When I was in high school I was a really huge 'SNL' fan. I remember the cast around the time I started watching it - Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, Cheri O'Teri, Tracy Morgan. I did research to find out how people got on the show. Their bios always said they came from an improv team, so I started taking classes.
Aubrey PlazaIf I have the option, I always read the paper or a book or something I can touch and destroy in my own hands.
Aubrey PlazaOnce you do a character in Hollywood and people haven't seen you before, they put you in a box and they think that's all that you can do and it's hard to get people to take a risk on you.
Aubrey PlazaI'm pretty good at weaseling my way into a job, even if I have no business being there.
Aubrey PlazaI'm like that person who hates going to magic shows - and I love magic, I love wizards - but going to a show where there is any possibility of audience participation is a nightmare for me.
Aubrey PlazaI think being on a TV show is amazing but also, people get kind of used to seeing you a certain way and so it becomes a challenge to break free from that in a way.
Aubrey PlazaMy first boyfriend that I ever had, actually sang a song that he wrote for me on-stage to ask me out. That was pretty romantic.
Aubrey PlazaWith stand-up, it doesn't matter who you are. If the audience claps because they love your movies, that clapping stops after five seconds, and then it's your job to make them laugh.
Aubrey PlazaMy grandfather came over from Puerto Rico and raised his kids speaking English so that it would be easier for them to assimilate.
Aubrey PlazaSarcasm is weird. Even not in acting, in life I feel 'sarcastic' is a word that people use to describe me sometimes so when I meet someone, it's almost they feel they have to also be sarcastic, but it can sometimes just come off as mean if it's not used in the right way.
Aubrey PlazaWhen I was doing comedy in New York, before I was in movies, I was never known as the deadpan actress. I was just a comedienne.
Aubrey PlazaI think it's nice to get a break from all of the big Hollywood comic book action-movies and see something that's relatable and funny and interesting.
Aubrey PlazaThe female love interest is boring to me. A female that's interesting, smart, funny - that's what I'm drawn to. I wouldn't say that every character has to be smart, but she has to have one trait I can relate to.
Aubrey PlazaI got off Twitter, because I started feeling like it was not adding anything positive into my life. If anything, it was more negative. But now I'm back on it because it can be fun. I think, as an actor and a public figure, it's a different experience when you put yourself out there in that way. I think it can be a great tool, and that part I'm comfortable with. But the part that's kind of more personal, that part I'm still struggling with, because I don't really want people to know everything about me.
Aubrey PlazaI've felt depressed many times in my life, so I can draw on those times in my life when I need to.
Aubrey PlazaI don't have many actors in my family, but I do have a Great Uncle that is a film-maker in Philadelphia, and my great-great-grandparents were Flamenco dancers in the 30's in New York, they were Spanish dancers.
Aubrey PlazaImprov is so different, it's such a collaborative thing, you're working with other people, nothing is planned and it's kind of this community mentality, whereas stand-up, you're alone and it was really hard.
Aubrey PlazaI'm too awkward to date, I think. I'm kind of all or nothing, you know? Either put a baby inside of me or leave me alone.
Aubrey PlazaI would never do a commercial for something that is embarrassing, and I think that people maybe have a different perspective on what is embarrassing or not. Some people think doing a Revlon hair commercial is really cool. To me, that's embarrassing, but World of Warcraft: not embarrassing, very cool.
Aubrey PlazaI have a way of dealing with situations where I come off awkward, or people think Iโm purposely trying to make things uncomfortable. But normally Iโm talking really slowly or thereโs a lot of silence because thereโs just nothing going on. Iโm just totally freaking out, but from the outside perspective it looks like Iโm in control.
Aubrey PlazaSocial media is a way to make communication easier. Obviously some people misunderstand it, some people take it personally, and some people are in a constant fight to grow their engagement. They even become obsessed. They feel like they need to be popular on social media. The most important thing is: You've got to be secure in yourself. In order to have influence on other people, you've got to know who you are, first of all. The reason I get happy when I get more engagement is because that means I did something right in terms of my audience enjoying my content.
Aubrey PlazaI always want to keep growing and keep surprising people, and showing them different parts of me.
Aubrey PlazaI do have magical powers, I try to use them for good and not evil, but I can pretty much make anyone do whatever I want them to do, if they're within range.
Aubrey PlazaThere are always parts of me that come out in the characters that I play - it's the only thing I have to work with and to draw off of.
Aubrey PlazaI've always wanted to do all kinds of roles, dramatic roles and comedic roles, all kinds of roles.
Aubrey PlazaHaving to stand in front of an audience and have it be your job to make them laugh, you can't really look to anyone but yourself. It's what you wrote, what you said and how you said it, so it's kind of terrifying, but I liked it. When it goes well, it's the best feeling in the world. When it doesn't go well, it's the worst feeling, but once you get into the rhythm of it, I think it's really fun.
Aubrey PlazaI'm not a super emotional person, so that's one reason I love acting - it makes me deal with myself in that kind of way.
Aubrey PlazaIt's weird, huh? It's like the minute you kinda give up control you just know what to do without doing anything.
Aubrey PlazaI realized two things from an early age - I was insane and had some kind of comedic thing going on. My brain was wired to think about things in terms of how funny they were.
Aubrey PlazaI'm going to create my own opportunities. If I can't find the roles I want, I'll just make them.
Aubrey PlazaI can't say I follow politics extremely closely, but I'm definitely aware of what's going on in the world.
Aubrey PlazaThis is one of the good parts of being a freelancer - you get to choose the spot you're going to be working at. But I wouldn't base everything on my social media or my work. I'm also a person and I have my personal life. So my social media is my work. It's an important part of my life but it's not my life. People tend to get the wrong idea because they only see the good stuff but it's just my work. I'm trying to portray only the good stuff and what I think is going to be inspiring. I have a personal Instagram where my friends follow me.
Aubrey PlazaAfter you have 250,000 people watching your stuff every day, obviously you're going to have a few people who are going to get a little bit obsessed with your content. But I've never experienced it in a negative way. Perhaps that's because I'm lucky. I guess for some people, they experience it in a negative way and that's how the movie portrayed it.
Aubrey Plaza