The Amazing Evolution of Aubrey Plaza

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Ever since her time on Parks and Recreation, Aubrey Plaza has been a major comedy force. But with her very specific persona, she ran the danger of being very typecast. In this video, I go over how she avoided that in projects like Legion, White Lotus and Emily the Criminal.
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
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Special thanks to Andrew Elliott (Stalli111: / stalli111 ) for editing this video.

[@Nora_I_am_nice]

She was great in legion.

[@tlahmed]

Yes!! An underrated role

[@harrisongarms2052]

Underrated show

[@jonathanhuerta7715]

yes she was

[@EChacon]

I applaud Aubrey Plaza’s evolution as an actress and branching out to other typecasts outside her deadpan comedic roles, plus I lover her honesty on being typecasted in comedic roles.

[@osmanyousif7849]

I think because she’s so good at being deadpan in comedy, it makes her dramatic roles all the more better.

[@evecates2232]

So sad that she's a zionist.

[@ashroskell]

I saw Adam West in an interview in the 1990’s. He said, “So, in this scene from the first episode, I’m standing there in my full Batman outfit, in a club where everyone else is dressed normally. The waiter wants to direct me to a private booth and I get to say the line, ‘I’ll just take this table over here. I don’t want to look conspicuous.’ and we all knew; me, the writers, the producers, the rest of the cast; if that line gets a laugh, then we’ll know people get it and we’ve got a season or two. If they don’t laugh, we’ve failed.” Well, like you said, he delivered the line with such deadpan aplomb, he was magnificent. And so beloved that his version of the caped crusader still gets referenced in the newer, darker, more serious iterations of Batman. I think it was only after his regular voice work on The Simpsons and Family Guy that people actually got what a great comedy performer he was. He could have been another Leslie Nielsen. But that boat has sailed and sunk.

[@4deleDaz33m]

The year where she hosted the 35th Independent Spirit Award was freaking great. Her awkward sense of humor to where she was making the audience uncomfortable and confused was pretty hilarious. If that was already good enough, I can imagine how good enough for her to host the Oscars

[@QueenKunta]

Her role in Legion was terrifying. She did a superb job.

[@jonathanhuerta7715]

her role wasn't that bad but she did a good job

[@samatar6852]

Loved her in Legion. Her best role so far IMO.

[@chasehedges6775]

I hear that show is awesome

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

3 great seasons of legion

[@gljames24]

Thanks for reminding me to watch the 2nd and 3rd season!

[@ProjectileGrommet]

That show was incredible. Best first episode of any show ever. Hated the third season and then over time without even rewatching it the third season really grew on me then I rewatched it all and just loved every second

[@gloriousleader3203]

@@chasehedges6775 it starts strong, and then slowly falls apart. the writing gets absurd, and the characters stop making any sense. its a bummer. But Plaza and Stevens do an incredible job throughout.

[@4deleDaz33m]

Emily The Criminal is easily my favourite performance that she has ever given, definitely one of the most underrated movie of 2022. Aubrey was nothing short but brilliant in that movie, loved it so much. Ingrid Goes West was a good movie too, she and Elizabeth Olsen worked so well together 🙌

[@auldthymer]

The scene with Gina Gershon was thrilling! Angry, earnest and two actors working at the peak of their power.

[@HanmaHeiro]

Agreed on Emily the criminal

[@calebcold3]

I haven’t seen Ingrid yet but I’m definitely going to try to see it soon. Emily is definitely my favorite performance of hers.

[@itsROMPERS...]

"Emily" was the best real role Aubrey has ever had, and she killed it. Her personality was perfect for it.

[@claytonrios1]

Honestly Scott Pilgrims anime showed how well she can still play the type that she was put into for so many years. But it was amusing to hear her as Eska when I watched Legend of Korra a decade ago.

[@kevinpankanin6222]

Yeah when i first heard Eska i was like "wait a minute!" It made the romance part even more funny

[@claytonrios1]

@@kevinpankanin6222 Yeah especially since she's often working with PJ Byrne who's also in The Boys.

[@redsagexxv]

I’m so glad you mentioned Emily the criminal. That movie genuinely surprised me. Didn’t even know Aubrey was in it going in but seeing her like that solidified her as a favorite

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

I watched her in Legion as Shadow King and I've loved her ever since. Haters will look down on her, but as Shadow, she was PHENOMENAL. Underrated show, underrated actress. She was also pretty great in Ingrid Goes West.

[@theonceandfuture2610]

Save the spoilers dork

[@Devil-Made]

1:09 Me: “Legion. Legion! Talk about Legion!!”

