After a rough start in Hollywood, Aubrey Plaza finally landed her breakout role as intern April Ludgate in the NBC Comedy Parks and Recreation. Since then, the actress just kept going, taking on both film and series projects while also exploring various genres. Most recently, Plaza also portrayed Harper Spiller in season 2 of the Emmy-winning series The White Lotus.
Perhaps, what some don’t realize is that years before she became a Hollywood star, Plaza suffered a stroke. And years after making a full recovery, the actress is determined to make the most out of her career.
Aubrey Plaza Suffered A Stroke At 20
As many may have expected, it happened unexpectedly. “I was 20, and I was living in Queens, in Astoria. And I was going to my friend's apartment for lunch. It's really kind of a very typical I think stroke story where it just happened mid-sentence out of nowhere,” Plaza recalled.
“I don't think I had even taken my jacket off. I walked into the apartment. I was telling my two friends about a Hilary Duff concert that I had taken my younger sister to the night before. And then I kind of blacked out for a second.”
And since she was quite young at that time, no one could believe that Plaza was having a stroke. “So what happened was the paramedics came, and they also - I think because I was so young - didn't assume that I had had a stroke,” she recalled.
“They were thinking that I was dehydrated. And I really think they thought I was on drugs because they kept asking me if I'd taken drugs, and I hadn't. I hadn't really put anything into my body that day and - except for birth control, which ended up being maybe the cause of the stroke.”
It was only after an examination that medical professionals realized that Plaza did suffer a stroke.
After that, Plaza worked with a cognitive therapy specialist to learn how to talk and write again. The experience also inspired the actress not to take anything for granted.
“I can't help but think that it has affected me in ways that I won't even know until later,” she said. “But I do have a overall feeling of life is short. And I might as well just do as much as I can. Maybe it's why I'm so busy.”
Years Later, Aubrey Is One Of The Busiest Actresses In Hollywood
Years after her stroke, Plaza has been working nonstop, which is how she wants it. “I’ve been busy for 10 years,” the actress revealed. “A lot of things that I’ve done are all coming out at the same time. I can’t control that part of it, but I’ve been busy from the minute I moved to Los Angeles. I haven’t stopped.”
One of the projects that she worked on in the last 10 years is the second season of The White Lotus. Mike White, the show’s creator, wrote the role of Harper specifically for Plaza.
“Obviously, Aubrey plays deadpan, she plays to the humorous aspects of her dark side. But the more you know her, you realize she’s very big-hearted and, in a way, insecure,” White said of the actress.
“The classic somebody who is projecting strength, but the vulnerability is so palpably there. I just felt like it would be fun to capture some of that, something that I haven’t seen her do.”
Meanwhile, years before that, Plaza sought out parts in raunchy comedies such as Dirty Grandpa and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. As it turns out, she had a specific objective in doing so. “That was a time when I was consciously trying to get out of the April Ludgate zone,” the actress admitted.
Today, The Actress Has Several Upcoming Projects In The Works
Following The White Lotus, Plaza has other projects in various stages of production. Among them is Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi drama Megalopolis, which is largely being kept under wraps. And while Plaza is keen on sharing details, she is happy to be cast by Coppola.
“To go from Mike White to Francis Ford Coppola, that’s a good year for me,” the actress remarked. “I’m trying to manifest this. I’m trying to work with brilliant directors.”
At the same time, Plaza is also set to make her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after landing a role in the upcoming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos. As expected, the actress is refusing to say anything about that project too.
“No, I can’t confirm anything. Are you kidding? The Marvel machine? I’m not allowed to say anything,” Plaza said. “I’m not trying to get fired from that job before I start. I’m going to start 2023 with Coven of Chaos. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
