Aubrey Plaza faces Howard Stern’s questions for the first time. This is what we learned
Radio personality Howard Stern is known for his in-depth, provocative (and sometimes bawdy) interviews.
And for her part, actor and Wilmington’s own Aubrey Plaza has made a name for herself as an unconventional interview subject, leading to viral moments dubbed “awkward” and “weird” by some due to her deadpan, but beloved by her fans.
So when Plaza made her debut appearance on SiriusXM’s “Howard Stern Show” Wednesday morning facing shock jock-turned-celebrity interviewer for the first time, it was bound to be an interesting chat.
Even before it began, there was drama: Plaza was late due to New York City traffic, unable to walk the rest of the way due to a torn ACL that she suffered at the WNBA All-Star Game weekend in July.
But once in the studio, the pair settled in for what turned out to be a more understated conversation than fans may have expected.
And, yes, The First State did get a mention when Stern marveled, “You grew up in Delaware, right? You’re a girl in Delaware and you have a dream that maybe you’ll be in show business. And you don’t come from show business family or anything?”
“I can’t believe it,” she admitted. “I can’t.”
Plaza is on a promotional tour for a trio of upcoming projects including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” (opening Sept. 27), comedy film “My Old Ass” (opening Sept. 13), and Disney+’s mini-series “Agatha All Along” (streaming Sept. 18).
Here are some of the highlights from the hour-long interview, ranging from opening up about her Delaware start, her stroke and how she sometimes doubts her own feelings.
“My parents were so supportive. I had no doubt in my mind, I was so delusional. Once I found acting when I was like 10 or 11 at community theater, it was over. That was just what I’m going to do. At the Wilmington Drama League where I started, they would have all the kids sit in the lobby on the ground and then when it was your time to audition, you would have to do it in front of the entire lobby. It wasn’t like they took you into another room. I remember sitting there looking at this and thinking, ‘This is insane. These people are humiliating themselves.’ There was something about the humiliation that was so freeing. I was like, ‘Well, f—. If you can do that, you can do anything.’ And I think it was freeing not having to be myself. I could just pretend to be somebody else. That’s easier.
“I was surprised I got that audition. I thought, ‘How am I on his radar?’ And then I never thought I would actually get that part. I was like, ‘Well, I’ll do the meeting, of course,’ but I didn’t think I was going to get the part and I was actually shocked when I got it.”
“They just gave me that [Michael Kors] dress and I put it on. I wasn’t really thinking about it so much. My boobs aren’t really like…If I had giant knockers, maybe I’d be like, ‘Whoa. I gotta keep these things …’ I didn’t think that dress specifically was like, ‘Woo. Check it out. I’m gonna really make a splash here with this underboob.’
“I can’t tell you what’s real or not. That’s my problem … [I doubt] my feelings. I’m really good at manipulating my feelings. That’s what I get paid to do. I’m sure a lot of actors have that issue.”
