Aubrey Plaza walked off after snapping at Michael Cera in tense red carpet moment: "Don't do that..."
Interviews can go off-track quickly, as seen with Cameron Diaz, who walked out when questions about Drew Barrymore's past struggles came up, as per The Things. On the other hand, some actors completely lose composure, like Leslie Mann and Dakota Johnson while promoting 'How to Be Single'. Jimmy Fallon and Bradley Cooper also struggled to keep a straight face during their interview. A similar situation occurred with Aubrey Plaza and Michael Cera while promoting 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' in Toronto. Despite their close friendship, there was noticeable tension, but fans suspect it was staged rather than a real conflict.
Released in 2010, 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' received positive reviews, though it made under $50 million at the box office. The movie featured a star-studded cast, including Michael Cera, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson, Kieran Culkin, and Chris Evans. Reflecting on the film, Plaza said, "Honestly, the whole thing surprised me. I had no idea what it was going to be like. I was definitely surprised by how much heart it had and how much I cared for the characters. Thinking back on Edgar and his other movies, they all have a lot of heart in them and I think that’s what makes them so good. I guess, maybe I should’ve not been surprised (laughs)," Film School Rejects reported.
In the same interview with Film School Rejects, Plaza shared that she had to read the script multiple times before fully understanding it. The film was not only a career success for Plaza but also led to a strong friendship with Cera. She recalled how well they connected from the beginning. “He’s a very special — I mean, we love each other,” she said. “We’re still really good friends. He’s just a weird little freak and we speak the same language. He’s one of the funniest people I know.” “He wasn’t someone I ever saw and thought, ‘Oh, give me some of that Michael Cera,’” she explained. “I wasn’t like that. We just connected and after, it just happened.”
Despite their close bond, an awkward moment between them at the red carpet premiere while promoting 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' in Toronto went viral. Both Plaza and Cera were giving separate interviews beside each other. However, Plaza appeared upset when Cera playfully grabbed the microphone, which led to her walking away, ending the interview abruptly. Plaza remarked, "Seriously seriously don't do that, like honestly don't do that stop." The interviewer who noticed this said, "There is so much sexual tension happening here." To which she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about" before storming away. Although many believe she was just acting, some think Plaza was looking for a way to leave the interview, and Cera unintentionally helped.
One fan pointed out in the YouTube video's comments, "You have two of the most sarcastic actors, and people still think this was a real interview gone bad." Another commented, "There are so many levels of irony and sarcasm in this exchange that I don't even know what's real anymore." A different viewer added, "This was a really really well-scripted and acted interview. She was asked how much she hates Michael Cera and he conveniently messed up a shitty interview of hers? It was well executed and acted." Another asked, "Scripted much?" It seems likely that Plaza and Cera were simply having fun during what might have been an otherwise dull interview.