- published: 22 Jun 2016
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Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress and comedian. She portrayed April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation, and after appearing in supporting roles in several films, had her first leading role in the 2012 comedy Safety Not Guaranteed.
Plaza began her career as an intern. After performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, she appeared in the web series The Jeannie Tate Show. She later appeared in films such as Funny People and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Plaza was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the daughter of Bernadette, an attorney, and David Plaza, a financial advisor. She has two younger sisters, Renee and Natalie, the latter of whom she has used as inspiration for various characters.
Plaza was named after the song "Aubrey" by Bread. Her father is Puerto Rican and her mother is of Irish and English descent. Plaza has stated: "I was like the only diverse kid in my high school, and I'm half-Puerto Rican. But yeah, I have a huge family and tons of cousins in Puerto Rico." She participated in productions with the Wilmington Drama League.
Anna Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor in theater productions. Her first prominent role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She made her film debut in the musical comedy Camp (2003).
Kendrick rose to prominence for her supporting role in The Twilight Saga (2008–12), the blockbuster film franchise based on Stephenie Meyer’s book series of the same name. She went on to earn critical acclaim for her performance in Up in the Air (2009), including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Kendrick has since featured in successful films like the comedy-drama 50/50 (2011), the crime drama End of Watch (2012), and the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014). She has achieved further fame for playing the protagonist in the successful musical comedy Pitch Perfect (2012) and its blockbuster sequel Pitch Perfect 2 (2015).