Aubrey Plaza gets a chance to evolve her deadpan persona in Safety Not Guaranteed, a sorta-sci-fi/sorta-rom-com that played at Sundance this week to a gangbusters reception. (Expect a sale soon.) When the movie begins, Plaza’s not too dissimilar from her Parks and Recreation character April Ludgate: She plays an undermotivated magazine intern who’s tasked with tracking down a potential crackpot (Mark Duplass) who thinks he can time-travel. But as she starts to unexpectedly fall for him, Plaza gets to add some new dramatic notes to her repertoire. Vulture sat down with her yesterday to discuss her onscreen evolution, why she wanted to throw up before the movie premiered, and why Eva Mendes had better watch out.

Safety Not Guaranteed got a huge reception at its premiere. Foot-stomping, theater-shaking applause.
Yeah, it was crazy. It was the first time I saw it, so I was in a whole other [frame of mind].

That’s the ideal way to see a movie for the first time, I would think.
Yes, except that I have massive anxiety, insecurity issues, though, so I almost cried before it started and almost left, because I was like, I just don’t think I can do this. It was a tense experience. I think in the beginning I was still super nervous and I didn’t know where it was going to go, and I was like, Ah, my big fucking face everywhere! No! It was like a nightmare, a living nightmare. But then I started getting into the story and forgetting it was me, and then I was just obsessed with the movie.

You have that anxiety when you go to a screening, but when you signed on to the role, did you have any qualms?
Oh, no. I was so excited about the script; I thought it was great. I was looking for a role that would sort of allow me to branch out of this sarcastic, deadpan zone that I’ve sort of been in, mostly because of the TV show that I’m on, which is something I really like doing, but I was hoping to have something a little deeper going on and felt like this was the perfect opportunity. I wanted to show people that I’m capable of doing more, but it’s hard because people don’t take risks a lot of times. They see you do one thing, and they just want to see it over and over again. And Collin really trusted me to kind of create that transformation. So, yeah. That was my hope.

So you never get offered bubbly blondes?
No. But soon, you know. Baby steps.

It’s like Parks and Rec took over Sundance this year. You’re here, Rashida Jones wrote a movie, Aziz Ansari performed, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are in Smashed …
Yeah, I know.

Am I forgetting anybody?
House of Lies screened. Ben Schwartz is involved with that. Jean-Ralphio!

Did they take a week off of production, or is Amy Poehler there shooting an episode all by herself?
They start shooting today, actually. Amy’s there, probably with Rob [Lowe] and Adam [Scott], and then tomorrow I’m there first thing.

Is this your first Sundance?
I was here a couple years ago for Mystery Team, but I didn’t do any press or anything. I just watched my screening and that was pretty much it. So this is different.

Did you get any tips from your co-stars who have been here a whole bunch of times?
They were just like, “Always be drunk, always have a flask.”

That’s implied at Sundance. You don’t need a flask, there’s so much free booze around.
I noticed that yesterday. [She sips her cup.]

As you take a drink.
You know, this is not coffee. Yeah, Sundance is not really [about everything else], it’s just about the movies. I haven’t even been thinking of anything beyond, I’m just excited to see the finished product.

On a totally different note, I’m curious how you got involved in that recent World of Warcraft commercial. Is this something that you play?
I’ve played it, yeah.

Were you ever really into it? Because there’s not a whole lot of casual play with World of Warcraft.
I was never a diehard fan, but I’m really into dragons and elves and wizards and magical, dorky hag-things. So, it was kind of right up my alley. I don’t really have a lot of time to play video games, but if I did, I would definitely play. And I have it. Yeah, that was something that kind of came out of nowhere. They approached me, and I was like, No way. And then I was like, Wait, World of Warcraft? That’s kind of awesome, I think I’m going to do that. I 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.

I was thinking that the other day at CVS, that you can see the face of almost every actress in the makeup aisle. It’s almost a rite of passage for some movie stars to do these beauty campaigns.
Yeah. I’m not going to say never say never, but I’d rather do a World of Warcraft ad than, like, a lipstick commercial. Just because. And also they told me when they approached me about it that they were going to do, like, one of the commercials and have me be a character in the game and go into the game and be like fighting elves and shit, and I thought that was really cool. So, that’s why I said yes.

And have you heard from Ryan Gosling since you told Rolling Stone that he came up to you at a Jamba Juice but you shut him down because you didn’t recognize him?
I actually did hear from him one time. He invited me to a magic show through someone else, and I couldn’t go because I had to go to this charity thing for Amy, and it was like, “bros before hos,” or “hos before bros,” however that phrase goes. I just rhymed a lot. So, yeah. I don’t know what’s in store for me and him. I think he has a girlfriend, but maybe I’ll murder her someday and we’ll be together forever.

NYMag.com

Aubrey Plaza, the stone-faced comedienne who holds her own among TV’s (arguably) best comedic cast on Parks and Recreation, just returned from what was her biggest Sundance yet.

The actress was there to promote Safety Not Guaranteed, the film based off that famous 90s personal ad in which someone posted, “Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me…Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”

What turned into an Internet meme and favorite late night joke is now a full fledged movie starring Kristen Bell, New Girl‘s Jake Johnson and Plaza. We talked to the latter about how the watching herself on screen, the film’s surprise ending, and what comes next.

