Aubrey Plaza is best known for her trademark sarcasm and impeccable comedic timing. Her career started off with her most well-known character, April Ludgate, in the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. Since then, her acting career has shifted slightly as she explored more dramatic roles in indie movies such as Safety Not Guaranteed, which was her first major film role, and most recently, in the Disney+ series, Agatha All Along. Despite this exploration, she continues to add dashes of dark humor to any character that she portrays, whether it is on television or for a feature film.
From Little Demon to The White Lotus, Aubrey Plaza’s acting career continues to gain momentum as she dives into both the dramatic and comedic in each and every role she plays. The best Aubrey Plaza movies and TV shows feature Plaza in roles which allow her to shine in what she does best: dark comedy with a touch of her signature deadpan style.
10 Little Demon (2022)
Created by Darcy Fowler, Seth Kirschner, and Kieran Valla
In the animated series, Little Demon, Aubrey Plaza voices Laura Feinberg, a powerful witch and a single mother. Laura had a daughter, Chrissy Feinbeg (Lucy DeVito), with Satan (Danny DeVito), and she is really protective of Chrissy. Satan wants Chrissy’s soul and Laura wants to make sure that he doesn’t get it. Her solution– she attempts to live a normal life with her teenage daughter in Delaware.
What makes this animation one of Aubrey’s best TV show roles is that she takes her role as April Ludgate and turns it up a notch. Laura is essentially April Ludgate turned into a fierce single mother who isn’t afraid of her ex, Satan, and anyone else who puts her daughter in danger. Little Demon has wonderfully witchy vibes, as many of Plaza’s roles do. Plaza doesn’t do that much animation; so when she does, it is a delight to listen to her voice, a character who is really in tune with her personality.
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9 Black Bear (2020)
Directed by Lawrence Michael Levine
Written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, Black Bear, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, is a thriller starring Aubrey Plaza as Allison, a director who is looking to get inspired for her next film. She is invited by Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and Blair (Sarah Gadon) to stay with them in a cabin on a lake in the Adirondack Mountains. Gabe and Blair’s relationship is already on the edge, as they constantly argue with each other, and having Allison present causes their relationship to sink into further distress.
Black Bear is a mind-bending movie with twists reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock films. Aubrey Plaza is unrecognizable in this movie as she takes on a role which is very different from any of the ones which she previously played. Plaza’s performance as Allison is outstanding in Black Bear, as she captures the emotional vulnerability and turmoil of Allison’s internal struggles.
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8 Legion (2017-2019)
Created by Noah Hawley
FX’s Legion, created by Noah Hawley, is about David Haller, played by Dan Stevens, who has schizophrenia, and discovers that he has superpowers, which is of interest to the government. Legion takes place in the X-Men universe where “mutants,” humans born with the X-gene, have superpowers. The show also stars Rachel Keller as Syd Barrett; Aubrey Plaza as Lenore “Lenny” Busker and Amahl Farouk aka the Shadow King; and Bill Irwin as Cary Loudermilk.
Plaza’s Lenny is a favorite among Legion fans, proving she was born for this role. Lenny is one of Plaza’s first roles as a villain in a superhero franchise. She doesn’t portray Lenny as a stereotypical villain; Plaza adds layers of complexity to Lenny, as well as, Lenny as Faouk, or the Shadow King. This is ultimately what makes her performance terrifying. What manifests from Plaza’s performance of Lenny is another whole level of wicked villainy, which features epic dance numbers, a standout being her performance in Season 1, Episode 6 “Chapter 6.”
David Haller, a troubled young man diagnosed with schizophrenia, discovers that the voices and visions tormenting him are manifestations of his mutant abilities. As he navigates a complex web of realities, he uncovers secrets about his past and faces powerful forces that threaten the fabric of existence.
- Release Date
- February 8, 2017
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 3
- Creator(s)
- Noah Hawley
- Story By
- Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz
- Writers
- Noah Hawley , Nathaniel Halpern
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
- Directors
- Noah Hawley
- Showrunner
- Noah Hawley
7 Agatha All Along (2024)
Created by Jac Schaeffer
Aubrey Plaza returns to the Marvel Comics universe with her role as Rio Vidal, in Agatha All Along, a miniseries spun off from WandaVision. Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) wants to get her powers back, and in order to do so, she gathers a few witches to join her on a journey down The Witches’ Road. Agatha’s former lover, Rio Vidal, joins the coven as the Green Witch, much to Agatha’s dismay. However, it turns out that Rio isn’t just a witch– she is Death, and wants something from Agatha.
