Aubrey Plaza reflects on being typecast, especially after playing the role of April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation. The actress, comedian, and producer first got her start in the entertainment industry through many internships. Soon after, she took up performing improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up, plus roles in web series. With the premiere of Parks and Recreation in 2009, Plaza found her breakthrough role, becoming widely known for playing April Ludgate in the series.
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Plaza’s performance was praised by audiences and critics alike, with April managing to stand out amid several dynamic characters and Plaza with her more established co-stars. Both the character and actor quickly become heavily associated with deadpan and witty comedy, as well as sarcasm. In fact, Plaza became so beloved for her work on Parks and Recreation that she’s often been typecast in roles somewhat similar to April.
Related: What Aubrey Plaza Has Done Since Parks & Rec
In a panel with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (via IndieWire), Plaza opened up about this, explaining she’s come to feel better about being typecast after playing April and remains grateful for her time on Parks and Recreation. Read what she said below:
I don’t mind being typecast because I feel like I was so lucky to be on ‘Parks and Recreation,’ and that was one of my first really big jobs, and I am so heavily associated with that character. I think there were years when I was on that show where I was like only getting offered those kinds of parts, and that’s just what happens. You do something, people respond to it, and they want to see you do it again, again, and again. I think you just have to be really proactive in changing that narrative for yourself.
It gave me motivation to prove myself. I think, for a while, I did feel like, ‘Aw man, I’m being put in a box, and I don’t like it, so I’m going to fight to get out of that and show people what I can do,’ or something. But then I started to look at it as a gift. If I convince people so well that I was that one thing and then I do something that’s totally different, it will be that much more satisfying to surprise them. So I started to try to think of it like that and be a little bit more positive and less bitter about it.
Movies where Plaza played characters somewhat similar to April include Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Funny People, and Safety Not Guaranteed, all of which may have contributed to or been a result of typecasting. Despite this, Plaza has done what she can to fight it. During the panel, she also discussed her audition for the film Dirty Grandpa. She explained how she was able to win the casting team over, convincing them to let her audition for the role of the promiscuous character she wanted to play instead of one more in line with what she was known for.
While still largely associated with April in Parks and Rec, Plaza has continued to prove to audiences that she’s capable of playing more than just comedic and off-center characters. In recent years, she’s taken on a variety of projects like Child’s Play, Black Bear, Happiest Season, and her most recent film, Emily the Criminal, which she also produced. Plaza’s even open to a role in a future Tomb Raider project. It’s clear she’s found a nice balance between getting able to play the familiar, which audiences always enjoy, and throwing curveballs when it comes to her career choices, adding more variety to the types of characters and genres in her filmography and fully showcasing her acting prowess.
Source: IndieWire
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