ELLE: Had you seen the movie before its Sundance premiere?
AP: I hadn’t seen the movie before! I didn’t know how it ended; I didn’t know anything about it. I never watched an entire movie with myself and my face on the screen the entire time, so it was a lot happening at once and it was stressful and I have anxiety anyway, so I was on the verge of tears all day. Right before it happened I almost ran away and cried. But it was fine. Everyone seemed to like it so it ended up being really positive!

ELLE: Did the ending surprise you?
AP: I was totally totally shocked! Yeah, I had no idea. It ended in a way that I didn’t think was possible, just story wise and technically—I was really shocked at the ending. I had an idea of what it might be, but I was very wrong. I’m so, so happy with it and with the choices they made. It really reflects how the director sees movies. He uses the movie in a way that I think is just really special and rare.

ELLE: When someone said, ‘They’re making a movie based on a classified ad,’ and sent you the script, what did you think?
AP: l loved it. When it first started I felt that it was special. I hadn’t read a story like that before—a love story with characters like Kenneth and Darius. I think normally when I read love stories the characters kind of fit into these stereotypes, these boxes, like the dork falls in love with the cool girl, and I felt like these characters, you couldn’t peg them as anything really. They’re just human beings that had complicated paths and a lot of layers and they just met somehwere in the middle and had a connection. It felt really real to me and that’s what I was kind of looking for. I wanted to be in a movie that felt authentic. And it was fun and funny! And it felt relevant. I feel like there’s this ironic dis-attachment vibe happening in the past couple of years, given the internet and things going viral and reality shows and this kind of spoke to me, as a way of bringing everything back to positivity and joy. Especially for me because I’m identified as deadpan sarcastic actor, I thought it’d be great to play an actor that branches out and goes deeper and has a real transformation. For the character, but also to prove that I’m an actor and not just a weirdo.

ELLE: In that vein, who do you want to play next?
AP: I would just love any role at this point if I had a choice! Maybe I should really go for it and play a bubbly cheerleader, or something crazy? I just want to keep finding special characters that I feel like I can bring to life and characters that are real and not superficial.

Elle.com

If you had the chance to go back in time–weapons provided–would you? Before you answer, ask yourself: is going to another point in time really better than cleaning out the toilet at your internship and not having other options? Well, you’d be in the same boat as “Parks And Recreation” star Aubrey Plaza in “Safety Not Guaranteed,” which premiered to near-universal praise at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. Based on the fake ad that spawned the legendary YTMND meme, the first feature from writer Derek Connolly and director Colin Trevorrow takes us to a world where time travel may be possible. So could the fact that Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the would-be time traveler, is as crazy as he sounds.

The Playlist went deep underground (at least one flight below the streets of Park City) to ask Plaza about taking on her first starring role in the Sundance film and what’s in store from upcoming, raunchy comedy “The To Do-List” and Roman Coppola’s “A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charlie Swan” where she got to act opposite the one and only, Charlie Sheen.

This is your first major, stand-alone leading role. How did you throw yourself into that?
It was a combination of “I can’t do this, I will fail, this will be embarassing” and “I’m going to kick ass every day and murder this role and show people I can do more than make sarcastic comments and roll my eyes.” I read the script. I thought it was special—it was a wonderful love story in a totally different way than I had seen before. I was looking for a part that could allow me to have a real transformation.

I think the most important thing for me as an actor is to find roles where I’m playing a human and not a stereotype or someone who can be lumped into a category. One of the special things about this love story is that Mark Duplass’ character and my character aren’t “the cool girl and the dork.” It’s something that you haven’t seen before. It’s just two different kind of people thrown into weird shit and they find a deep connection through it. That’s what was fun and attractive to me script-wise.

Is that something you’re looking for more of now as opposed to the smaller, scene-stealing characters in the background?
I’d like to always move forward. I really would like to show people I’m capable of carrying a movie and capable of having a transformation in a movie; of creating a person that has many layers. That’s just as satisfying to me as playing the best friend that’s really hilarious but a one-note kind of thing. Both of those are really fun for me and I love comedy. It’s where I started out, but I have more to offer than that. I want to take over the world.

You’re also in “The To-Do List,” what can you tell us about that movie?
I don’t know when it’s coming out. It’s almost completed, hopefully it will come out this summer. I haven’t seen it, so it’s hard for me to talk about. But if you put “Safety Not Guaranteed” up against [“To-Do List”] they are so different in the craziest way.

My character is so different in that—I’m an obnoxious Tracy Flick-esque girl, there’s no irony and I’m totally Type-A. I’m really energetic and then I turn into a raging slut that does a lot of weird, pervy things.

You’re also in Roman Coppola’s “A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charlie Swan.” What can you tell us about your role in that film?
I’m not in it that much. Everyone in the movie has an important role despite how long their screen time is. I play Charlie Swan’s [Charlie Sheen] assistant and he’s having a total meltdown, mid-life crisis moment. I’m there to be like, “We have work to do, our company is in trouble, get your shit together!” I have one meaty scene with him, but that’s it. I did get to hang out with Bill Murray and Charlie Sheen at once.

When were you shooting this during the Sheen media frenzy?
It was recent—late fall, winter [2011]. I don’t know what the timeline is with his wizardy, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s himself. I think he’s self-aware and people think he’s crazy, but he doesn’t care. He’s awesome.

How was it working with Charlie as an actor?
He’s great. I learned a lot from him, an amazing actor. He’s really natural and you can tell he’s been doing it his whole life. I was terrified to work with him and Roman. I haven’t been in that many movies and I really respect Roman. Charlie’s great—I think he’ll be great in this movie.

“Safety Not Guranteed” continues to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.

IndieWire.com