would like convene in this in these caves which I went to visit and um and like the you know we talked about Salem witch trials like that was like 200 witches what you love that shit Boston well what that was

Speaker 1 it's funny that you bring up the Salem rich witch trials why because we talked to Margaret Qualey today about it. We did.
Yes, who is so nice.

Speaker 2 I know. I love her.

Speaker 1 I know. And she loves you.

Speaker 2 I know. We have a really sweet little connection there.

Speaker 1 And we got to talk about, and you know, it's my favorite part of this in many ways is to hear, is to talk well behind someone's back.

Speaker 1 And she was saying, which, you know, I know firsthand because of the love and support I feel from you and

Speaker 1 our history together. But

Speaker 1 she was talking about how, like,

Speaker 1 you are a real girl's girl. You are, like, you know, you really support women.
You love women. You take good care of them.
You feel supported and loved by them.

Speaker 1 And you surround yourself with really strong, interesting women who

Speaker 1 you learn from and teach to all the time.

Speaker 1 And, but her question was, what were the Salem witch trials like?

Speaker 2 What a bitch.

Speaker 2 Honestly, they were fun. Alexis.
They were fun, Alexis.

Speaker 1 Alexis, they were fun. They were fun.

Speaker 2 They were hilarious. Like everyone was freaking out.
And I was just like, you guys are like so stupid.

Speaker 2 But I definitely can see you back in the day being on.

Speaker 2 I would love it.

Speaker 1 What do you think that was the best part about playing a witch on Agatha?

Speaker 2 The best part for me was just like cackling. Because I had this one scene, like this one part at the end where like, and I don't even know.

Speaker 2 Why, but it was, I think cackling. There's something about cackling, I swear, that is like like really

Speaker 2 therapeutic.

Speaker 1 Well, it's probably somatic.

Speaker 2 Like, you've it's somatic. It's like screaming, yeah.
But it's like you, you think, like, why are witches cackling? Where does that come from?

Speaker 2 I feel like it's must be some old-timey way that women were like working out their rage. And because I'm not very tapped into that, my rage and whatever.
But like

Speaker 2 when I really let loose and am able to like cackle or whatever, like it, it's, I don't know,

Speaker 2 it feels good for me. And I really took that and ran with it.

Speaker 2 And like the scene in Agatha where I'm like sitting, I'm like sitting on top of the house and like the, and I'm on a wire because I'm like flying down there.

Speaker 2 And she's down on the ground going like, you,

Speaker 2 you know,

Speaker 2 and like screaming at me. And I was just like,

Speaker 2 and I was cackling like crazy, but I went really crazy with it.

Speaker 1 And it felt good.

Speaker 2 It felt good. It felt really good to just be like, just let loose.

Speaker 1 Speaking of Margaret Qualey, movie Honey don't honey don't you're in it with her yeah

Speaker 2 and uh who directed it and how did you and how did you tell us about it um mr ethan cohen directed it um of the cohen brothers

Speaker 2 um and

Speaker 2 ethan wrote it with his wife trish trisha cook

Speaker 2 and um

Speaker 2 how did i get involved in it i like how do you pick why do you i mean i find you're the way you choose parts really interesting what how do you choose what you're gonna do next i mean I think it's just, it's a, I mean, a lot of the things that I do, I feel like, are somewhat self-generated because I've produced like five movies and, you know, I read scripts and, you know, I've done, I like that approach.

Speaker 2 You've developed things from the ground up. Yeah.
Like, I mean, I did that really.

Speaker 2 That's what I've done a couple of times. But then, you know, as an actor, you also get.
offers sometimes. Yeah.
You know?

Speaker 2 But I think people think a lot of times that like actors just like sit there and wait and are sifting through like 10 10 offers or whatever. But it's never like that.
It's always kind of

Speaker 2 different than that. But this one, I don't know how I choose.
I think a lot of it's

Speaker 2 kind of has to do with like

Speaker 2 what I feel like kind of diving into energetically or like character wise, because I tend to really like go there. And so I don't,

Speaker 2 there are certain things that I just, even if the script's like really good or if it's it's like you got to work with you know Glenn Powell or whatever it's like I don't you got to work with me I know but I don't I don't want to

Speaker 1 I can't you can no he's he's he's neighbors with Jack McBreer I don't all right fine I'll do it

Speaker 2 I'm definitely interested in like doing the opposite of what I just did or like you know the honey don't

Speaker 2 thing to me honestly was like mind-blowing that a Cohen brother wanted to work with me you know I was like oh my God.

