Aubrey Plaza of NBC’s Parks and Recreation: Wilmington Native Is Building a Buzz in Hollywood

April vs. Aubrey

Since her films are slightly obscure, Plaza is best known for playing Ludgate on “Parks.”

“I see parts of me in April Ludgate,” she says, “like the sarcastic sense of humor. Every character I play, I use my own experiences and the things that are true to me to make the character real. I definitely pick and choose parts of myself for April.” (Her admission in “Rolling Stone” that she snuck in and stole a poster from the set of “The Talk” is April-like.)

Plaza says that she’s “definitely very different from April in a lot of ways.” For one thing, she thinks April has far more style. “I wear sweatpants everywhere,” says Plaza. And while the eye-rolling April rarely shows emotion, Aubrey “emotes” all the time, noting that she “sobbed through the entire ‘Battlestar Galactica’ finale.”

Unlike prickly April, Plaza is “more of a people-pleaser. And a dork,” she says. “I love work and accomplishing things and making people happy.”

Plaza could make her management team happier by smiling more often than the dour April. She’d also serve them well by being more approachable. Her discomfort in certain situations is most apparent on late-night talk shows, where her interviews seem awkward. Plaza admits she finds such appearances uncomfortable, and told “Rolling Stone” that she copes by “making it uncomfortable for everyone else,” as well.

Hollywood stars are pressured to be super skinny, yet Plaza enjoys eclectic foods. “I love pears,” she says. “And Vietnamese food. Rice and beans. Any kind of burger situation. Sweet potatoes. Pumpkin anything. Coconut anything. And I love sushi. Put that all together and it’s gross. Oh, and chocolate. Oh, and coffee. I need both to survive.”

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