[@pelifandomenglish4673]

The Black Bear movie, which she produces, where they have basically 2 similar stories and you need to find out which one is the true story, I found it very interesting and a great performance from Plaza. She is just amazing on her last roles.

[@poorwotan]

Glad you mentioned Black Bear. I was surprised this wasn't mentioned in the video.

[@pelifandomenglish4673]

@@poorwotan me too! The movie makes you wonder what is real and what is not on the story.

[@poorwotan]

@@pelifandomenglish4673Loved it!!!

[@Okkotsu86275]

Aubrey Plaza is one of my favorite things in the world. She is highly underrated and versatile.

[@mitchliam974]

Her performance in Legion was absolutely riveting! Coming off the comedy band wagon, her innocent yet menacing portrayal threw me off completely. She proved she wasn't a one trick pony. Top notch performance in a bizzare and underrated show.

[@chava4809]

I really enjoyed her performance in the drama The White Lotus

[@GenerationWest]

Aubrey really has ballooned and expanded in her career, being one of the big success from Parks & Rec, like your Chris Pratt's, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott's. She's even done well in both varying side of acting, live action comedy and dramas from subtle, to out there R rated stories, to animation voice over, like returning to Scott Pilgrim, The Legend of Korra and The Simpsons. Hell, she even as a second big Marvel property down the way with Agatha. Plus, she got to buddy with Amy Pohler on her SNL hosting episode too.

[@Joeyy1024]

Mad respect for the 50% off code for my auto stroker.

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

LOL

[@ghostratsarah]

A&e sponsorships are the only ones I respect. Their stuff might not be the best quality, and some is overpriced, but they don't price pound you and you know the products aren't toxic.

[@Turnips]

Ngl I went to check it out and sadly one was limited to 15% off max. 😭 ... got something else instead tho with the based 50% discount. 👀

[@ryanjones358]

I loved her in Life After Beth. It was hilarious seeing her playing a zombie carrying a stove on her back.

[@tikamajere316]

That scene made the whole movie worth seeing. lol

[@levi1929]

@@tikamajere316 -You were right, we should take walks like this more often… -….pretty….. 😂

[@calebcold3]

I've met Aubrey before briefly (last year). She's the definition of chill. I'm so glad she's on the rise even after she's been popular for years and how she's rose above being type cast.

[@Winter-Alpha-Omega]

What did she do when you met her?

[@calebcold3]

@@Winter-Alpha-Omega Well, it's a bit funny. I waited for her to come out of her play Danny and The Deep Blue Sea in NYC. I had flowers for her to give after the show. Well, it turns her co Star (Christopher Abbott) hurt his foot and Aubrey told us she couldn't take pics with fans because she had take him to the hospital. However, I asked her if she wanted flowers quickly, which she smiled after she saw me and the flowers and told me she couldn't take any due to the circumstances with Christopher. The fact she cared more for her co star's health than dropping everything and ditching him AND the fact she politely told me she couldn't take my flowers at the moment (I ended up giving them to her security) proves She's as chill as can be Wish there were more people like that in the industry tbh.

[@EdWedgie]

It doesn’t help when she even used to act like that in interviews

[@chrisjfox8715]

All that tells me is that she was in control of it

[@calebcold3]

Not like that’s a bad thing. Her interviews are incredible and hilarious. It's her messing around with people and I'm here for it

[@soridosuneku]

I don't think it was entirely an act, but that's another conversation See her Hot Wings episode; she kinda addresses that

[@atdyeam1605]

She’s talked about how she finds it so awkward cos it’s all rehearsed and planned but acted like it isn’t. So she was genuinely awkward and not doing a bit. She’s much more relaxed in a normal interview setting.

[@EdWedgie]

@@atdyeam1605 yeah late night shows are usually entirely rehearsed

[@Sebastian-gf2fk]

Totally underrated actress.

[@sooperd00p]

that word has literally no meaning anymore.

[@OanKnight]

You know thinking about it, I think she'd knock being a bond girl out of the park.

[@sooperd00p]

too short. she's like 5'3". bond girls are at least 5'10" or taller. some exceptions but Aubrey is a lot shorter than people think.

[@Banquet42]

Simple. Cast Peter Dinklage as Bond. Problem solved.

[@TriforceBoy23]

I think one other aspect about Plaza's acting that tends to go underappreciated is her voice over work. I mostly noticed this when I watched Scott Pilgrim Takes Off so I can't vouch for any other voice overs she's done but in that show she really showed off just how unhinged she can be with the unapologetic anime-esque rage she had on display returning to Julie, giving a bit more of a comic accurate take on the character. It really makes me want to see her do more voice acting going forward since she could have potential to be one of those rare actors that is exceptional in front of the camera and behind the microphone.

