Aubrey Plaza’s “Really Dirty” Audition Was So Wild It Changed Her Career Forever

Aubrey Plaza may now be known for serious and stylish roles, but one of the moments that truly defined her career came from a very shocking audition. Long before she was praised for dramatic work, she proved she was willing to go all in for comedy, even if it meant making casting directors uncomfortable.

Plaza has recently appeared in major projects, including Francis Ford Coppola’s film Megalopolis, showing a more polished and dramatic side of her acting. Still, her rise in Hollywood was built on bold humor and risky choices. One of the clearest examples came in 2016, when she landed a role in the comedy Dirty Grandpa alongside Robert De Niro.

The movie starred De Niro as a wild grandfather who goes on a messy road trip with his uptight grandson, played by Zac Efron. Plaza played Lenore, an aggressively flirty and se**** confident woman who becomes obsessed with De Niro’s character. The role was outrageous, and Plaza knew she couldn’t audition for it in a safe or normal way.

She later explained what happened during an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2016. According to Plaza, she understood right away how rare the opportunity was. “When will I get an opportunity to play De Niro’s love interest ever? So I just was like, ‘I’m doing it,’” she said on the show.

At the time, Plaza was finishing up her work on Parks and Recreation. She shared that she even asked the show’s makeup team to help her prepare for the audition. “I even had the Parks and Rec makeup department put makeup on my — ‘Just make sure my butt looks good,’” she joked, as recalled during the interview.

When she walked into the audition room, Plaza completely ignored the script. Instead of reading lines, she decided to fully become the character. “I just threw the script out and just sat, looked into the camera and said a bunch of really dirty things, then I flashed them, and then I left, and then I got it,” she told Meyers. The story quickly became one of her most talked-about career moments.

That risky move worked. Plaza got the role, and the performance helped cement her reputation as a fearless comedy actor who was not afraid to push limits. The story has since been repeated in interviews and shared widely by fans and entertainment outlets.

As of early 2026, Plaza’s career is stronger than ever. She recently earned praise for her role in the dark comedy Honey Don’t!, directed by Ethan Coen, where she stars alongside Margaret Qualley and Chris Evans. She is also set to appear in Animal Friends, a mixed live-action and animated film scheduled for release in June, featuring stars like Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa.

From wild comedy auditions to serious roles in major films, Aubrey Plaza has built a career that refuses to stay in one lane. Whether shocking a casting room or standing alongside Hollywood legends, she continues to do things her own way.

Do you think pulling a bold, unscripted stunt in an audition is smart or dangerous? Share your thoughts in the comments.