From what we've learned about Aubrey Plaza's life and career, we know he's not afraid to scare people a little, so much so that even seasoned actor Robert De Niro wasn't immune to the actor's antics on set.
As most "Parks and Recreation" fans are no doubt aware, Plaza has earned quite the reputation for his taciturn, goofy, dry sense of humor. So much so that others are often unsure if the actor is being serious or not. She approaches acting with the same kind of fervent commitment, revealing that she learned the ins and outs of committing credit card fraud to play a con artist in 2022's "Emily the Criminal." After the production of "Ingrid Goes West," she explained to the LA Times that she found it difficult to "[shake] off roles" when the camera stopped rolling.
Her monotonous delivery has even fooled some famous faces. During an interview with "Today's" Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb, the actress and her "White Lotus" co-star Adam DiMarco arrived on set wearing the kind of hat you might find on a witch or warlock and offered no explanation. "Are they acting right now? What's going on?” Kotb asked. She even managed to fool actor Robert De Niro when they passed each other on set, making him uncomfortable in the process.
Aubrey was so in character that Robert was "a little scared"
2016 starred Robert De Niro opposite a post-"High School Musical" Zac Efron as a grandfather-grandson duo on their way to celebrate spring break in Boca Raton, Florida. Along the way, the two meet Aubrey Plaza's character Lenore, who is on a mission to seduce De Niro. At the 2022 London Film Festival, Plaza discussed how she and the legendary actor never found time outside of filming their scenes to get to know each other.
By the time he appeared, I was in character. My character had one goal: to have s- with him. He was acting crazy because we were about to film," she explained. I don't think he understood that he wasn't me. You'd think he'd do it because he's an actor and an incredible one." De Niro is certainly famous for his method of acting and used the technique in 1976's "Taxi Driver," according to IMDb.
Although Plaza's agent "heard Bob was a little scared," De Niro finally caught sight of the real Plaza when he invited the "Dirty Grandpa" crew over for lunch. "I showed up and he was like, 'Who are you, honey?' And after that it was normal," he laughed. At the beginning, I think I arrived very strong. I did some questionable things that I wouldn't do anymore." While she may have stopped this "questionable stuff," Plaza is still known for being the prankster on set.