[@DaleRibbons]

My favorite Aubrey Plaza role was the recurring character Cat Adams on Criminal Minds, circa 2016-2020. A sociopathic serial killer/assassin who enjoys playing mind games with regular character Dr. Spencer Reid. For instance, she drugs him, frames him for murder, then kidnaps his mother, and claims to be carrying his child. A totally sinister character with seemingly no humanity or redeeming qualities.

[@JustaFairyStory]

She chews the scenery as Cat and it’s not even surprising because she’s having that much fun. Like of course she knocks it out of the park, of course it’s memorable, that’s kind of the expectation But that’s not even all the trauma Cat put Spencer through like she had her accomplice s3xually violate him for the purpose of claiming to be pregnant with his baby and then DENIED he was actually r*ped Then kidnapps his new girlfriend’s family just to mess with him and claimed he was the reason she miscarried the baby just to get in his head and paint him as a violent man

[@Thevlogboy1]

I never watched Parks and Rec, so the first time I've seen her in a role was in Criminal Minds when she played mastermind hit woman Cat Adam's. Imagine my surprise whemi discovered her main role was a deadpan character in a comedy.

[@JustaFairyStory]

She never even gets convicted for like half the stuff she does to Spencer because she’s on death row for murder charges anyway

[@ronnierockit4468]

Mystery Team mentioned!

[@ABLW100]

Should we get 8 Balls??

[@trevorjones8969]

I agree with you re 'Emily the Criminal'. But I also think it's criminal that you didn't cover 2020's 'Black Bear', which really does demonstrate her acting chops. x

[@rickymorphew2245]

just finished the first season of legion for the first time and she is AMAZING IN IT, the whole cast is but she is fantastic

[@CaptainEffort]

Enjoy the ride, the show only gets trippier from there. And she’s especially amazing in season 3 btw

[@karstenvoigt7280]

The popularity (and availability) of Parks and Rec seems to have been rather limited to the U.S., so internationally the baggage of being typed as a comedic actress simply wasn't there. Instead she appeared as an outstanding versatile young actress (who could also do comedy). I first saw her as assassin mastermind in Criminal Minds and was absolutely mesmerized by her amazing performance. And then Legion came out... What a masterpiece! I hope to see much more of her in roles that give her the chance to show her talent.

[@alisterfolson]

She did a good job in the 2nd season of White Lotus and as a SNL guest

[@ronnierockit4468]

Ingrid Goes West is cool.

[@BugsyFoga]

Glad to hear that

[@ronnierockit4468]

Emily the Criminal rules.

[@EdinMike]

Aubrey is one of my celebrity crushes, purely for the fact she seems bonkers and I’m here for it !

[@JarrettSelf]

A bit after P&R ended, she had a guest role on Criminal Minds playing a manipulative psychopath, and she was fantastic. Really impressed me when I saw it.

[@JustaFairyStory]

Car does so many terrible things but she does have a few moments where she’s allowed to make her *almost* sympathetic and at the end you wonder like most of criminal minds baddies that if things could have been different or if in her own twisted way she really thinks she’s achieving something

[@kylewise678]

First thing I ever saw her in was College Humor's Troopers series, where she played a Princess Leia knockoff. Back when I used to go to Alamo Drafthouse, I saw Ingrid Goes West there, and she and the director showed up when the flick ended and did an audience Q&A. That was really cool

[@jinpei05]

Loved her in Safety Not Guaranteed, but you didn't mention two of my favorites, 10 Years and The To Do List 😂

[@sonickhable]

Just finished watching Parks and rec and she was a favorite of mine

[@fortynights1513]

Happy Easter!

[@Stallihad]

Happy Easter!

[@JesusRaves]

great review

[@chrishouseinc]

Commenting at the beginning hoping yo included some of her fantastic work on Legion and will come back when done lol

[@captainmidnight]

Legion fans may be a little sad I don’t love it quite as much as them, but she’s great in it! I definitely bring it up

[@bwhere45]

@@captainmidnight it's a pretty wild show, to be fair. I love it, but I also very much understand why people might not.

[@CaptainEffort]

@@bwhere45For sure, if it grabs you you’ll love it, but it’s far from for everyone. Which honestly I love, I prefer when a show doesn’t try to appeal to every last person on the planet.

