Reasons We Love Aubrey Plaza On Parks And Recreation
Aubrey Plaza broke out on Parks and Recreation as April Ludgate, the sarcastic and indifferent assistant that became every office worker’s spirit animal. From her line delivery to her impeccable comic timing, Plaza managed to take April from one-note comic relief to a three-dimensional character.
Of course, she remained one of the best parts of a killer comedic cast the whole way through the show’s run. Aubrey Plaza is amazing on Parks and Recreation, and these are the reasons why.
5. April’s Alter-Ego Janet Snakehole
In the Season 3 episode, “The Fight,” audiences are introduced to April Ludgate’s mysterious alter-ego, Janet Snakehole, a widow with a terrible secret. Andy (Chris Pratt) is role-playing as FBI agent Burt Macklin, and the two engage in a flirty back-and-forth roleplay, insisting that she didn’t “burn down that mall.”
Aubrey’s pitch-perfect delivery as the sardonic April works amazingly well when she’s letting herself roleplay as Janet Snakehole. She takes it to the next level in the following season in “End of the World,” allowing Andy to live his fantasy of an action star.
With the old Hollywood accent, black veil, and cigarette holder, it’s clear that Aubrey Plaza is having fun playing April as Snakehole.
4. Ron And April’s Relationship
Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is annoyed by everyone, which is why he likes having April as an assistant since she’s just as sarcastic and indifferent as he is. Offerman and Aubrey Plaza would frequently steal every scene they’re in, but when paired together, the result is magic.
Look no further than “94 Meetings,” the Season 2 episode in which April thinks March 31 doesn’t exist, so she schedules all of Ron’s meetings for that day. In the end, they each know more about the other than they let on, accept one another and continue to be an amazing team for the rest of the show’s run.
3. April Hates Almost Everything
In multiple confessional interviews, April expresses the things that she hates, from Leslie (Amy Poehler) smiling all the time to people; the list of what she hates is extensive. What she likes is much shorter, essentially just Andy, garbage, and dogs, but Aubrey Plaza does a great job keeping her from being one note, as sometimes, April will tolerate things.
Everyone that has ever had a job wishes they could make the comments April makes each episode. Really, who hasn’t wanted to convince children they’re a witch? Or very maturely and straightforwardly left anonymous comments online?
2. Amy Poehler And Aubrey Plaza On Saturday Night Live
The January 21, 2023, episode of Saturday Night Live saw Aubrey Plaza and Amy Poehler appear in character during the Weekend Update segment as well as April and Leslie to promote working for local government. Colin Jost asks April for good jobs for young people in local government, which range from garbage man to “dog collector that tells everyone you couldn’t find them.”
April’s best advice, “Doing the bare minimum is doing your part,” sums up her entire work history on the show itself. Years after Parks and Recreation went off the air, seeing the characters come back was an absolute joy, even if only for a brief skit.
1. April And Andy
Of anything Aubrey Plaza did on Parks and Recreation, discovering the amazing comedic chemistry she had with Chris Pratt holds up the best on repeat viewings. Andy is a labrador retriever in a large man’s body, while April is a black cat that hisses when you try to pet it. Together, they are one of television‘s best couples.
Even before the characters got together, the chemistry was apparent to every fan, then when they did get together, it somehow got even better. From the adventures of Janet Snakehole and Burt Macklin, to April’s constant support of Andy’s band (which changes multiple times an episode, from The Andy Dwyer Experience to Department of Homeland Obscurity), the pair is proof opposites can attract.
