Good Hang with Aubrey Plaza
Amy Poehler's interview with Aubrey Plaza was so good and such a comfort.
I checked the video after it was released, and within minutes, it had already garnered 12,000 views. Talk about Aubrey Plaza being the most requested!
Amy Poehler is the right person Aubrey could have had for this first long-form interview because there's such care and warmth to Amy. And, I'm glad Amy addressed the elephant in the room about Aubrey's loss this year.
But it's also a fun glimpse of Aubrey, or Plazie, as Amy calls her, beyond the public face she presents. It's also fun to see Plaza revert to someone sweet and young around Amy before she slips on her public face.
Poehler checking in with Aubrey and Aubrey's explanation about her grief, as it's similar to the movie The Gorge, resonated a lot. Everyone processes grief in different ways. What I picked up from the interview is that Aubrey is looking to keep busy with friends, family, and her work.
Just like Amy and Tina Fey, Aubrey's love language is teasing people. So that was fun as Poehler and Plaza went back and forth. This was more apparent as they both tossed around the accusation of who was crying during Andy and April's wedding scene.
Or the funnier but true bit where Aubrey revealed she's never watched Parks and Rec, mostly because she doesn't know how to use streaming platforms. Amy kept trying to tell Aubrey how to do it, and Aubrey shot the suggestions down.
They also discussed how Aubrey built the character of April Ludgate and how she locked into April's character: 'It's a game of not showing anyone that I really care.'
Then Plaza shares the reason why April and Andy became a thing was because of Aubrey's story instincts; Starting from the little improv moment when Aubrey went against the grain and said she liked Andy's band name. After the episode, Aubrey apparently knocked at Mike Schur's door and told him that April was in love with Andy.
(Aubrey loved bullying Mike, and Mike went: NO AUBREY NO. And Aubrey is going: YOU BETTER LISTEN TO ME. In the most affectionate sibling way.)
This reminds me of when Aubrey brought up how Rio's monologue in episode 4 of Agatha All Along felt too wordy.
This is why I wish we got a long Aubrey Plaza interview post-Death reveal, because she has interesting thoughts about how she locks into a character.
Aubrey Plaza has great story instincts. This is why she's a really good producer, and her projects are all so interesting. Amy asked about Aubrey wanting to direct, and Aubrey revealed that aside from the one short episode she did on Showtime, she hasn't directed anything else.
I love that Amy was so shocked about that because it seemed like the logical conclusion would be for Aubrey to start directing, even starting with TV shows. Amy accurately pointed out that Plaza was being too in her head about directing. Plaza agreed that she's built up directing in her head so much, especially the part where she thought that when she directs, it has to say something.
(I wonder now that Amy knows that Plaza hasn't directed more than a short episode, that Amy might pitch some episodes from her Paperkite productions for Plaza to direct in the future.)
Apparently, Plaza would do a lot of unspeakable things just to get a role in Quentin Tarantino's movie.
But also Amy Poehler says: OVER MY DEAD BODY, NO. (LMAO such a mom friend.)
Amy Poehler: "The feet are off the table, babe!" / "Quentin, NO!"
Eventually, Amy brings up Margaret Qualley in the 'Talk Well behind you' portion of the podcast. Aubrey perks up because Qualley is a very good friend (Aubrey Plaza about Margaret Qualley: "they have a sweet little connection").
Amy Poehler reveals Qualley's question for Aubrey Plaza was: "What were the Salem witch trials like?"
And Aubrey's response was classic Aubrey: "What?! That bitch!"
Poehler cracks up laughing.