[@ciaranwalshe_vocalist]

I mean it’s her personality and it’s clearly got layers. It’s amazing how easily you can get pidgeon holed as an actor. It took me ages to shake off the goofball casting, and start to get taken seriously for dark stuff. But when it happens, so satisfying, and I’m only just starting out really. So, it’s good to see how you can choose your own path. No matter what level you’re playing at. Thanks for sharing x

[@TheHorrorMiserMontyG]

I really like Aubrey Plaza playing the hitwoman Cat Adams in Criminal Minds. I love the back and forth she and Matthew Gray Gubler had in the episodes she was in.

[@benjaminb4407]

Great video! Have you seen Black Bear?

[@CharlesVanNoland]

I still haven't caught ETC yet but when I saw the trailer I knew she had turned a new leaf and it was definitely going to be worth a watch to see her non-stereotypical performance.

[@SimonJamesStories]

Cool video. She was great in Black Bear too

[@gammasmash1924]

Aubrey's breakout for me was when she appeared on the show Legion on FX. Season 1 really took her to some interesting places

[@nickmominee9432]

I'm surprised you never brought up Black Bear. Have you seen it? I'm curious what you thought of it

[@Kudian]

I honestly had no idea that Aubrey Plaza was in Parks and Rec, and that that's what got her popular. I first found out about her when Legion first started airing. I always thought she was amazing at playing the Shadow King. I still look back on her role in that show as one of the top ones I've seen, especially for a Marvel property. Always seemed like an actress who's a go big or go home kind of performance.

[@EwgenijBelzmann]

I loved Aubrey since Parks and Rec (though I've seen her way earlier in Scott Pilgrim, I was pretty late to Parks), so her presence in a project is always a solid hint to watch it. After seeing Ingrid Goes West I was already convinced of her great acting talent, and Emily the Criminal solidified it. It was such a strong, but natural dramatic performance, no reliant on her comedy persona or recognition.

[@sailormoonwannabe]

I have always really loved Aubry plaza, she was my favorite on parks & rec. I loved safety not guaranteed and Ingried goes west, but when I watched White Lotus I was seriously shocked by how good she was in it. The whole show is a lot of face acting and she was amazing!

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

She was great in legion

[@TheLVJ]

I loved her so much in Emily the Criminal. It was one of my favorite movies I saw last year.

[@chadjones1266]

Thanks again

[@EaTmyBuLLeTz22]

back to back captain midnight videos? sign me up. Also I am always baffled by adam and eve sponsoring midnight. guess they find his videos sexy????? me too but ok

[@FUNKYMONKEY1235.]

She’s one of my favorite actresses loved her ever since the Parks and Rec days

[@dozzzor]

I also loved her in Black Bear, a small but very interesting film.

[@momoneylessproblems9183]

Emily the Criminal. White Lotus. Black Bear. She definitely proved she has major acting chops

[@Renegade-kf8fp]

Now that’s greatness

[@valentai_777]

Did not expect this video to be so interesting.

[@WanderingPropeller]

Loved her in White Lotus. I think both seasons so far have had several standout performances (shoutout to Murray Bartlett and Meghann Fahy) and all-around great acting and writing.

[@crazycryptids]

Her portrayal of a volatile character in the movie Black Bear needs to be acknowledged too.

[@MiamiGameHunter]

Man, I remember seeing her as the Princess on CollegeHumor's Troopers WAAAAAY back in the day.

[@mikehawkslong5529]

I loved her wood milk add, truly beautiful work😂

[@lofi_loon]

Her role in the internet psychological horror CENTER JENNY is amazing too. It's an underrated beginning to her career lol

[@koryeasterday5164]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Black Bear. Great movie and she got to show off her skills in new ways in it.

[@pwolfamv]

I'll be honest, I've been sitting on Emily the Criminal because I wasn't sure about Plaza's performance but after watching this, I will definitely give it a shot.

[@calebcold3]

It’s totally worth the watch. Plaza is amazing in it of course and never once did I think I was watching Aubrey Plaza playing someone but an actual character going through a rut.

[@YouCallThataKnife253]

She was also really good in *Spin Me Round*

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

Another somewhat recent project was her Voice Work on the animated show Little Demon, the show itself was fairly generic but it was definitely enjoyable, I felt it showed she could have done better in a horror role if given something more to work with. Also Danny DeVito voiced Satan which was fun. I just googled it and apparently it’s kind of in a weird limbo, not cancelled but not really available anywhere which is sadly very common for newer adult animated shows these days after a season or two.

[@maximusprime3459]

I'm kinda glad shes sorta stepping away from the 'I'm a weirdo' act. Emily the Criminal was a great performance of hers.

