Aubrey Plaza is always down to tell an interesting story, whether it’s about her failed SNL audition or getting lost with White Lotus co-star Meghann Fahy while tripping on shrooms. Now, Plaza shared another funny anecdote that defies easy comparison – this time involving current U.S. president Joe Biden. The Park and Recreation alum hilariously reflected on stealing a note from then-Vice President Biden’s desk in the White House over a hilariously petty reason.
The White Lotus star spilled her wild tale to The New Yorker while promoting her acclaimed film Emily the Criminal, sharing that her relationship with Biden goes back to her teen years. She confronted the future U.S. president while attending his youth leadership conference, calling her approach “very Tracy Flick in Election.” The two Delaware natives met up years later when he made cameo appearances on her show Parks and Recreation, with Biden greeting Plaza personally each time, which raised her suspicions. Each time, Biden would appear, he would greet Plaza personally. During one appearance, the cast and crew toured the then-Vice President’s office, leading to the rabble-rousing actress to discover a surprise note about herself. In her words:
Before the tour, I saw him, and he knew my name. He was, like, ‘Aubrey!’ Whenever I see him, he always tells me the same story. His first wife went to the same high school that I went to, so he always tells me about how he used to wait outside the convent for her, because it’s an all-girls Catholic school—and it’s a very sweet story, but I’ve heard it a lot. I was, like, ‘I know, Joe! She went to Ursuline!’ But then, later, when we got a tour of the Vice-President’s office, I saw a note on his desk that had been written by his assistant on official White House stationery that said, ‘Aubrey Plaza’—underlined—’Wilmington, Delaware. You met her at the Joe Biden youth-leadership conference when she was sixteen.’ There were bullet points about me. And I was, like, ‘I knew it! He doesn’t remember me at all!’
Maybe that confrontation between the TV and film star and the current president just didn’t have the same impact as the adversarial relationship between Tracy Flick and Jim McAllister. Plaza's stance is relatable, as far as believing something disingenuous was at play. Sharing his first wife’s connection to Plaza is a fine instinct, but it's part of what proved her point, since he seemingly didn't remember sharing the story before. But the line was drawn in the sand when the Legion vet noted that he was given some crib notes about her. Considering how many people the U.S.' top brass meets in any given day, week, or month, it's no shock that those kinds of notes are needed.
The usually sardonic actress was understandably taken aback upon seeing her information penned on the stationery, and decided to snatch it up as proof. That arguably criminal action lead to a hilariously heated exchange between her and Parks and Rec creator Mike Schur.
But that’s how politicians are, you know? I pocketed it, and Mike Schur, the creator of ‘Parks and Rec,’ was horrified. He was, like, ‘You cannot steal from the White House!’ And I was, like, ‘I don’t give a shit! I know what he did! He didn’t know me!’ And it’s sad because I lost it. Can you imagine if I’d kept it? I could’ve framed it or sold it. Now he’s the President—I had no idea. But, yeah, I stole it right off his desk. And there’s got to be cameras in the White House. But they didn’t do anything to me.
That’s sad she lost a piece of oddball pop culture history. She could’ve cashed in somehow on having the current U.S. president’s stationery during his time as President Barack Obama’s number two. The written note would’ve been bragging rights for her to show her frenemy relationship with President Biden. Maybe not Smithsonian-worthy, but perhaps in a Delaware museum of some kind.
Aubrey Plaza has more going for her than palming post-its from President Biden, of course. She is set to play an undisclosed role in the upcoming Marvel Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Plaza will pop up on the film side in the 2023 new movie release, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which will arrive in theaters on March 3. She’s also attached to the upcoming sci-fi film Megalopolis and the animated movie The Ark and the Aardvark.
