Although NBC’s beloved workplace sitcom Parks and Recreation ended back in 2015, every once in a while that show seems to come back in unique ways. In 2020, the Parks and Rec cast had a special reunion episode of the series where everyone was connecting by way of Zoom. Fans were able to see not only how their favorites from the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department were doing, but to see how COVID has affected them all. Flash-forward three years, and Aubrey Plaza surprisingly brought back April Ludgate when she hosted Saturday Night Live, but she opens up about how it actually terrified her.
When Aubrey Plaza hosted SNL back in January, she played the monotone, sarcastic former intern on Weekend Update. And while it had only been three years since she last played April, that doesn’t mean it was semingly easy to slip back into character. In an interview with The LA Times, the White Lotus cast member admitted that she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to play April as well as she used to:
I was terrified to play April Ludgate again. I had a moment where I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ I really wish I had been in therapy at the time.
Even though Aubrey Plaza was scared, she did end up going through with it and definitely killed it. Between the outfit, voice, and personality, it was like nothing had changed for April/ Plaza, and you wouldn’t even think that she was scared. It’s likely every actor feels that way at some point when it comes to reprising a role they haven’t done for a while, especially if it’s live. But what made it a bit easier for Plaza was the fact that she had one of her former co-stars right next to her while doing Weekend Update:
I was like, ‘I hope I can pull this off,’ which is just so ridiculous. But it felt very satisfying to put on that wig and pull that hoodie up. What made it so easy is being next to Leslie Knope — I mean, if I had to go out there alone, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to. [The show] did feel forever ago.
When Amy Poehler made a surprise appearance on Weekend Update as Leslie Knope, it was again like nothing had changed. Still playing the perky-as-ever character, Poehler seemed to have slipped right into that signature role. And it sounds like having a familiar face right next to her helped ease Plaza’s nerves. It’s been close to 10 years since Parks and Rec came to an end, and even with the reunion special three years ago, it’s still hard to get back into character. Luckily, by the sounds of the cheers in the audience during Weekend Update, it was like we were all back in 2015.
There are a lot of Aubrey Plaza TV shows and movies, but no matter how much time passes and no matter how many other projects she’s been in Parks and Rec will always be close to her heart. The fact that she definitely did not need to do April Ludgate for SNL and decided to go for it (perhaps to go along with her master plan for the sketch-comedy series) with Amy Poehler no less shows that she is truly dedicated to the series still after all this time. And her fans, who probably also had a hand in making her decide since she likely knew how much they would love it.
Since April Ludgate’s return was for a special occasion, its unlikely fans will be seeing her again, at least for a while. Luckily they can stream all seven seasons of the NBC sitcom with a Peacock subscription and enjoy every last minute of Aubrey Plaza’s portrayal, as well as her episode of Saturday Night Live.