Speaker 1 Everybody wants to work with you, honey. Tarantino, where the fuck are you? Oh, Tarantino.

Speaker 2 Do your ear muffs.

Speaker 2 Close your earmuffs.

Speaker 1 Tarantino, I'll do anything.

Speaker 2 I'll do anything. This is heads, you know.

Speaker 1 Absolutely.

Speaker 2 Anything you want. Quentin.
I am her manager. Tarantina manager.

Speaker 1 She will not do anything.

Speaker 2 Green, green. And the feet are off the table.
Tarantino, it's Aubrey.

Speaker 2 Guess what? I'll do anything you want.

Speaker 1 It's extra for the feet, honey.

Speaker 2 Naked in heels, Tarantino.

Speaker 2 I'm going to get

Speaker 2 an immediate call from Quentin Tarantino. Good.
Can't wait. Oh my God.

Speaker 1 I can't wait for it. Whatever is the scary ass shit he's going to make.

Speaker 1 Put me through again.

Speaker 2 Don't care. You think I didn't care before? How about now? Definitely don't care about anything.

Speaker 1 No, Quentin, no. We're going to.
Okay, but so you. What? But this brings me.

Speaker 1 But you, but what do you like? Because you have worked with a lot of different directors. You work and you've, and do you want to direct, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1 I mean, you have directed already, but you want to do that more?

Speaker 2 Yeah. I mean, I've never directed a movie.

Speaker 1 Well, you've directed TV.

Speaker 2 No, I haven't. You haven't? Well, I direct.

Speaker 2 I directed. Yes.

Speaker 2 I directed an episode of a Showtime show called Cinematos. Yeah.

Speaker 2 That Jeff

Speaker 2 created. Yeah.
And it was a quarantine. It was a...
during the pandemic and it was a really, really cool show. And I loved my episode.

Speaker 2 Unfortunately, I don't think you can watch it anymore. I don't think it exists.
It just went away. Showtime time like literally just erased it.
It's kind of weird about some TV.

Speaker 1 Like we were making jokes about how to find parks, but some TV just is like, it's gone away. It just goes away.
It's weird. I mean, I guess when I was growing up, that is what happened with TV.

Speaker 1 You couldn't watch it again.

Speaker 2 Yeah, that's true. It just went away.
But that's true.

Speaker 1 But now it feels weird that it goes away. Yeah.

Speaker 2 But yeah, no, I haven't directed. I want to direct a movie, but like I'm

Speaker 2 skewed. Girl.
I know, but you know what it is? It's like I, I wanna, I know, but I, it's like I want, I'm, I'm a little bit like, um,

Speaker 2 I'm being too precious about it. Yeah, yeah, I know.

Speaker 1 Yeah, you just gotta just do it.

Speaker 2 But I want to have something to say. I have something I want to say.
I have something to say. I want to shut up.
I mean, I want to say

Speaker 2 what?

Speaker 2 Sorry.

Speaker 2 What?

Speaker 2 Sorry, I interrupted. No, what do you want to say? I literally don't know.

Speaker 1 What do you want to say?

Speaker 2 I don't want to say anything. I want to do a movie where I say nothing.
How about that? It's called Seinfeld the movie.

Speaker 1 Okay. And so what would be like, as we wrap up,

Speaker 1 back to movies, what are the movies that like give you, what are the movies like, what are your comfort movies?

Speaker 1 You know,

Speaker 1 speaking of comfort, just a reminder that Frankie's been asleep under your chair the entire time. Best dog ever.
Best dog ever. Dakota Johnson was on, and she brought her dog.

Speaker 2 She thinks she's better than me.

Speaker 2 No, sorry.

Speaker 2 No.

Speaker 1 It's not a competition.

Speaker 1 Okay. Frankie wins best dog for sure.

Speaker 2 Yeah, she does.

Speaker 1 Okay, but comfort movies.

Speaker 2 Comfort movies.

Speaker 2 You've got mail.

Speaker 2 Love you got mail. Speaking of Tarantino on his top 10 favorite movies of all time.

Speaker 1 Yeah, but guess what?

Speaker 2 If he made it, what?

Speaker 1 It'd be like, you got mail. You open up the envelope.

Speaker 2 There's a finger in it. No.