[@staciwhite1256]

Ok, gotta watch Legion now!

[@CaptainEffort]

Good luck man, it’s an *amazing* show but also a challenging one. Super bizarre and trippy, but if it grabs you you’ll love it

[@johnmillholland6550]

This guy out here watching everything

[@Moscato_Moscato]

I love Aubrey Plaza and her role in Legion was so damn great!!

[@tonyg76]

Audrey plaza was great in safety not guaranteed, Mike and Dave, Ingrid goes west and Emily the Criminal. Look forward to her future roles.

[@marc-antoinemarcoux697]

Im still sad we never got that Daria movie...

[@bobmatrix1]

In Leigon her role was actually a male role but she took on the role and made it her own and I think that was her first break away success from her typecasting.

[@Zuginator]

The Happy Time Murders is INCREDIBLY GOOD.

[@user-zh5lj1ec4k]

You don’t want to get typecast too much when those roles die out.

[@TheDissident77]

Phew, I was wondering if you were going to get to Emily the Criminal. I liked that movie and how she didn't play the same character.

[@lalaace937]

I would love to know more about studio comedies and what happened to them.

[@dwatz98]

How do you not bring up her on criminal minds

[@JayFolipurba]

I acutally first saw her in Legion. What a great performance. So great in fact, they retrofitted the role to her, because she needed to bei shown off more, her talent, I mean. But then I saw her in Parks and Rec after and she was just as cool, albeit in a completely different way.

[@gamerpaul89]

Nobody else mentioning how weird it is to get two captainmidnight videos so close together?

[@DaemonRai]

Pre Oppenheimer Josh Hartnett? Isn't that just post Black Hawk Down and the masterwork Lucky Number Slevin Josh Hartnett? It's not like he was just discovered in 2023.

[@captainmidnight]

No, but he disappeared from movies at the budget/prestige level of Oppenheimer for a long time. That was a resurgence for him.

[@hartthorn]

Emily the Criminal was one hell of a movie. I remember seeing it in theaters with only a little fore-knowledge and being caught off guard a bit. Like, I was EXPECTING it to be more comedic, but it just never dipped in that direction. But it also showcased Aubrey being kind of a badass, but with this absolute "cornered raccoon" energy. Wonderful blend of panic and spite. It would be interesting to see her in some more genres/action stuff, but it does feel like she needs roles with a little more meat on the bone than many of them offer.

[@eryckb]

Wait what’s the background song lol

[@DD-nt8uj]

Hey random comment not related to video, but I just saw that it is Tim Curry’s birthday today and I thought “that would be an awesomely interesting video to watch by captain midnight”

[@universalcollective427]

greatest glow up in modern entertainment

[@SmokinAcesProd]

Man I really did love her in Emily The Criminal!

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

Thoughts on X-Men 97

[@eraz0rhead]

I was very into Legion Season 1. I really wasn't clued into it's Marvel connections or backstory at the time. So I had no idea what was going on, and that was great. Season 2 was a little less awesome, but Jermaine Clement made up for some of that. Unfortunately, it didn't hold me for Season 3, and I've no idea if they made any more seasons after that.

[@jaromchristensen5598]

I saw her in “My Old Ass” at sundance this year and she was really great! Still has some of that deadpan style but it fit perfectly with her character’s role in the movie and results in the most emotional payoff I’ve ever seen from her. If you ever get the chance to see that movie I recommend it.

[@stilelits]

i would dispute the idea that the child's play reboot was "uninspired"...it just wasn't inspired by any of the things that inspired the original. reimagining chucky as an AI that goes wrong when it gets bad input without adequate safety controls is, like...really a relevant story to tell, and it's really well done.

[@AduderReviews]

Emily, the criminal, is one of those underrated gems. She was fantastic in that movie.

[@johnchedsey1306]

I think she's great. She excels at being just perfectly unusual and there's going to be tons of roles for her in the future.

[@Tf2Arc]

Exactly

[@jonathanhuerta7715]

she thoughtout the ages she been a successful actress I love watching her in every thing

[@garretthuff9359]

Why didn't you talked about " blackbear"?

[@matthewboer8279]

Don’t forgot her voice acting too. Her character on Korra and Grumpy cat feel like they were designed around her voice .

[@sv32099]

I have only seen a couple of episodes of legion but the reason I fell off wasn't due to anybody's performances, quite the contrary actually where it was the thing pulling me in more often than not and Aubrey plaza is a good example of this. Like the Captain states, she is able to be her usual deadpan self sometimes but there is also this energy and freedom you rarely see