Aubrey Plaza on ‘Parks and Rec’ Pranks, Witchiness With Marvel and More | The One with WSJ Magazine

Pranks and playing around - I don't like any technology. I especially don't like robots that you talk to. I don't wanna talk to my house. I don't wanna talk to my car and telling them to do things, them telling me to do things. I have enough problems as it is. (cheerful music) - [Interviewer] Aubrey, you've talked about playing a character in interviews. What is the one secret to playing the character of Aubrey Plaza? - Just complete disassociation and confusion. And as long as you can really grasp onto the idea that you don't know where you are or what's happening, you'll do just fine. - [Interviewer] Is there one moment in an interview that you've surprised yourself? - When I was on "Colbert," I once transcended into a cat. (Aubrey meowing) For a brief moment, I felt that I was a cat and I was drinking milk and licking his face and things like that, that I just wouldn't normally do as myself but as the cat. - [Interviewer] You're also known for your set pranks. What's your number one best prank? - Toilet goblin. Suction cups to the bottom of the toilet seat lid. When you open it, the goblin comes up and gives you a real shock. I definitely did it to Adam Scott. I'm sure I did it to other people, but I don't remember. He didn't like it. - Not Adam Driver? - Not Adam Driver. This was years ago. I should probably start doing toilet goblin again. I think it's time. Character you most relate to - [Interviewer] Who is the one character you've played that you most relate to? - I would say the Shadow King? No, I'm just kidding. Probably my "White Lotus" character. I mean, in a lot of ways, not in every way. She was a lawyer like my mom and there was just, there was some connections there that I was, yeah. - So you do employment law. So interesting. - We, you know, we take on clients that are suing their employers for discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, stuff like that. She wasn't a psychopath, you know, murderer, and I played those before, so I don't wanna say those characters on camera. Shooting “The White Lotus” - [Interviewer] What's one thing you remember about shooting "The White Lotus?" - Linguini and clams. Just so much Linguini and clams. They demanded it in fact that we ate Linguini and clams twice a day. It was some kind of psychological, you know, conditioning. - [Interviewer] I've heard you haven't watched one episode of "White Lotus." Is that still true? - I still haven't, but I'm going to. To be honest, I had trouble opening my HBO Max account when I was trying to watch it originally. I couldn't figure out the password and I usually just give up when I can't figure out the passwords. I just can't handle things like that. I'd love a DVD, but they don't send DVD sets anymore. I ask them every time. Secret to keeping a straight face - [Interviewer] What is one go-to secret for keeping a straight face. - Physical pain, pinch yourself with your nails on your leg or things like that. I used to do that a lot on "Parks and Rec." I would have little like pinch marks 'cause I was just trying not to laugh. - [Interviewer] So if someone sees you pinching yourself, that's the tell? - No one would ever see it. Yeah, no one can see it. It's gotta be- - How do you hide it? - It's just gotta be in a place that no one can see. She's gotta reach up there and, yeah, pinch. Being on set with Amy Poehler - [Interviewer] Who is one person from your "Parks and Rec" days who you wish you were still on set with? - Well, Amy Poehler. I love being on set with Amy Poehler. She's so funny and she's, loves a good prank. - [Interviewer] Does it feel like you two are just improving when you're at lunch? - Yeah, we improv. We improv. Yeah. We have a like bit where we both call each other Alexis and we're like, "Alexis, like, stop it." And she's like, "Okay. No Alexis. I don't know why. It was in some kind of, I don't know, 17th hour of shooting "Parks and Rec" and I don't know what happened. All of a sudden, we just started calling each other Alexis. - [Interviewer] What's one thing that you miss about playing April Ludgate and that time in your life? - It's very rare to get a job that goes on for so long where you still love the people that you're working with and you're still having fun, you're still laughing, you know, 'cause a lot of times, you can get in those situations and the magic kind of dies at a certain point, but it never felt like it died on that show. It was always fun. - [Interviewer] What is your one secret for making a joke land? - You know, timing is everything. So there's rules, you know, physics, comedy physics. You say something repetitively and the fourth time it's not funny. And then the 13th time, it's funny, the 14th time, it's not funny. The 17th time it's pretty funny but on the 18th time, it's really funny. You have to understand the math of it. I don't think anyone's ever gotten to the 100, 104th time, but if you could get there. - [Interviewer] Is that something you're working towards? - Yeah, I'd like to do that one day, is just repeat something 104 times to see how it goes. The Marvel Universe - [Interviewer] You are in the Marvel Universe. Yes? - Yes. - [Interviewer] What is the one reason you decided to join that world? - I was in the Marvel world in "Legion," but it was a different kind of role. But this Agatha role, I wanted to work with Kathryn Hahn, That witch is gone, leaving you trapped in her distorted spell. Claw your way out. (dramatic music) It felt like a manifestation of a lot of things for me, witchiness, you know, the dark arts, which I've dabbled in. What better than playing, you know, in the Witchy Worlds of Witches? What intrigues you about witches - [Interviewer] What is it about witches that intrigues you? - All women have some kind of, you know, witchiness. Witches are healers, you know. They're healers and they're in touch with nature and I think it's really powerful when you get a bunch of women together. Historically, you know, they don't like when women gather, you know, because it becomes very powerful. That's how covenants are formed. - [Interviewer] If there's one spell you could cast, what would it be? - Oh, just world peace, you know? Just world peace. Would love everybody to just get along - [Interviewer] With Agatha, Switching between roles you shot that at the same time as another movie, "Megalopolis." How do you switch between your two roles? - Well, the wig does a lot of the work for you. Once you get that wig on, you're like, bam. I do it on the car ride in, you know. I just do some kind of like mental meditation in the car where I just decide I'm gonna leave my body now and I'm gonna become somebody else to survive. And you just have to tell yourself, this is about survival and this is not a game. Shooting “Megalopolis” - [Interviewer] What Is the one thing you remember about shooting "Megalopolis?" - Normally I play characters that are just wearing sweatpants and rolling around in the dirt, but it wasn't like that this time. I was dripping in diamonds. And I remember the fanfare of getting me ready because my character plays a very powerful woman who essentially becomes one of the richest women in the world. So every scene was like going to the Oscars, you know, I was wearing these gowns and I was wearing all this jewelry and my hair was blonde. I bleached my hair blonde for the role. And they were very elaborate costumes. - [Interviewer] Is there one costume from that set you got to keep? - No, no, no, no. Well, I did keep one thing, which was a cuff. It's like a little snake cuff that was on my arm. Somehow it ended up in my bag, so I guess I'll have to keep it. One role you’d like to re-do - [Interviewer] Is there one role that you would like to redo knowing what you know now? - I don't think so. No. I have no regrets. Maybe some hair redos, but I won't get specific. Most things happen for a reason, you know. And I think there's... I kind of believe in that. So I feel like there's just choices, you know. Nothing wrong, nothing right. Just different choices. - [Interviewer] And that's also the theme of a recent movie you were in. - Hey, freak. - Who are you? - Elliot? Dude, I'm you. - You are me? - What's up? (cheerful music) - [Interviewer] Could you relate to your character in "My Old Ass?" - Totally, yeah. I related to the idea of, yeah, kind of thinking about your younger self and like what you would tell them and... Advice to younger self - [Interviewer] What's one thing you would tell your 18-year-old self? - I would probably just say like, you're good, chill out and just en enjoy the moment, you know. Stop worrying about what's coming ahead and all that kind of stuff. - [Interviewer] Is there anything you would warn her about? - Warn her? Oh God, I don't know. No, she's gotta deal with it on her own. No, I don't think so. (cheerful music)