Like Plaza’s portrayal of Lenny in Legion, she doesn’t lean into the villain stereotype as Rio. What makes Rio so interesting is Plaza’s chemistry with Hahn’s Agatha. The tension between Agatha and Rio is a knife-edge between desire and revenge, which makes their scenes together an entertaining watch, even if one isn’t a big Marvel fan.
Agatha Harkness, following the events of “WandaVision,” embarks on a quest to reclaim her lost powers. Teaming up with unlikely allies, including the son of her former enemy, she faces new mystical threats while navigating a complex world of magic and intrigue.
- Release Date
- September 18, 2024
- Cast
- Kathryn Hahn , Joe Locke , Sasheer Zamata , Ali Ahn , Okwui Okpokwasili , Debra Jo Rupp , Patti LuPone , Aubrey Plaza , David Payton , Emma Caulfield Ford , David Lengel , Asif Ali , Amos Glick , Elaine Valdes , Paria Akbarshahi , Chau Naumova , Bethany Curry , Athena Perample , Alicia Vela-Bailey , Britta Grant , Marina Mazepa
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Jac Schaeffer
- Story By
- Jac Schaeffer
- Writers
- Jac Schaeffer
- Number of Episodes
- 9
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney Plus
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Directors
- Jac Schaeffer , Gandja Monteiro , Rachel Goldberg
- Showrunner
- Jac Schaeffer
- Character(s)
- Agnes O’Connor / Agatha Harkness , Teen , Jennifer Kale , Alice Wu-Gulliver , Salem Seven / Vertigo , Mrs. Hart , Lilia Calderu , Rio Vidal , Herb , Dottie , Jones , Norm , Dennis the Mailman , Customer #1 , Customer #2 , Salem Seven / Coyote , Salem Seven / Crow , Salem Seven / Fox , Salem Seven / Owl , Salem Seven / Rat , Salem Seven / Snake
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6 My Old Ass (2024)
Directed by Megan Park
My Old Ass, directed and written by Megan Park, is a coming-of-age story about Elliot (Maisy Stella), a young woman who is celebrating her 18th birthday. During a camping trip with friends, Elliot becomes high on mushrooms and meets her 39-year-old self, played by Aubrey Plaza. Elliot’s older self warns her to not pursue a relationship with a boy named Chad. The movie also stars Percy Hynes White as Chad, Maddie Ziegler as Ruthie, and Kerrice Brooks as Ro.
Although Aubrey Plaza’s screen time in this film is limited, her performance as Older Elliot is scene stealing. Plaza approaches the character with a sense of humor and dry wit, which perfectly matches the energy of Maisy Stella’s young (and oftentimes naive) Elliot. This alone matches anyone watching My Old Ass look forward to Elliot having a heart-to-heart with her older self.
Elliott Labrant, who has been advised by her future self not to fall in love, is sure she can do so after being given the advice. That is, until she meets the boy her older self warned her about.
- Release Date
- January 20, 2024
- Director
- Megan Park
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
- Writers
- Megan Park
- Studio(s)
- Indian Paintbrush , LuckyChap Entertainment , Scythia Films
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5 Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Directed by Matt Spicer
Ingrid Goes West, directed by Matt Spicer, is about a young woman named Ingrid Thorburn, played by Aubrey Plaza, who has a mental illness and has been released from a recovery facility after attacking a social media influencer on her wedding day. Ingrid becomes interested in an Instagram influencer, Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), who lives in L.A. She travels to California and attempts to befriend Taylor. The film also stars O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Dan, an aspiring writer, and Wyatt Russell as Ezra O’Keefe, Taylor’s husband.
Ingrid Goes West is a great commentary on how social media can impact people’s mental health. The film almost becomes like a horror film in some ways as Ingrid grows desperate to get Taylor’s attention. Aubrey Plaza’s performance as Ingrid is intense, as she becomes more and more obsessed with Taylor.
Ingrid Goes West
Ingrid Goes West is a dark comedy film starring Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid Thorburn, a troubled young woman who becomes obsessed with a social media influencer, Taylor Sloane, played by Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Matt Spicer, the film explores the impact of social media on mental health and relationships as Ingrid relocates to Los Angeles in an attempt to insinuate herself into Taylor’s seemingly perfect life.
