Aubrey Plaza Reveals Her Ultimate, Unexpected Hollywood Role Model
Aubrey Plaza's career path seems intentionally chaotic, from indie hits to blockbuster comedies. But there's a method to her madness, inspired by one of Hollywood's most polarizing figures who mastered the art of balancing the silly with the serious. Who is her unlikely mentor?
For a time, Aubrey Plaza's quirky persona was an inescapable force on the internet, perfectly capturing the heart of millennial humor both on and off the screen. Her role as April in Parks and Recreation made her an American household name, with the character's sarcastic and disillusioned personality becoming one of the show's most iconic elements.
As the 2010s moved forward, the actor demonstrated her versatility, appearing in everything from Edgar Wright’s comic book comedy Scott Pilgrim vs the World to the intense psychological drama Black Bear. On the small screen, she wowed critics with a leading role in HBO’s acclaimed series The White Lotus.
A Calculated Mix of High and Low
Yet, Plaza has never been against taking a more low-brow role, such as her part in the 2016 comedy Dirty Grandpa, a movie you could only describe as an act of cinematic terrorism. She starred opposite Hollywood icon Robert De Niro, although his decision to appear in such a film is a question for another day.
Full of crude jokes and terrible punchlines, it is hardly the finest moment in Plaza’s filmography—in fact, its a stain on everyone involved, with many critics calling it one of the worst movies ever made.
The Sandler Blueprint
It seems, however, that Plaza knows exactly what she’s doing with her career, because one of her biggest inspirations is an actor known for appearing in some pretty awful comedies himself. Her reason for admiring him has to do with his ability to pull it together for more impressive, serious roles when given the chance.
You can probably guess who. Plaza loves Adam Sandler. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the actor explained his influence on her, “All I was doing when I was living in Queens at that time was just scheming. I always wanted to do dramatic roles. Once I figured out, OK, I can do comedy, I’m funny, I was very calculated about my career. The people I admired most were people like Adam Sandler, who would do broad comedies and also go do Punch-Drunk Love.”
From "Billy Madison" to Critical Acclaim
Sandler was always known for movies like The Wedding Singer, Billy Madison, and Happy Gilmore, so when he was cast as the lead in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, many people were genuinely shocked. How could Anderson cast such a joke of an actor? Well, to the surprise of many audiences, Sandler delivered an impressive performance—something he has done a few more times over the years in more complex roles, for example, Uncut Gems.
Plaza got to work with Sandler in 2009 on the Judd Apatow movie Funny People. While the movie was not a box-office hit, they’ve remained pals over the years and even interviewed each other in 2020 for Interview Magazine. Sandler is certainly not the first person a lot of actors would pick as an influence, but for Plaza, he remains the ultimate inspiration, capable of both stupid comedies and genuinely excellent dramatic performances.