Despite the film’s dismal box office performance, “Megalopolis” star Aubrey Plaza has received plenty of positive reviews about her performance as financial reporter Wow Platinum — and if an interview published by the New York Times Sunday is any indication, that press is well deserved. “It was madness working on that film,” she explained. “My mentality every day was ‘Every man for himself; only the strong survive here.’”
Plaza added that filming with Coppola wasn’t predictable. The director might tell her, “In the next take, you’re a spider” or he might offer a suggestion from his barista. She said, “There were days that I would go to set thinking we’re about to start shooting and instead, Francis would go, ‘I’d like to play a game.’”
The actress decided to remain in character as Platinum on set and off. “Even in the car on the way to that set, I would transform into Wow,” she said. “I would go, ‘OK, I’m terrified right now, I’m having a nervous breakdown as myself, but Wow’s not. She can handle anything.’ And I would switch like a lightbulb: ‘It’s Wow time.’”
Improvisation on set was also key to success. Otherwise, “you’d get eaten alive.”
Plaza also told the outlet that her costar Jon Voight suggested she write her own scenes for the movie because they might even be used. Plaza took his advice and she and Shia LaBeouf collaborated on a solution for a scene that ended up in the movie.
“It’s taken a long time, but I finally found what I’ve been looking for, which is having Francis direct me in a way that was truly inspiring and not about end result,” she said.
You can read the entire interview with Aubrey Plaza at the New York Times.
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