- Release Date
- August 11, 2017
- Director
- Matt Spicer
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Writers
- David Branson Smith , Matt Spicer
4 Emily the Criminal (2022)
Directed by John Patton Ford
Emily the Criminal, directed by John Patton Ford, is a psychological thriller starring Aubrey Plaza as Emily, a young woman who becomes entangled in a credit card scam, which ultimately leads her to using money from criminal activities to pay off her student debt. Emily is having trouble finding another job due to having a criminal record and her lack of a college degree. She works with Youcef (Theo Rossi), who quickly becomes her mentor, and later on, her love interest. As Emily becomes swept away in the thrill of committing crime, she finds that it is harder for her to leave.
Aubrey Plaza does a fantastic job of playing Emily in Emily the Criminal. The role of Emily definitely deviates a bit from some of Plaza’s previous film roles because it isn’t as comedic, but this is why fans of Emily the Criminal love this film. It is refreshing to see Aubrey Plaza take on the lead in a crime thriller and bring to life such a relatable character who struggles with trying to find her way in a corporate world which won’t accept her.
- IMDb ID
- tt15255876
- Release Date
- August 12, 2022
- TMDB User Rating
- 6 .725
- Director
- John Patton Ford
- Runtime
- 97 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Crime
- Writers
- John Patton Ford
- Budget
- 2000000.0
- Studio(s)
- Low Spark Films , Evil Hag Productions
3 The White Lotus (2021-Present)
Created by Mike White
The second season of The White Lotus takes place at a resort in Sicily. Aubrey Plaza portrays Harper Spiller, a lawyer and the wife of Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe). Harper and Ethan join Cameron Sullivan (Theo James), Ethan’s college friend, and Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahy), his wife, on a vacation at the White Lotus resort in Sicily. Like the first season of The White Lotus, the second season starts off showing the aftermath of a homicide and delves into the events which took place before the murders.
The second season of The White Lotus is just as great as the first season. There are many nuisances to the plot of this season of The White Lotus, but the most intriguing is the dynamic between Harper, Ethan, Cameron, and Daphne. Right from the beginning, there is an air of tension between them. Aubrey Plaza’s Harper stands out among the large cast of The White Lotus. She gives Harper’s character some honesty which many of the other characters of this season do not have, which makes her character more engaging for viewers.
- Release Date
- July 11, 2021
- Creator
- Mike White
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 3
2 Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Safety Not Guaranteed, directed by Colin Trevorrow, was Aubrey Plaza’s first significant movie role. In this little indie movie, Plaza portrays Darius, a young woman who works as an intern for a magazine. She volunteers to help out with a story about a man named Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who put up a wanted ad in the paper for someone to go time traveling with him. Along with her colleagues at the magazine, Jeff (Jake Johnson) and Arnau (Karan Soni), Darius is determined to learn more about Kenneth and why he put up the advertisement in the first place.
Safety Not Guaranteed is a delightful film featuring compelling characters and a great ending. It is one of Aubrey Plaza’s best movies, as Darius is quite a change from her role as April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation. The best part of this film is seeing how Darius and Kenneth’s relationship grows over the movie as they learn more about each other.
- Release Date
- June 8, 2012
- Director
- Colin Trevorrow
- Runtime
- 85
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Writers
- Derek Connolly
- Tagline
- Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke.
1 Parks & Recreation (2009-2015)
Created by Michael Schur and Greg Daniels
It’s hard not to think of Aubrey Plaza without picturing April Ludgate, the sarcastic co-worker of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) in Parks and Recreation. The character of April first appears in the pilot episode as an intern. Over the course of the seven seasons of Parks and Rec, April’s character grows from an intern who was unsure of the direction of her life to a confident woman with a clear direction and goals thanks to the influence of Leslie.
April is one of the most beloved characters in Parks and Rec, even though some people might describe her character as being “out there.” She might pretend like she doesn’t care about anything, but April really does (in her own way), and this is what makes her character so endearing. Aubrey Plaza’s portrayal of April resonates with so many people that she will always be thought of as this character, even as she goes on to take other roles.
The absurd antics of an Indiana town’s public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
- Release Date
- April 9, 2009
- Creator
- Greg Daniels, Michael Schur
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 7
- Studio
- NBC
