The Origin Of Aubrey Plaza's Awkwardness

June 28, 2016

Aubrey was forced to do a musical number with Anna Kendrick for their new movie, & discovered why she has such a flat affect.

TranscriptConan: You seem like someone who is fearless like if you're shooting a comedic scene I almost think that you're one of those people that would do almost anything to get the laugh. Have you ever said, different situations where you said, nope, I'm not going to do that. Yes I'm Aubrey plaza and will go to the wall for most things but not this. Aubrey: No, I don't think so. You please, I don't do things, you know, based on what I would do. In my mind it's what the character would do and if the character would do it, I'll do it. Whatever it is. But with this movie there was one -- there was one thing that I ended up having to do but I didn't want to do it but the studio basically called us in the middle of the shoot and said, you know what? We'll end this movie in a musical number. Which is like fine. But I'm not, you know, there is Zac Efron who is a musical guy and Anna Kendrick and Adam Devine who are both in those Pitch Perfect movies. Conan: They're all built for that and know how to do it. Aubrey: That's right. But I don't know how to do that. To dance and sing and they were kind of like, well. That's what is going to happen. We'll end it like that. And on Saturdays you have to come to rehearse and you have to sing and they really, like, put me through it. I couldn't say no. Because they forced me to do it, which is fine. But they, like, you know, actually made me do singing lessons. They had a singing lady there making me do like the Like in front of the director and I was crying. [laughter] I was like, not. Conan: It wasn't even your birthday. Aubrey: No. Conan: Just weeping. Aubrey: Yes. That was weird. Because I've never been forced to record a song and dance before. I felt very, like, oh, well. I guess this is showbiz. Conan: Yeah. So you can't dance at all. Have you ever -- did you try, have you tried to dance in the past? Have you had any training in dance? Aubrey: Well, the funny thing is on Saturdays they made us show up to these rehearsals with this choreographer, a world renowned choreographer and like everyone, like Anna Kendrick showed up and she knew what she was doing and she had the right clothes on and everything. I showed up in jeans shorts and, like, you know, whatever. Like I didn't like eating chips, I didn't know what to do. And then she asked me that same question while we were rehearsing because I was always asking her, hey, what do you do with your arms? Like when you're doing the moves? With your feet. She was like what are you talking about? I'm dancing. She was like haven't you of danced before? I was like, you know what? I just remembered when I was a kid I competed in Irish dancing competitions. River dance. Which is something that -- Conan: That Irish dancing where your legs go straight out. Aubrey: Yes. Conan: And your arms just stay at your side. Aubrey: Yes. Which is like, which was a very, a moment I had where I realized, oh, that's probably why I'm so awkward and weird is because I was taught at a young age to have no expression and not move my arms. Conan: The Irish have the worst dance and I'm going to get complaints about this now but being a hundred percent Irish I can say we have the worst dancing. Because the arms are by our side. Our feet are shooting out in front of us. And our faces are just supposed to be like this the whole time. While we're bouncing up and down with no joy. Aubrey: I know. I told her that. She was like oh, my God your entire life makes sense to me now. And she couldn't believe it. I was like, yes. I forget that I was an Irish dancing competitor. Conan: Right. Aubrey: You forget things.

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