Speaker 2 He would never. Oh, yeah.
He would never. Okay.
You've Got Mail. I love that movie.
That's like a real comfort movie. When Harry met Sally.

Speaker 2 I think like a lot of like 90s, like rom-coms are really comfort movies for me. Like I grew up like on all those movies, like Sleepless in Seattle and just like...

Speaker 1 I watched two on a plane recently, Parenthood and Moonstruck.

Speaker 2 Those are like, oh my God, Moonstruck is... Parenthood's so good, too.
Love Moonstruck. Moonstruck.

Speaker 1 Okay. And then I ask everybody this, like,

Speaker 1 And this is maybe, you know, this is like takes some more import for you this year probably than other times, but like, what do you, what makes you actually laugh?

Speaker 1 What do you do when you really want to like deeply laugh? Where do you go? Do you watch something? Do you read something? Do you go to friends?

Speaker 2 Do you

Speaker 2 like, I mean, there's certain,

Speaker 2 I would say, there's just certain people that make me laugh. I don't

Speaker 2 laugh a lot when I watch things.

Speaker 1 It's like a question I've asked a lot of people because to me, it's like, it's, it's basically like, how do you,

Speaker 1 how do you stay um happy above the line laughing

Speaker 1 how do you stay on the cliff and not in the gorge

Speaker 1 may i tell you what i've observed that you've been laughing at i do feel like

Speaker 1 i feel like the

Speaker 1 the way in which your

Speaker 1 friends know you and you know them like the way you like create family

Speaker 1 and the way that you feel like safe around

Speaker 1 people, and the way that you can laugh at yourself, you have a very good sense of humor about yourself. Yeah.
Like, you're able to get teased really hard, and you love to tease.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I like that. I like teasing.

Speaker 1 I do too. And it's a, it's, I think it's a love language.
I don't know if it's East Coast, I don't know if it's whatever, but like to me, like the more comfortable I am with someone, the more I

Speaker 1 want to tease them and want to be teased by them.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I would say, yeah, like my closest friends, like, like Bombardo, you know, my all, my, a group of my women friends that we were in an all-girl improv group, but then we turned into a coven,

Speaker 2 legit. Um, we call ourselves Bombardo.
Like, we do, we have like a text chain, and we do like Zooms, and we do, like, trips, and those girls make me laugh really, really hard.

Speaker 2 Also, we all known each other for so long. It's a, my oldest, that's the best thing that makes me laugh.
It's just funny, all my funny friends. Well, Plazi,

Speaker 1 we did it.

Speaker 2 We did.

Speaker 1 We really did it.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 Great job. Thank you for doing this.
It means a lot that you came.

Speaker 2 I think I got the part.

Speaker 1 You got the part. You got the part of yourself.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 2 Finally, after all this year.

Speaker 1 We did an audition for

Speaker 1 the part of you in the podcast.

Speaker 2 And congratulations. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 Thank you, Aubrey Plaza, aka April Ludgate.

Speaker 1 My daughter, sister, wife, friend, and we all wanted you to be here. And we're really glad glad you are.
And that was so fun and funny and always a good hang with you. So thank you for coming.

Speaker 1 And today's Polar Plunge, I just want to talk and just remind people of the beautiful films that Aubrey Plaza and her late husband, Jeff Baina, made together.

Speaker 1 They include Little Hours, Life After Beth,

Speaker 1 Spin Me Round. They're all really great,

Speaker 1 beautiful, funny films that you should check out and check out Jeff Baina's work. He's

Speaker 1 an incredible writer and director, and

Speaker 1 his work is really special. And it leads me to say that, you know, if

Speaker 1 someone you know or you yourself is struggling emotionally or thinking about suicide, you can call the National Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Speaker 1 If you're outside of the U.S., visit spotify.com/slash resources for information and resources.

Speaker 1 You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Poehler.
The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite.

Speaker 1 For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Aalaya Zanaires. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman.
Original music by Amy Miles.

Speaker 1 This episode is brought to you by Happy Egg. A Happy Hen makes a happy egg.
And what makes a hen happy?

Speaker 1 Well, Happy Egg partners with family farms across the Midwest to raise happy hens outdoors so they can run, stretch, and flap their wings in the sunshine. And I know what you're all thinking.

Speaker 1 You're thinking, where's the proof, Amy? Well, the proof is inside the shell, a tasty orange yolk. It's the difference you can see and taste.

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